Everything Had Changed, Yet The Moon Was Still There

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at [Link]

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: M/M
Fandom: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs
Relationship: Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Character: Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray
Dogs), Mori Ougai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ozaki Kouyou (Bungou Stray
Dogs), Oda Sakunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo
(Bungou Stray Dogs), Edogawa Ranpo (Bungou Stray Dogs),
Fukuzawa Yukichi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Yosano Akiko (Bungou Stray
Dogs), Miyazawa Kenji (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tanizaki Junichirou
(Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs),
Higuchi Ichiyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Hirotsu Ryuurou (Bungou Stray
Dogs), Tanizaki Naomi, Sakaguchi Ango (Bungou Stray Dogs),
Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin, Francis Scott
Key Fitzgerald (Bungou Stray Dogs), Lucy Maud Montgomery (Bungou
Stray Dogs), Izumi Kyouka (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edgar Allan Poe
(Bungou Stray Dogs), Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Bungou Stray Dogs),
Nikolai Gogol (Bungou Stray Dogs)
Additional Tags: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort then hurt again, Soukoku |
Double Black (Bungou Stray Dogs), Mafia Soukoku | Double Black
(Bungou Stray Dogs), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, what if
Chuuya had gone with Dazai?, Dazai-Typical Suicide Mentions
(Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai-Typical Suicide References (Bungou Stray
Dogs), Blood and Violence, Character Death, Friendship, Best Friends,
Partners in Crime, Pain, Trauma, i'm still not good at tags but enjoy,
Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Self-Harm, ADA Chuuya, Armed
Detective Agency Member Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs),
Drinking, Alcohol, Human trafficking case, Scars, Port Mafia (Bungou
Stray Dogs), Chuuya and Yosano would be besties argue with the wall,
Caring Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Stormbringer Light Novel
Spoilers (Bungou Stray Dogs), Caring Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou
Stray Dogs), Happy Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Happy
Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Guild Arc (Bungou Stray Dogs),
Mori Ougai Being An Asshole (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu is
Bad at Feelings (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakahara Chuuya is Bad at
Feelings (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai and Chuuya need to use their
words, Chuuya and Poe the dynamic I didn't know I needed in my life,
Nakahara Chuuya Uses Corruption (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa
deserves better
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2021-11-22 Updated: 2023-08-10 Words: 291,314 Chapters:
21/?

Everything Had Changed, Yet The Moon Was Still There

by Fifi_writes

Summary
 Have you ever wondered what would happen if Dazai had asked Chuuya to leave the Pm
with him?
I'm sure you have.
Well, this is what I think could have happened.

Notes

I started writing this in the Summer when I was in a really bad place mentally, to make
myself somewhat happy. Of course, many things have changed since then, as has the story.
I have no idea how long it will be, and due to school, I can not promise that I will update
regularly.
I will try tho to have at least one update every two weeks, if not every week.
 Still, I'll let you choose...
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Chuuya had just arrived back at the apartment after a very tedious mission. He had taken a nice hot
bath and had changed into a more casual outfit.

He was now sitting on a velvet couch, a bunch of papers on his hands.

" Yes, Boss. I'll let you know." The man on the other side hang up on him. Chuuya placed the
phone on the table and continued staring at the words.
Being an executive had proven to be way more complicated than he had thought.
And that bastard Dazai would never help him with paperwork.
Speaking of the bastard, he should have been there by now.
It wasn't often that he was that late.
Chuuya made a mental note to call him, should more hours pass.

The door knocked once.

Strange, Dazai always knocked thrice, and there was no one else that would come to their house at
that hour. Or in general.
Chuuya stood up and walked to the door, already dreading the other side.
He turned the knob.

Dazai stood there, still. He wasn't wearing his coat, his bandages were a mess, his eyes were both
uncovered and there was blood on his hands.
So much blood.
" What happened? " he asked, moving away so Dazai could enter.
Dazai walked inside and stopped. He moved as if he were a machine.
" Dazai, " Chuuya grabbed his hand, " What happened? "
Dazai raised his head slowly, his eyes meeting his.
Chuuya stilled. His eyes looked empty. Two bottomless pits of brownish-red. It was as if the light
had left them.
Dazai opened his mouth, but words failed him.
" Dazai " Chuuya tried again, shaking him. " Whose blood is this? "

It wasn't his partner's, Chuuya knew. Dazai wouldn't be in this state if it had been his.
Dazai's knees hit the ground.
Chuuya knelt beside him.
" I lost him "
Dazai's words were fainter than a whisper. His voice, hoarse.
" I lost him " Dazai repeated, looking at his blood-covered hands.
There was only one person Chuuya knew that had that big of an impact on Dazai's life.
" You mean Oda? " Chuuya whispered, getting hold of his shaking hands.
Dazai nodded once and then kept his head low.

Chuuya had never seen that side of him. He had never seen him like that, looking so fragile, so
broken.
It tugged at his heart in a strange and unfamiliar way.
" You have to clean yourself, " he said, trying to help the other boy up, " Dazai, you can't stay like
this "
The smell of blood and its texture on his clothes and skin would only make everything worse.
Dazai shook him off, before standing up. He moved to the bathroom on his own, his movements
mechanic, devoid of any emotion.
Chuuya let him.
But what if he tries anything stupid? The little voice in his mind screamed to leave him alone.
But the door was ajar, and Chuuya was worried sick.

He had never had to comfort him before. Dazai was never affected by anything. He didn’t know
what he should do, or what he should say.
Would a shower even help Dazai?
Or would Dazai try to drown himself, or-
There were razors in the cabinet. Would he-

He walked towards the door and looked inside.

Dazai was sitting beneath the showerhead, water running on his clothed body, washing the blood
away.
Dazai stared forward, but his eyes were not focused.
He was far far away from that place.

Chuuya knelt by the side of the bathtub. He wanted to help.

He wanted to do something.
" What can I do? " A stupid question he knew. Dazai didn't seem to have heard him.
" Dazai please, I want to help " No matter the rift that had grown between them that last year,
Dazai was still his partner. He still cared about him, more than he wanted to admit.
" My vest " Dazai's fragile voice pained his ears.
Chuuya gently reached for the fabric, guiding his head through the two holes.
Dazai was like a puppet, completely motionless. It scared him.
Chuuya threw the vest on the ground before he took his red hands on his.
He rubbed water on them and scrubbed the blood off.
Dazai's eyes remained glued n the horizon. They never wavered, not even for a second.

When Chuuya had gotten the blood off of him, he turned off the water and helped him stand up.
His clothes, bandages and hair were all damp, water licked to the floor, pooling beneath them.
Chuuya draped a towel around him and got him out.
With a bit of help, Dazai eventually reached his bed.
" Try to change. If you can't, you have blankets. Stay warm, and call if you need anything. "
Dazai's eyes found him, and then the wall.
At least he had heard him.

Oda Sakunosuke was dead. How had that happened? Why was Dazai there? Who had done it?
Chuuya's head was full of unanswered questions.
He was cleaning the blood from the floor, now, thinking it would be better if Dazai didn’t have to
see it again.
Dazai
He had looked so empty.
More than he had ever seen him before.
Worse, he had looked vulnerable. The way he was shaking, the way his lips quivered ever so
slightly.
Chuuya did not want to see him like that ever again, under any circumstances.

After he was done moping the floors, and covering the smell with some tea bags on the ground,
Chuuya had headed back to Dazai's room.
Dazai was in the same position as he had left him. His eyes were wide open, glued to the ceiling.
Chuuya grabbed one of the blankets, and threw it on him, making sure his body was well covered.
Dazai didn't react to the noise or the gesture.
Neither when Chuuya sat on the small armchair beside the bed.

Unlike Dazai, sleep hit Chuuya right in the face after he closed his eyes.

...

Chuuya woke up to the sound of his phone ringing.

" Boss? " he saw the time, it was too early for work, so why had Mori called him?
" Did Dazai-kun return yesterday? " Mori asked, his voice neutral as always. Chuuya recalled last
night, and immediately looked at Dazai's empty bed.
" Yes." He responded. He had returned.
" Thank you. That's all, Chuuya-kun " Mori hang up.
Chuuya didn't see why Mori would call him just to ask that. He pocketed his phone, and run
outside to the living room.

" Oi, Dazai " he screamed but was greeted with silence. The living room was empty. The bathroom
was empty.
He even checked his bedroom and the balcony.
There were no signs of Dazai.

Chuuya took out his phone and dialled the number he knew by heart. Nothing.
He called again.
Nothing.
He called a third time.
Same answer.
He texted the number, but no response ever came.

Dazai was gone.

One week had passed since that awful day.

One week had passed since his partner had abandoned him.
Since he’d woken up in a world without Dazai.

And it felt strange.

This last year they’d grown apart, he knew, but even then, even if he almost never talked to him,
Dazai would always be sleeping in the room opposite to his. He’d always return to their apartment
at the end of the day.
They seldom ever conversed or even saw each other, but they knew where the other was. Chuuya
knew that if Dazai wasn’t there he’d be at Lupin.
But now Lupin was no longer a choice.
Oda was dead, and Ango...He wouldn’t go there anymore.

Still, for a week straight, Chuuya went to that bar every night.
Hoping that maybe Dazai would show up.
Hoping to see him again.
He’d drink some bottles of wine, and call him, only to be linked to an empty line. Then he’d drink
some more wine and call him again, trying to convince himself that Dazai was busy, or sleeping.
His calls never went through.
He let the phone ring for at least half a minute before closing it each time. Once he realized calling
him wouldn’t work, he tried to send him some voice messages.

In his drunken state, the words those messages were formed with, weren’t that many. There were
some curses, some I hate you’s, some sorry’s, and even some come back’s.
There were some other words there as well. Some words sober Chuuya regretted ever saying.

One week had passed where everything had changed, yet the moon was still there, mocking him
and his misery.

He was drinking another bottle of wine, seated on the balcony, when he heard knocking.
Three knocks.
The bottle fell off his hands, but he didn't care.

He rushed to the door and there he stood.

Dazai.
A clean, polished Dazai.
He wore a nice sand-coloured coat, a striped shirt and a vest. His pants were beige, and he had a
pendant on his neck.
What caught his attention though, were his eyes.
They were both uncovered, their colours slightly uneven.
That night Chuuya had been too busy worrying, to notice the slight difference in them.
" Chuuya..." Dazai whispered, looking back at the boy.
Chuuya stepped back. Both to let him enter, and because he was surprised. Maybe scared?
Dazai.
He didn't look like his Dazai.
" I want you to come with me " The brunette did not hesitate in his words. He did not go around the
subject. Chuuya wished he had.
" What? "
" I left the Port Mafia, and I want to ask you to come with me " Dazai's eyes found his. There was a
spark inside them. A spark that hadn't been there before.
Chuuya recoiled.
Leave the Port Mafia.
" And go where? " He asked.
" Underground for a while. Then wherever we want "
It sounded too good to be true.
Dazai sounded, not happy per se, but definitely excited.
Oda had died a week ago, Dazai's sudden mood change made zero sense to him.

Chuuya moved to his kitchen and brought two glasses, and a bottle.
He purred wine on both glasses, setting them on the table.
He indicated for Dazai to join him.

He was back.
All week Chuuya had been begging for him to come back. He had left so many stupid, drunken
messages on his phone.
He had broken so many things, had been furious, and Dazai would never respond.
But here he was now, telling him to...to do what?
Leave?
With him?
Chuuya desperately needed a drink.

" Chuuya...? " Dazai looked at him, with those eyes he had never seen before. Chuuya realized he
hadn't spoken.
" No " The words came out of his mouth, but they felt wrong.
Yet at the same time, he couldn't imagine saying yes.
He couldn't bear the thought of leaving the Port Mafia. Of leaving Mori, of leaving Kouyou.
Dazai's expression fell.
" Don't you want to come with me? We can run away, leave the PM behind. " He looked at his
drink, trailing the side of the glass with his finger.
" I'm an executive here. I have my job. "
" But you don't need to stay here. You can find another job "
Why was Dazai being so insistent?
Why did he want to leave so much?
" What the hell is up with you, man? You left a week ago. You gave no sign you were even alive,
you did not respond to a single call of mine, and now you're here, asking me to what? Ran away
with you? "
Chuuya was angry.
His initial relief of seeing him after thinking he was dead, was washing away. Turning into bitter
anger.
" I know. I had to leave. But I've decided to change. " Dazai's eyes remained on the glass " I want
to be good, " he said, with a desperation Chuuya had never heard before.
" I want to save people, I want to find a reason to live. " Dazai swallowed. It was taking a lot for
him to say those things, Chuuya could tell. " And I want to take you with me " brownish-red eyes
found blue, and Chuuya felt his heart skip a beat.
What was Dazai talking about?
Saving people?
Being good?
" Since when do you want to do those things? "
Dazai remained silent, as he took a sip of his wine. " Oda...When he was dying he used his last
words to tell me to be better. To guide me. To help me find what I'm searching for." He stood up
from the chair and placed his hand on his heart.
" I want to try. And I want you with me "
He was talking to him so openly.
Dazai never talked to him like that.
He did want to try.
No.
He was already trying.
Chuuya thought about it. Dazai, his Dazai would have left. He would have left without saying
anything.
He would be distant and cold, he would try not to open up, but close more to himself.
This Dazai had come back.
" But I can't, " Chuuya stood up and walked to him. " Leaving the organization, I cant. "
He had grown up with them. They had taken him in, had taught him all he knew. Mori, Kouyou,
his subordinates, even Dazai.
They were his family. He couldn't just, leave them.
" You feel the Port Mafia as your family," Dazai chuckled, " I get that. I know you, of course, you
do. And I know what I'm asking of you is a lot, but think about it. "
" Dazai-
" Do you really want this life? A life of wine, luxury and death? Because that's the Mafia-
" You were the one to introduce me to that life. Did you forget that? "
Dazai took a step back and lowered his eyes.
" You were the one to drag me here, you and Mori. And now what? You are telling me I should
leave? "
Dazai didn't have an answer to that.
" Are you telling me I should listen to you, join you, just so you can change your mind again? "
" Do you think I knew myself what I wanted? I never did. I joined the mafia because I wanted to see
if I could find it. And the only time I ever felt close to finding it, was when we went on our first
mission. When we fought Arthur together."
" So you found it in the Mafia? Make up your fucking mind, Dazai "
" No. " Dazai snapped. " What I'm trying to say is that I can see now that the Mafia life wasn't what
made me feel like that in the first place.
It wasn't the mission. It wasn't succeeding."
" Then what the fuck was it? "
" It was you."
Chuuya's eyes widened. He was what Dazai had meant that day.
When he said, maybe life was worth trying after all.
He?
" Me? " Chuuya laughed because if he weren't laughing he would be crying.
" Me? You threw me aside, you bastard. You chose those two over me. How can you lie so
blandly? "
" What are you-
" You were never here, Dazai. You were never with me, but you know where you were? At that
fucking bar, with Oda and Ango. I thought you were my partner, my friend, but as soon as you
found others- You fucking threw me aside "
Chuuya had acted like it hadn't bothered him, all year. He had pretended it was okay, for his
partner to never be there.
But that was all it was, an act.
" It wasn't like that..." Dazai whispered, clearly shaken by Chuuya's words.
" Then how was it, Dazai? Please tell me " Chuuya's smile was wide and full of venom. Dazai
couldn't blame him. He knew nothing.
Dazai had made sure of it.
" You think it was a coincidence our schedules were like that? " Chuuya's expression relaxed his
attention on his ex-partner. " You think it was a coincidence Mori put you under Kouyou's care,
while I stayed under his? "
Dazai rolled his eyes and smiled. " You are so naive, chibi "
Chuuya had stayed still.
He had never thought about it that way.
" But Mori didn't force you to make friends with Ango and Oda. " Bitterness laced his words.
" You're right. They weren't calculated for. " Dazai swallowed, and inhaled,
" That's why it was so easy to kill him. Mori orchestrated everything around Odasaku's death
because the benefits were too great to refuse. He got the permit, and he made sure he was out of
my life. He and Ango, who was a double agent, by the way. "
Dazai wanted to say more but he couldn't.
He couldn't tell Chuuya that Mori had once tried to kill him too. He couldn't tell him about the two
hours he had spent in his office, reasoning with him that Chuuya was a good investment. He
couldn't tell him of how hard he had tried to keep him in his life.

Chuuya knew they had the permit. But he hadn't known how they got a hold of it. Only that mimic
had been involved.
It made sense. Oda died the day before. Mori had used him as a pawn.
Dazai knew that. That's why he wanted to leave the Port Mafia so much.
" I'm sorry for your friends," Chuuya said. He knew how it felt to lose friends, he knew it too well.
Still, he never thought that he would live to see Dazai experience that.
Dazai only smiled.

" I already lost them. " He said. " I can't lose you, too " Dazai took his coat from the chair and
walked towards the door,
" Still, I'll let you choose... " He turned and looked at Chuuya one last time.
When he saw Chuuya was not answering, he turned back, opened the door and left.

...

Dazai walked out of the apartment alone. What had he been expecting, honestly?
He had been expecting Chuuya to say yes.
He wanted to try this being good thing with him. He wanted both of them out of that black cage,
that was the Mafia.
He wanted to help Chuuya as he had once helped him.

Dazai knew what he was asking was a lot.

He was asking him to drop everything he had worked so hard for.
His executive place, his job, his status.
He was asking him to refuse that easy life of luxury he so loved.
His expensive wines, his money.
He was asking him to leave the family he had found after the sheep had betrayed him.
He was asking him to leave Kouyou, who he thought of as his big sister.
And all that just to be with him.

Now that he was rethinking it, it sounded like a joke.

Someone sacrificing so many things, their whole life, for him?
Why had he ever even considered that?

Chuuya was right.

He had left him. He had created that distance between them.
But still.
Dazai had held out hope that Chuuya would have said yes.

Such a foolish thought.

He continued walking towards the station, a few blocks away from their place, now Chuuya's
place.
He had already made half the way when he heard footsteps behind him.
A hand reached out and grabbed his. Dazai turned.

Chuuya was standing there, trying to catch his breath.

Had he run after him?
" You'll let me choose? " Chuuya mocked, but there was no resentment in his voice.
" Whenever you say that...I never actually have any other choice, do I?"
Their eyes locked, and Dazai could see the spark that had been ignited inside the blue.
He smiled. He smiled wide.
Because Chuuya had chosen him.
Because Chuuya had run after him.
Because Chuuya, had smiled.

...

They were back at their old apartment, sitting inside the living room, discussing the situation.
" We go underground. What if the Mafia comes after us? " Chuuya was still shocked with his
decision.
His body had acted on its own, running after him. The words had slipped from his mouth and they
had felt right.
But at the same time, wrong.
" Chuuya, even if they do, do you think they could catch us? " Dazai's smug face made him sure.
Chuuya snickered, " no " he answered because it was the truth.
Their partnership was legendary. They were the devastating rivals. Mori knew he wouldn't stand a
chance against them.
" We are Double Black, chibi " Dazai laughed again. " No one can touch us "
Chuuya liked this new Dazai.
He was open to actual conversation.
" If you call me chibi one more time, I'll make sure our name changes to Solo Black. " Chuuya half
halfheartedly joked.
" Awww, you would actually kill me? You are too kind " Dazai grinned.
"Still on your suicidal bullshit aren't ya?"
" No no no, I told you I decided to change. From now on, my goal will be to..." Dazai placed his
finger on his chin as if thinking. " commit suicide with a beautiful lady "
Chuuya raised his eyebrow and then burst into laughter.
" So what, you'll like, go around and ask random women to die with you? " Chuuya was still
laughing, the thought was just too funny. And he had also drunk some more wine than he should
have.
" I don't know, maybe? It could work "
Chuuya continued laughing with no guilt. He didn't mean it.
He could see Dazai didn't mean it.
Not this time.
Something had changed. And it was now apparent to him.
" Oh, hey girl. Would you mind doing me a little favour? Could you please jump off this bridge
with- " Chuuya tried to impersonate him, and his future attempt.
" Why did you cut it off so abruptly? "
Chuuya knew he'd ask. " Oh, you got slapped," he said with a straight face.
Dazai looked at him and then laughed.
A loud, stupid laugh, that would forever be carved into his heart.

Chuuya felt sad about leaving the Mafia. Leaving Kouyou, and even Mori.
He had wanted to stay, but looking at Dazai laughing, he knew he wouldn't be regretting his
decision.

THREE DAYS LATER

Mori Ougai, the boss of the Port Mafia was in peril. Two, of his most precious subordinates, two
executives, had left the organization the same week. Just some days apart.
The worst thing, he knew it would be foolish to go after them.

So he was sitting inside his office now, watching the view from the wall made of glass. Kouyou
was standing nearby, purring them two glasses of wine.
" Do you think they'll be fine? "
She asked.
Chuuya had been under her protection all those years. She understood his decision, but still, a
goodbye wouldn't have hurt.
Even if she hadn't received one, she was happy for him.
She knew he was with Dazai, the same way she knew Chuuya would be the happiest with him.
" They'll be fine, Kouyou-san " Mori answered her. A factual tone in his words.
Kouyou believed him.
They were together. Of course, the two of them would be fine.

Mori thought the same. It was strange. They were traitors of the Mafia, executives turned deserters,
yet they were still the two boys he had known since they were fifteen.
He knew they'd be fine.
The same way he knew he would get his revenge one day.

...

" Is that a burner phone? " Dazai asked, settling down the last box in their new apartment. It wasn't
as big or as luxurious as their previous, but it would do. Chief Taneda had been generous enough to
let them there.
Chuuya turned to face him, " oh, yeah. I wanted to send a message," he said.
Dazai smiled. " Say hi from me," he said.
Chuuya typed it in. " I'll tell her. "

Dazai continued unboxing and setting up all of Chuuya's stuff. He, himself, hadn't brought
anything with him. Only some new clothes, he had never worn before. He didn't want anything that
had been brought using his money. He didn't want anything from his days in the mafia.
One exception.
A photo, that was now inside his drawer.
That was the only thing that could stay.

Chuuya hadn't had the same outlook. He'd taken most of his clothes with him, his most expensive
wines, and even some furniture from their old apartment.
Dazai hadn't minded.
Chuuya had come with him, he could settle with having some tacky stuff like that around.
After all, Chuuya had made the grave decision of bringing their gaming console with him.

Dazai placed the box down, leaving the rest of the work to Chuuya. He laid on his bed and grabbed
the book from his nightstand, continuing from the page he had stopped to, the previous day.

Chuuya entered his room, tossed him the box, and said ‘’ It’s your job to set it up ‘’. Dazai placed
the book on the nightstand and carried the box outside.

It was his work.

HALF A YEAR LATER

" YOU ARE GOING DOWN, MACKEREL " Chuuya yelled, furiously pressing every button there
was on his controller. Dazai pressed only those that would guarantee his victory.
" DON'T YOU DARE, YOU FUCKER, " Chuuya continued with his unorthodox technique,
" YOU'RE DOING THE SAME FUCKING THING, MY CHARACTER IN ON A FUCKING
CORNER " Dazai grinned.
Winning at this was as easy as breathing.
" You bastard. " Chuuya threw the controller to the couch in defeat.
" I'm, sorry, I didn't hear you, what was that? "
Chuuya bit his lip, he didn't want to say it.
" I still can't hear you~
" Dazai is the best in this game, while I, Chuuya Nakahara, am a sore loser. " he said it faster than
he could breathe.
" Come on, it's not funny if you say it like that~ " Dazai whined.
" I said it, you heard it. That was the [Link] are you doing? "
Dazai had taken out his phone.
He pressed a button and Chuuya's voice could be heard, slowed down.
" Dazai is the best in this game, while I, Chuuya Nakahara, am a sore loser. "
" This is better, " He kissed his phone, " thank you, technology "
" When did you even-
" Dazai is the best in this game, while I, Chuuya Nakahara, am a sore loser. ", Dazai played the
recording again." I'm sorry, what was that? "
" I hate you so fucking much. " Chuuya shook his head and went to his room.
" Fu fu " Dazai laid on the couch, now unoccupied by the short boy.

...

Five months.
Five months had passed in the blink of an eye.

Things were a bit rough at the beginning.

Chuuya was still hesitant with the whole idea, and the situation.
The thought of living underground for two years had been physically stressing him and because of
that, he would often let steam off in the form of yelling at Dazai.
Dazai let him.
He took every shout, and every cuss, and never uttered a word back, during those days.
Chuuya had known what would follow had he said yes, and he still had done it.
That was enough for Dazai. A bit of yelling, wouldn't change that.

It was only fair he supposed. Chuuya had his angry days and he had..well... it's difficult to explain,
but there were some days when things got so overwhelming for him, he emotionally shut down.
Chuuya had been terrified the first time it had happened. Dazai had been frozen in place for hours,
silently staring at the wall.
It had reminded him of the state Dazai had been in, when Oda had died.
Chuuya had tried to shake him off of it but soon had realized his attempts had been in vain.

After two days, Dazai reverted to his normal self. Chuuya had felt relief when he woke up and saw
him eating a sandwich by the kitchen counter.
They hadn't spoken about it, and Chuuya wouldn't question him
He understood.

After those first few weeks, things had started to get smoother.
Dazai would actually hear a good morning on a good day. And sometimes even a good night.
They'd eat together, and even converse, not like friends yet, but definitely not like sworn enemies
either.
It had been nice.

Four months later, they were best friends.

Eating together, playing video games all day, talking and joking, like they used to.
Their friendship had become a lot healthier and steadier than when they were at the Port Mafia.

Dazai was a lot more open with him now, and Chuuya soon learned to reciprocate that openness.
They would talk about the most random things, and then engage in deep philosophical
conversations, drinking wine and scotch.
Dazai would even tell him things from his past. At least those he could remember. Chuuya would
tell him about his time with the sheep, and what he did that one year they had drifted apart.
They would still compete over the stupidest things, and they would still cuss at each other, as if
they were sailors.
But it wasn't the same as back when they had been forced partners.
They would find the most creative of insults, but they wouldn't say them with same bitterness, or
anger.

Something had changed between them, and they both knew it.
As much as they still pretended to hate each other's guts, they knew it was all an act to amuse
themselves.

TWO YEARS LATER

Dazai felt hands shaking him, before he opened his eyes. Chuuya was bent over his bed, with a
worried expression on his face.
Dazai rubbed his eyes, "What happened?"
" What happened? " the other boy echoed, " Dazai you were screaming. " Dazai stared at him with
a questioning look.
Then it hit him.
The dream he had been having.
" Sorry I woke you up. It was just a stupid dream. " Dazai tried to laugh it off.
" I don't care that I'm up. Dazai what the fuck did you see? " Now that his vision had cleared, Dazai
could see Chuuya was horrified. He stood up, straight. " It's fine, Chuuya. I'm fine " he tried to
assure him, with a hoarse voice.
Dazai did not want to speak of that dream ever again.
He wanted it removed from his head.
" I though someone had broken in and was murdering you. " Chuuya's voice caught, " Dazai, your
scream... "

Chuuya had been awakened by the worst sound he had ever heard. A scream so loud, so ear
piercingly brutal, he had wanted to faint..
He had run to other room, sure he would find a murder scene, a gruesome one at that.
But instead he had only found Dazai, kicking his blankets and thrusting around his bed, screaming.
That sound shouldn't have been human.
That sound shouldn't be coming off by someone like Dazai.
" My scream? I can't hear myself when I'm asleep, Chuuya. I don't know what you're talking about
"
He knew what he was talking about.
He knew because the same thing had happened once again.
But Dazai wasn't ready to relive that memory.
He would never be.

" Dazai, whatever you saw I'm sorry " He couldn't phantom what could have caused that.
 Dazai didn't like the pity his voice was laced over.
He didn't like the whole situation.
Why, why on earth couldn't he control his dreams. He could manipulate his fucking heart beat, but
not his dreams?
He was pathetic.
" Want to play some street fighter? " He asked, desperately trying to find a way out.
He wanted more than anything to physically go out but that was forbidden.

Chuuya understood immediately. Dazai did not want to talk about it. He didn't want to even think
about it.
He could tell, whatever it was, Dazai had been affected.
" Screw that. " Chuuya grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the bed.
" We're getting out of here " he said.
Forbidden, forbidden not, he couldn't care less.
They were leaving.

Chapter End Notes

I love writing these two so much, and I really want to believe that I'm doing them
justice. As always, thank you all for reading.
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of '' Everything Had Changed, Yet The Moon Was
Still There ''
 What if we do become the good guys?
Chapter Summary

Here, have some nice soukoku moments, and some friendship building. ( Gotta build it
before you tear it down )

Now I can finally move to writting them joining the ADA.

Chapter Notes

Two weeks...more like, two months, he he...

In all seriousness, I'm really sorry about the late update, but School and personal stuff
got too overwhelming and I completely lost any motivation to write this.
I've written this chapter 3 times, and each time I deleted it and started from scrach.
This is the final version and the one I'm sticking with.
Hope you like it<3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Chuuya saw his brown eyes, two pools of sorrow, and decided he wanted to change that.
How exactly, he didn’t know yet.

He grabbed his hand and dragged him out of their house, his movements quick.
Dazai allowed Chuuya to take his hand and pull him to whatever direction he pleased. He was too
beaten up to pick a fight with him, and he didn’t see any reason to do so.

The only thing he wanted was to escape that dream, and in his own way, Chuuya was helping him
achieve that.

Dazai’s eyes travelled to the sky above. The nice, comforting black, the millions of little stars
dancing around them, and the glorious blue moon.
It wasn’t that rare of a phenomenon but still, a blue moon remained beautiful no matter how many
times he saw it.

‘’ Why are we here? ‘’ Dazai asked, his eyes wondering to the blue sea.
It felt strange, walking by the sea at such an hour, with no men in black or guns surrounding him.
No shipments he expected to be delivered.
No warehouses he needed to check.
Chuuya looked at him and stopped.
Why were they there?
‘’ I just wanted to get out. ‘’ The red head responded, ‘’ This was the first place I though of ‘’
The sea used to calm me down, so I thought maybe it could have the same effect to you as well.
‘’ I see ‘’ Dazai murmured, before settling down on the edge of the wooden deck. Chuuya
followed his lead, sitting down and crossing his legs.

They were both former executives of the Port Mafia, wanted traitors, yet here they were, sitting on
the port watching as the moon slowly faded from the sky, clouds covering it whole, not giving a
single thought to the fact they could be killed if found.
Chuuya would have loved to describe the feeling as playing with fire, but for him, it wasn’t nearly
as dangerous as the other thoughts he had.

He glanced at the boy next to him.

At the real fire.

Dazai seemed so out of it.

He was sitting normally, starring off at the horizon, with his lips slightly parted, as if he was ready
to say something.
Chuuya knew starring would only make things worse, but he couldn’t help himself.
Dazai looked so empty under the moonlight. His face and hair turned a pale bluish but his eyes
remained untouched. They remained dark.
No, Chuuya could have sworn they darkened, even.
It was as if the light had been sucked inside of them ,instead of being reflected.
He looked like he was in pain.

Chuuya let his back fall on the wooden deck, Hoping the sound would be enough to pull Dazai out
of his thoughts.
‘’ Say, Dazai ‘’
‘’ Hm? ‘’ To his surprise, the other boy actually heard him.
‘’ Do you have any good memories at the beach? ‘’
Dazai blinked twice. ‘’ What? ‘’
Chuuya let out a breath, ‘’ I asked if you-
‘’ No, I heard. ‘’ The question just startled me.
Chuuya placed his hands underneath his head, making himself comfortable. After some seconds of
silence, Dazai replied. ‘’ Yes ‘’
Chuuya waited for him to elaborate but he never did. Instead, he returned the question.
‘’ Yes ‘’ Chuuya said with the same tone, his voice a bit softer.
He wondered if they had the same memory in mind.

Of two boys a bit younger coming back from a mission and making Hirotsu stop the car, so they
could get to the beach for a few hours.
Of two boys destroying whatever the other build with the sand around them.
Of two boys digging a small hole, and watching as Hirotsu stepped on it and fell.

‘’ Hey Chuuya, ‘’ Dazai turned to his left and looked down to face him. ‘’ Is there any place you’d
like to go, that you haven’t already been to? ‘’
Chuuya shifted his eyes to the boy he was supposed to hate.
‘’ France ‘’ he responded. It was a place he had always wanted to go.
Dazai turned to face the waters again, ‘’ figured ‘’ he said.
‘’ What about you? ‘’ It was only fair to return the question after he had done the same just some
minutes prior.
‘’ I don’t have somewhere I want to go ‘’
‘’ Really? Nowhere in the entire world? ‘’ Come on, surely there must be a place.
‘’ Nowhere in the entire world. ‘’ Dazai echoed, letting out a small chuckle.

Chuuya hadn’t said a word about it two years now, but talking to Dazai had always felt like he was
walking on a tight rope.

Dazai was the kind of person Chuuya was supposed to hate.

He was the embodiment of every single thing wrong in a human.
He was selfish, and condescending, and obnoxious, and mean, and awful.
And so apathetic, and cold.

Yet it felt like, the more time he spent with him, the more he didn’t hate him.

Chuuya used to see reason in hating him. He used to feel right about doing so.
But the closer they grew, the more apparent it became.
Chuuya did not hate him.

Even when they were fifteen, when they had first met, Chuuya had never truly hated him.
He’d hated the thought of him, and everything he represented, but not him.

Dazai had done so many fucked up things, and he was absolutely, without a doubt a horrible
human being, but at the same time, Chuuya could see something entirely different in him.
Something he wasn’t sure he understood himself.
Something that provoked a lot of dangerous thoughts.

And those kind of thoughts were like spikes added beneath that rope. The more he had, the more
spikes would be added, and thus, the more painful his eventual fall would be.

Chuuya focused back on the present and on the moon in front of him.
He bent his knee and brought his leg closer to his body.
‘’ Oi, Dazai, ‘’ he kicked him gently with his other leg, ‘’ Sunrises or Sunsets? ‘’ he asked.
He was still very hesitant with the whole asking Dazai thing, but he assured himself that as long as
the questions weren’t too personal, and Dazai played along, they’d be fine.
‘’ Neither. I know you prefer sunsets though. ‘’
‘’ I do, yes ‘’ There was a small shimmer of satisfaction in his voice, as he realized Dazai knew
that about him, ‘’ But what do you mean neither? ‘’ his tone shifted.
‘’ Neither ‘’ Dazai shrugged his shoulders, but didn’t face him.

Chuuya thought about his rule, and then spoke again. ‘’ It’s how you told me, huh ‘’ He begun, ‘’
You really don’t have preferences and that kind of stuff in general, right? ‘’
‘’ Pretty much ‘’ Dazai’s answer was too quick. ‘’ There are a few exceptions, but they are very
few ‘’
Chuuya tried to think how that was. Living a life with no likes and dislikes, no strong opinions, the
thought alone was baffling.
‘’ What are the exceptions? ‘’ He made sure to ask in the most polite tone he could master.
Dazai turned to face him then. An unreadable expression on his face.
Shit.
Had he said something wrong?
‘’ They aren’t something fixed ‘’ his voice neutral, controlled.
‘’ Oh ‘’ The question slipped from his lips, right after, before he could even think of it. ‘’ How is
that? ‘’
Dazai considered him for a second. ‘’ How is what? ‘’
‘’ Living with your lack of emotions ‘’ Chuuya realized his mistake immediately. He opened his
mouth to speak, but Dazai was already talking.
‘’ My lack of emotions… ‘’ he repeated, his voice faint as a whisper.
‘’ I didn’t mean it like-
‘’ No, I get how you meant it ‘’ Dazai assured him, his eyes on his, now, outstretched hands.
Chuuya was regretting ever opening his mouth. ‘’If you don’t want to answer you can just say so‘’

Dazai gave no response.

He remained silent.

Chuuya respected that, but the fact Dazai couldn’t just say he didn’t want to answer, frustrated him
beyond belief.

He waited for him to say something, make a joke, ask a question, anything.
He didn’t.

‘’ Oi ‘’ Chuuya tried, ‘’ Want to get out of here? ‘’

He watched as Dazai’s eyes remained glued on the horizon. ‘’ Oi, Dazai ‘’ He nudged him again
on his side, ‘’ Dazai ‘’

The other boy gave no indication he heard him.

Was he having one of his episodes again?
‘’ Can you hear me? ‘’ he asked, ‘’ if yes, fucking say something ‘’
‘’ Dazai I swear, ‘’ Chuuya kicked him a bit harsher, but the brunette stayed put.

There was a loud thud, and then Chuuya was up on his feet. A small crack now on the wooden
deck.
‘’ Fine. ‘’ Chuuya snapped, ‘’ I’m leaving you alone ‘’ He said, walking away, his head turned to
see if Dazai would react. He took five steps.
‘’ Are you seriously not gonna talk? ‘’ No reaction again.

‘’ Fucking drown yourself ‘’

Chuuya wasn’t angry with him. He was frustrated.

Two whole years had passed since they had fled the Mafia, and Dazai had yet to improve on his
stupid communication skills.
Yes, he was more open to conversation now. Yes, he was more easy to talk to, more capable of
talking about the things he thought, and wanted to share, but no.
Dazai wasn’t getting any better at communicating what mattered.
He wasn’t getting any better at communicating those thoughts and emotion he hid from everyone.

Chuuya understood that, for the most part.

He gave him time, and even assured him that it was okay to stay silent during those days.
But it wasn’t okay.
He wanted to help him, he really wanted to, but soon he realized he couldn’t. And that deafening
silence was just a constant reminder of that.

No matter how many days, how many months, how many years passed, Chuuya would never be
able to actually help him. He just, didn’t know how.
Oda would know what to do.
The thought kept torturing him like a plague. The thought that, that man was the only person that
had ever truly helped Dazai.
The thought that no matter how hard he tried to, Chuuya would never amount to that.
Oda would keep his temper under control.
Oda would have known better than to say those things.

Chuuya kicked the sand under his boots, as he thought about it.
Your lack of emotions.
That was something his sixteen year old self would have said out of spite, back in the day when he
hated him.
Not the person he was now.
Chuuya knew better now. Dazai didn’t lack emotions. If he did, they wouldn’t be there in the first
place.
His emotions are just…different.
He feels different than others but he does feel. And that’s what frustrates Chuuya the most.
He does feel, but he thinks he doesn’t.

Dazai thinks the worst of himself, and is doing nothing to change that.
If he could just share what he feels, maybe he could see the same thing Chuuya sees.
Maybe that could help him.

Chuuya took a deep breath and turned his head back. He gazed at the sea, at the dock, and at the
shadowy figure sitting there.
Oda wouldn’t have left out of anger.

He needed to learn to be more patient.

He needed to figure out a way to help him, and soon.
In two months time, Dazai would be allowed back into the outside world.
In two months time, he’d start working at the Armed Detective Agency, Chief Taneda had spoken
so proudly of.
In two months time, he would join the side that helps people.
Chuuya was to follow him six months later.

Ha

He could laugh at the thought.

Him, saving people?
A mass murderer, a mafioso bathed in blood, a vessel of the fucking god of destruction?
Someone like Chuuya wasn’t meant to be a saviour. He wasn’t meant to be a good guy. He didn’t
even know how to be that.

Growing up with the Sheep he knew only to steal for his survival. He knew only to protect his
companions and destroy anyone who would try to harm them. He knew only to live in secrecy, to
live as an outlaw in the shadows.
His teenage years in the Mafia changed nothing but his conscience.
To live up to everyone’s expectations, he abandoned half of his morals. He learned to excuse
actions such as murder and fraud. He learned to mask his shame and act confident.
Now he had to learn to be the good guy.
To be the one that saves people from death.
The one that helps.

Why the fuck was he even doing this…

Dazai.

Dazai had asked him to.

If Dazai believed he could be on the side that helps people, then what the Hell.
Chuuya would try his best to prove him right.

Dazai had not moved an inch.

Chuuya sat quietly next to him.
He took a deep breath, ‘’ look…
‘’ Do you regret coming with me? ‘’
‘’ Huh? ‘’Chuuya’s head turned to face him.
Dazai didn’t repeat himself. He knew Chuuya had heard him well enough.

Chuuya was thinking of his answer, when he made the mistake of looking him in the eyes.
His tired eyes said everything.
He didn’t want to hear lies. He wanted the truth.

‘’ Sometimes, yes ‘’ Chuuya answered with honesty. ‘’ There are days where I want to strangle
you, and go back to the PM like nothing ever happened. ‘’ He tried to play it off as a joke. Dazai
didn’t laugh. ‘’ But for the most part, no. ‘’ At that, Dazai eye’s glistened.
‘’ You are incredibly annoying, and being stuck in a small apartment for two years has been awful,
‘’ He continued, ‘’ but I don’t regret it. ‘’

‘’ It’s not that I ignore you, you know ‘’ Dazai started, ‘’ I hear everything you say when I’m in
that state, but I physically cannot respond ‘’
Chuuya tried not to lift his eyebrow in question. He kept his expression under control.
‘’ It’s like I’m paralyzed, but not quite ‘’ It wasn’t easy for him to explain those episodes of his.
After all, you can’t explain something you can’t understand yourself.

Chuuya nodded his head.

Dazai was making an effort.

‘’ I saw an art supply store nearby ‘’ Chuuya confessed, earning a questioning look. ‘’ I saw they
had spray cans there ‘’
‘’ You want us to go and graffiti walls? What are we, sixteen? ‘’ Chuuya rolled his eyes.
‘’ So you don’t want us to? ‘’
Dazai stood up, ‘’ I didn’t say that ‘’
Chuuya scoffed and got up as well. ‘’ Race you there? ‘’ He said, already leaving.
Dazai threw his head back in exasperation, ‘’ You’re such a brat ‘’ He laughed, before racing after
him.
Dazai tried desperately to catch up to him but his physical abilities wouldn’t let him. Chuuya was
by far faster. Dazai held no delusion he could win by playing his game, but still.

‘’ You’re late ‘’ Dazai said, already holding a red can of spray, sitting cross-legged on top of the
small store’s roof.
‘’ How the fuck- ‘’
‘’ Come on, Chuuya ‘’ He smirked, ‘’ If I can’t beat a slug to a race, then what am I good for? ‘’
‘’ You took the fucking path didn’t you? ‘’ Dazai’s smirk only grew wider. ‘’ You were supposed
to outrun me, not take the easy way ‘’ Chuuya complained.
‘’ Pfff ‘’ Dazai scoffed, ‘’ you said no such thing ‘’

Chuuya shook his head. ‘’ Whatever, just toss me the blue can ‘’
Before he could scold his expression, Dazai’s eyes widened for a fleeting moment. He was
surprised Chuuya had read his moves so well.
He decided not think of it further, and just toss Chuuya the can he had hid behind him.

‘’ You know, seeing you up there reminded me of something ‘’ Chuuya said, catching the metallic
can.
Dazai jumped off the roof, landing on his two feet. ‘’ If it’s the saying about fools and smoke
sharing the same affinity for high places you owe me a drink ‘’
Chuuya bit back what he had wanted to say. ‘’ It wasn’t that ‘’
Dazai raised one eyebrow.
Chuuya rolled his eyes, ‘’ Fine. Next time we’re out, I’m buying you a glass of wine ‘’
Dazai made a disgusted face, scrunching up his nose and closing his eyes. He looked like a toddler
refusing to eat broccoli.
‘’ Not my fault, ‘’ Chuuya shrugged his shoulders. ‘’ You didn’t say what kind of drink ‘’

‘’ The fuck is this? ‘’ Chuuya asked, seeing Dazai’s masterpiece for the first time.

They had decided to graffiti a small skating park, no one went to. Dazai had taken one ramp, and
one wall, while Chuuya had taken the gate of the park and a small section, connected to a low
hangar.
Dazai had said their theme was warning people. Chuuya hadn’t asked for a theme in the first place,
but he decided to go along.

Right after Chuuya had agreed to it, Dazai said that it had now become a competition. Whoever
won, by having the best graffiti, could, for one day, make the other do anything they wanted.
Initially, Chuuya refused.
Dazai, being the very mature person he is, started calling him a chicken.

Dazai was now standing besides his art, awaiting Chuuya’s judgement.
‘’ It’s a warning about a rabid dog ‘’
‘’ It’s a drawing of me, holding a wine bottle and looking angry. ‘’
‘’ What did I say? ‘’
Chuuya glared at him and then at the wall.
‘’ Why are my ears so pointy? And are those fangs? ‘’ Chuuya examined the wall closer, ‘’ I look
like a fucking vampire ‘’
‘’ They say art imitates real life ‘’
‘’ Do I look like a fucking vam-
‘’ No, but I once saw this dream where you had turned into one, and you were trying to bite my
head off ‘’
Chuuya squinted his eyes and tried to imagine it. ‘’ Why the fuck would I-
‘’ Why were I in your dream in the first place? ‘’
‘’ The seven dwarfs were also in one of my dreams, so don’t feel special ‘’
Chuuya opened his mouth, and the closed it again.

‘’ From Snow White? ‘’ He asked eventually, still trying hard to imagine how dreams exactly
worked .
‘’ No, from Sleeping beauty ‘’ Dazai deadpanned.
Chuuya shook his head. ‘’ I wont even question it… ‘’
‘’ Oh, come on ‘’ Dazai pouted, ‘’ It’s really not that bad. I got your hair right ‘’ he trailed of, ‘’ …
kinda ‘’
‘’ You drew my collar having a little bone on the middle. ‘’
‘’ It fit the theme ‘’
‘’ There is a cloud above me that says bark.
‘’ It’s to show people the dog is feral ‘’

Chuuya was honestly so done with him.

The sun would soon be appearing, and here they were still.

‘’ It’s awful ‘’
‘’ You clearly don’t understand art ‘’
‘’ That’s not art ‘’
Dazai gasped, offended. ‘’ Let’s see yours then. Since you say you know what real art is ‘’

Chuuya scoffed, and then walked with Dazai to the gate.

‘’ It’s my name and a bad drawing of me ‘’

‘’ And…’’
‘’ Some words above my character. ‘’ Dazai turned to him, ‘’ How is this any better than mine. ‘’
‘’ Unlike your rapid dog, my Dazai Osamu, is an actual Danger to Society ‘’
‘’ Your Dazai Osamu ‘’ Dazai echoed, ‘’ you flatter me, Chuuya ‘’
Chuuya pointed at his mouth with his finger, ‘’ disgusting, ‘’ he said, ‘’ you make me sick ‘’
Dazai ignored his gestures, and read the smaller text below. ‘’ If you see him throw rocks, really?
‘’
‘’ Some rocks in the head would be good for your health ‘’
‘’ So caring ‘’
‘’ It would also do the world good. ‘’ Chuuya smiled.
‘’ Helping the world already? ‘’ Dazai returned the poisonous smile, ‘’ That’s amazing Chuuya.
You’re becoming such a great person ‘’
Chuuya rolled his eyes, ‘’ I just vandalized a skate park ‘’
‘’ We did, yeah. ‘’ Dazai agreed. ‘’ And we also robbed a small store. ‘’ he reminded, ‘’ BUT ‘’ he
jumped closer to him, ‘’ At least we aren’t robbing a bank. Or killing a bunch of people. ‘’
‘’ Wow ‘’ Chuuya’s voice was laced with sarcasm, ‘’ we are really becoming the good guys, huh ‘’
‘’ Less talking ‘’ Dazai tossed him another can ‘’ More vandalizing, mister good guy ‘’
Chuuya caught the black can on his hand.
‘’ Oh, you’re gonna regret giving me that ‘’ he said, a stupid, petty plan forming on his mind.
Dazai shook his hands as if he were trembling out of fear, ‘’ Oo, I’m so scared- ‘’

When they returned back to their apartment, Dazai had black spots all over his clothes, his face and
his bandages. Water was dripping all over him, and he had a nasty cut on his hand.
Chuuya was dripping wet as well.
He also lacked one of his shoes.

‘’ I never complained about not leaving the apartment, no ‘’ Chuuya said defensively, entering the
room. ‘’ I like staying here. Yes, I love it ‘’ he said, jumping to the couch.
‘’ Jeez, dramatic much? ‘’ Dazai remarked, taking off his coat.
‘’ Oh no, I’m just saying that I will never go out again. Especially with you ‘’
Dazai tried to squeeze the water out of his shirt, ‘’ Why, afraid you’ll lose another ? ‘’ He laughed
eyeing Chuuya.
Chuuya shot him a murderous look, covering himself in a blanket he found on the couch.
‘’ You bastard, ‘’ Chuuya trembled, ‘’ You owe me a shoe ‘’
‘’ Not my fault you jumped in the river ‘’
‘’ The fucking railing hit you on the head while falling. ‘’
‘’ So? ‘’
‘’ If I hadn’t jumped to save you, you would have drowned ‘’
‘’ Wasn’t that what you wanted? Make up your mind, Chuuya ‘’
‘’ When did I- ‘’
‘’ Anyways, ‘’ he cut him off, ‘’ my hand hurts, my head hurts, and I’m cold. ‘’ Dazai took off his
shoes, and walked to his bedroom, ‘’ Night ‘’
‘’ Night ‘’ Chuuya said sharply, the sound of the door closing accompanying his words.

He stood up, and moved himself to his room.

He was freezing.
The river had been a lot colder than he had expected it to be.

It hadn’t been Dazai’s fault he winded up in it.

Still, he blamed him.

Chuuya had been walking alongside Dazai, who, respectively, had been walking on top of the
bridge’s railing. He tip toed, and showed off his incredible balance while also annoying Chuuya
with stupid remarks.
Chuuya may have gotten irritated and hit the railing a bit harder than he should.
The railing gave up upon contact with his hand, and well…Dazai fell, and the piece of the railing
as well.
While falling, Dazai tried to grab the railing. A big mistake, really.
He cut his hand, and it hit him on his head.

Chuuya had jumped after him, cursing, and had dragged him all the way to the shore.
During the process, his shoe decide to leave him, and let itself be driven by the motion.
Thankfully, Dazai regained consciousness quite fast.
Chuuya may, or may not have drawn a moustache on him with his sharpie while waiting.

It had been an eventful night, to say the least.

…

After that night, their friendship had improved a lot.

How, they didn’t know, but apparently, vandalizing a skate park, and almost dying of hypothermia
after falling into a river, had been enough to make something between them change.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

They continued playing video games all day, and eating together and all the other stuff they had
been doing, but it felt way more natural, now.
It didn’t feel like they were stuck with each other, or forced to be friends.
Not anymore.

Their conversations had changed as well, with Dazai becoming even more open now, more willing
to talk. Chuuya acted annoyed at him, and his sudden change of heart, but he enjoyed it.
Dazai was finally tearing up some of his walls, and Chuuya was grateful for that.

Most nights, they would sneak out and go to different remote places around Yokohama. Taneda
hadn’t approved of their little excursion, but what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him.

Yesterday, they had went back to that same old arcade they frequent when they were kids still in
the Mafia.
They had been having a great time, when for some reason, they got kicked out.
The reason being that they destroyed one of the machines…accidentally…

It was another sleepless night, and Chuuya was laying on his bed, looking between the ceiling, and
then the clock on the wall. Counting down the seconds, the minutes, the hours.

In seven hours time, Dazai’s first day at the Agency would begin.

Chuuya didn’t know what he was felling.

On one side, he was happy Dazai would finally be able to work somewhere that saved people. He
was feeling a bit proud of his choice as well.
On the other side, he felt sick.

He couldn’t join Dazai for another six months.

What if during that time Dazai decided he didn’t want him as his friend anymore?
What if he decided he didn’t want to save people and just left? Leaving Chuuya alone, again?
What if he found other people there that he liked more than him?

His head was beginning to hurt from all those venomous thoughts. He felt his stomach twisting
into a knot.

What if that doesn’t happen?

He tried to counter himself.
What if six months pass, and you join him, and everything goes well?
What if you both like it there?
What if we become better?
What if we do become the good guys?

He looked at the hat laying on his bed-side table.

Maybe Verlaine had been wrong.
Maybe he wasn’t good only for destruction and death.
Maybe if he tried, he could protect and save.

He closed his eyes again, and tried to sleep.

A few minutes later it became apparent that sleep wouldn’t come.

….

When the sunlight finally hit his face, coming in from the open window, Chuuya finally got up.
He hadn’t slept all night, and his fatigue was getting worse as the hours passed, but that didn’t stop
him from heading in to the kitchen and preparing breakfast.

He took out a can of crab meat he had brought earlier this week, some rice, some vegetables and
some seaweed and he started to cook.

‘’ What’s all this? ‘’ Dazai asked, entering the kitchen, yawning and stretching his arms.
His nose could smell the delicious aroma of recently cooked rice, and of freshly cut vegetables. He
could also smell cooked crab.
He looked over at the table, and his suspicions got confirmed.
The corners of his lips tugged into a soft smile.
Home cooked breakfast on the table, and Chuuya asleep on his chair. His red hair tousled, his
mouth open and his head rested on his arm.
The sight was dangerous.

He sat down quietly and ate his food.

The rice was a bit too raw, and the crab meat a bit too cooked, but he couldn’t care less about them.

When he was done with his soup, he saw something written on the bottom of the bowl.
Hope you choke

Dazai stifled a laugh, as he put the plates and the bowls on the counter.

He looked at the clock, and sighted.

He headed to the bathroom to wash himself, change his bandages and put on his clothes for the
interview with the Agency’s president.
He looked at the mirror and fixed the pendant on his neck.

His reflection was a lie.

One that concealed his true nature from the world.
 He wore brighter and paler colors now, and his eyes were uncovered but he could still see his
younger self starring at him.
He would have hated him.

Being friends with the person he had claimed to hate so many times.
Smiling at him when he wasn’t looking.
Leaving the Mafia and joining the good side.
Dressing like that.

What a fucking hypocrite he was.

Dazai closed his eyes shut, and left the bathroom. He slammed the door on his way out.
‘’ The fuck you banging the door for? ‘’ Chuuya’s sleepy voice was heard. ‘’ Some of us are trying
to sleep. ‘’
‘’ On my way out‘’ Dazai replied easily, putting on his shoes.
‘’ Break a leg or something ‘’ Chuuya murmured, half asleep.
Dazai looked at him one last time before heading to the door. ‘’ Will try to‘’ he said, pretty sure
Chuuya wouldn’t hear him, ’’ thanks ‘’

Dazai fixed his coat’s collar, and placed his hand on the doorknob. He looked at the small framed
sign that hung from the door.
Written, with a simple brush, were the words, Armed Detective Agency.

He pushed open the door, and smiled wide.

Chapter End Notes

Not my strongest or best chapter that I've written, but I do hope you enjoyed it.

I promise, that the next update won't take THIS long. <3
 Like clockwork.
Chapter Summary

Dazai has finally joined the ADA, horray!

And Chuuya, well, he is getting there.

Chapter Notes

PRACTICALLY speaking, I'm a day short from two months, which means I DID keep
my promise and uploaded faster this time around:)

Still, one day faster IS pathetic, and I DO apologise, but my life has been pathetic as
well so-

ANYWAYS, I really hope you enjoy this chapter <3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dazai walked into the apartment, a bag of ice pressed against his temple. He closed the door,
tossed his keys and his coat to the floor, and headed straight to the kitchen.
The bag of ice found the counter the minute he walked in. With his hands still sore, he grabbed a
glass and poured himself some water.
He lifted his cup to drink, but then froze when he looked at his hands.

‘’ How did it go? ‘’ Chuuya asked, his voice coming from the living room.
His voice was enough for Dazai to momentarily forget what had happened.
The man put down his cup, groaned in response and made his way there.

‘’ You know, the usual ‘’ Dazai said, waving his hand dismissively, ‘’ We saved a girl and she
gave us information. Then the Agency got a phone call telling them to deactivate a large scale
bomb. Ranpo figured out where the bomb was with this ultra deduction ability,‘’ He signed air-
quotes on the word, ‘’I got accused of being the culprit and a man held a gun to my head. He shot
me. ‘’ He acted the scene out ‘’ But, of course, all that was orchestrated by me, so we could catch
the real culprit. After that, two guys attacked us. The buff guy beat me up a bit more than I would
have liked, ‘’ Dazai pointed at a bruise on his face and a small bump on his head, ‘’ I pretended to
be a hobo at the embassy at some point ‘’ That got a giggle out of Chuuya, ‘’ And then the girl we
saved and gave us the Intel, was revealed to be the bad guy all along.‘’
‘’ Huh ‘’
‘’ Yes. Then I told my supervisor to come to this abandoned hospital, cause I knew she’d go there.
And then the son of a man, who was my supervisor’s friend, showed up wanting revenge for his
father. Sasaki, the woman, very kindly shot him, and the boy fell on top of me. ‘’ he paused, ‘’ My
gun, somehow ended up on his hands, and he shot her back. Then Kunikida yelled at me for how
things had turned out ‘’
‘’ Interesting. ‘’ Chuuya remarked in a monotone, ‘’ So did you pass or not? ‘’
‘’ Pretty sure I did. ‘’ He said, a smug smile on his lips, ‘’ I kinda amazed Kunikida, the man that
was my supervisor, with my intellect and good humor ‘’
‘’ I’m sure you annoyed him to no end ‘’
‘’ Pfff, I’m not annoying anyone, I’m a delight to be around ‘’
Chuuya snickered, trying to hold in his laughter. ‘’ Yeah, okay, whatever helps you sleep at night
‘’
‘’ It doesn’t, but I’ll take it as a win ‘’
Chuuya opened his mouth to say that wasn’t even a competition, but in all honesty, he wasn’t really
feeling like responding.
‘’ So this guy, Ranpo. You said he has an Ultra Deduction ability? ‘’ He questioned instead.
Dazai sat on the couch next to him, ‘’ Oh yeah. He pretends to be an ability user, but he isn’t one.
It’s quite impressive, actually. His deductions are even better than mine.’’ Dazai had been
genuinely impressed by the man.
‘’ Damn ‘’ Chuuya tried to imagine someone as smart and even smarter than Dazai. The thought
was terrifying yet amusing. ‘’ And so this other guy, Kunikida-
‘’ Oh, he is certainly a piece of work-
‘’ Says you ‘’
‘’ Hey ‘’

Dazai told Chuuya everything about his entrance exam in perfect detail. Chuuya sat there and
listened, eager to hear more about the Agency and the people he soon would be working with.
When Dazai was done reciting the events, he asked him to describe them all the best he could, and
tell him what he thought of each member upon first glance. Dazai gladly did just that.

‘’ So are they siblings or not? ‘’ Chuuya asked, hearing about the Tanizakis. Dazai scorned, ‘’ Not.
I’m pretty sure they’re just pretending to be. ‘’ he explained, ‘’ Which is still weird, but a lot less‘’
‘’ A shame he is weird, His ability sure sounds cool ‘’
‘’ Light Snow? Oh yeah ‘’ It would have been perfect for a mafioso ‘’ Unfortunately, he can’t fully
control it yet. The president said that joining the Agency full time would help, so he will probably
be joining us officially after he is done with school. ‘’
‘’ Because of the President’s ability, right? ‘’
Dazai nodded. ‘’ yep’’

The moon outside had finally reached its highest, after hours and hours had passed.

The windows had remained closed and the room had stayed dark.
For those few hours, there had been no movement nor sound in the room beside that of the clock’s.
And even the ticking of the clock, loud and present at the beginning, had now faded, giving its
place to an all-consuming silence.

Talking to Chuuya had been a great distraction, but the moment he had been left alone, his thoughts
had won.

He knew it shouldn’t have affected him that much, but it had.

Dazai was no stranger to death.
He’d seen people being tortured till they breathed their last, more times than he could count. He’d
seen people choosing to kill themselves rather than be caught by the mafia. He’d seen missions
going wrong causing the death of tens of hundreds of his men. He’d seen the eyes of those he
himself had killed seconds before they had closed forever.
He’d seen so much death in his life, it was now but a part of it.
Death was nothing strange or out of the ordinary for him. It was simply there.
And like most things, he didn’t care about it.
He didn’t think about it after it had happened.
He didn’t feel pity for those whose deaths he had witnessed, the same way he didn’t feel regret for
those he had killed.
A college boy dying to avenge his father shouldn’t have affected him.
But when his body had fallen on his, and his back was on his chest, all he could remember was
another body cradled in his arms.
Another person seeking revenge he couldn’t save.
Another person dying with the one that had killed their family.
Another person’s blood on his hands.

He had cleaned all the red off immediately after the incident. Had washed his hands until there was
no blood on them other than his own, yet he could still feel the warmth.
There was no one in the room, yet he could still feel the lingering touch on his cheek, as his friend
whispered his last words.

Dazai threw his head back, letting it hit the wall.

‘’ I couldn’t save him ‘’

Two years ago, he wouldn’t have batted an eye at the boy’s death.
And if he were to be honest, his present self cared all the same, that hadn’t changed.
What had changed, was the feeling that he had failed him.

Not the boy, no.

Odasaku.

His eyes drifted to the nightstand beside his bed. They focused on the small drawer beneath, the
picture he knew was laying inside.
The only thing he had allowed himself to keep from his time in the Mafia.

Well…
That and his dog.
The thought put a smile on his face.

His eyes shot wide as he stood up.

He had been sitting there in the dark, in silence for hours, drowning in a sea made of his own
thoughts. His whole body had felt wrong, his own hands, strangers.
He had tried to stop it, had tried to laugh it off, to stand up and leave the room, but once again, it
had all been in vain.
He hadn’t been in control of his mind or of his body for hours.
But that was normal for him.

What wasn’t normal, was that it had stopped.

And it had stopped because he had smiled.
And he had smiled because he had thought of-
No.

Dazai ignored the logical conclusion that was forming inside his head.

It had felt as if he were bound to the floor by some invisible shackles, impossible to lift. As if every
time he tried to escape them, to stray away from those thoughts, he only made them heavier.
It was always like that, whenever it hit him.
And as far as he could understand it, It never stopped until he had either fallen unconscious, or
someone had dragged him out of that state.

Nothing else had ever been able to stop that.

Nothing else should ever have been able to stop that.
Nothing.
Especially not a stupid smile.

‘’ What’s for dinner? ‘’ Dazai asked, waltzing inside the living room with his usual smug attitude,
pretending like everything was fine.
‘’ Whatever is in the fridge ‘’ Chuuya quickly responded, not bothering to take his eyes off the
screen.
Dazai moved to the kitchen, opened the door of the fridge in the most dramatic way he could, and
whined.
The way a little kid does when there are no biscuits left in the jar.
‘’ There is nothing in here ‘’ He started, dragging the vowels of the words, ‘’ What am I going to
eat, Chuuya? I’m going to starve. Haven’t you cooked anything? ‘’
‘’ The fuck am I? Your maid? ‘’ Again, his eyes stayed on the screen and on his character that was
winning the round.
Dazai continued to complain, and Chuuya continued to ignore him until he had had enough.
‘’ Fine ‘’ He said, ‘’ we can order if you want ‘’
Dazai slid through the door frame and into the living room, ready to whine some more and tell him
that he preferred when Chuuya cooked, just to spite him.
Then he looked at Chuuya and reconsidered.
‘’ Nah, it’s fine ‘’ He said, his voice now lowered. ‘’ I’m not really that hungry ‘’
Chuuya turned to face him, risking losing the round.
‘’ Is that so…’’ he whispered, watching Dazai’s back getting further away.
‘’ Yeah ‘’ He said and closed the door.

Chuuya turned back on his screen, and pressed the start button to pause the game.

Dazai told himself that he would go back to his room and try to sleep, but then half an hour passed,
and the strong urge to annoy Chuuya returned once more.
Life was just a bit more entertaining when he messed with him.
He couldn’t help it.

He was thinking of getting up and opening the door, when he heard knocking.
A second later, Chuuya was standing underneath his doorframe, wearing a black jacket with the
hood up, covering a big portion of his red hair.
‘’ Got a new game and some pizza ‘’ he simply said, raising his left hand to show Dazai the small
bag he was carrying. ‘’ It’s a two player game ‘’
He didn’t need to say anything more.

‘’ Chuuya, all that for me?~ ‘’ Dazai asked mockingly, taking a big slice of pizza out of the box. ‘’
You shouldn’t have~ ‘’
Chuuya rolled his eyes. ‘’ You’d wish ‘’ he could have left it at that, but he felt the need to explain
himself. ‘’ I was going to go out anyway, after I was done with the final round. Your childish
tantrum had nothing to do with it ’’
Dazai took a big bite, ‘’ Your words hurt me ‘’
’’ Go cry about it ‘’ Chuuya snickered, taking a slice as well, ‘’ now move your ass ‘’, he elbowed
him, and Dazai moved to the side.

Dazai finished the slice, and went to reach for the second controller, the one laying on top of the
table.
Blue eyes pierced through his soul, and he smirked. ‘’ Just kidding, ‘’ he reached for the paper
towel instead, ‘’ I won’t grease your precious game ‘’ He said, wiping his hands thoroughly to
make his point.
‘’ You better not ‘’

‘’ Yeah yeah, sure ‘’

Kunikida looked at him and frowned. ‘’ Dazai, it’s serious. You need to hand in that report by
tonight ‘’
‘’ I know, I know ‘’ Dazai continued agreeing, waving his hand, ‘’ and I will write it‘’
The blond man moved closer to his desk and placed his hands on his hips, taking the stance he
always took when he lectured someone. ‘’ You said the same thing for last week’s reports as well
‘’
Dazai groaned at the reminder and put his headphones back on.
‘’ Oi, Dazai ‘’ Kunikida nudged him, ‘’ Dazai ‘’ he said a little louder, whisking his headphones
away from his head. ‘’ I had students a lot worse than you. ‘’ he tossed him the papers and a pen, ‘’
Just write it ‘’
Dazai hit his head on the desk.
" Fine "

Working with Kunikida was both entertaining and draining at the same time.
Dazai had taken quite a liking to him, actually. He had a strange personality, a very strict and rule-
following one, Dazai often liked to test.
He was very easy to tease, and his reactions, although tame in comparison to Chuuya's, were
always worth the extra reports he had him write.
In Dazai's eyes Kunikida was one of the most hard working people he had ever met. A person that
took pride in what they were doing, liked it and didn't fake it for a promotion.
In fact, most people in the ADA were like that.
They were all there because they wanted to help and save people. Ranpo and Naomi being the only
exceptions.
Dazai was sure Ranpo did like helping people and showing off in front of them, but he knew he
was there for more personal reasons.
Naomi...well everyone knew why she was there.

Whichever the case, to the president, the reason didn't matter all that much. He only cared that you
would help and do your best when the time came.
His faith in his members was admirable. Dazai respected him for that.

Having been a member of both organizations, it was clear as day that the Port Mafia and the Armed
Detective Agency were polar opposites.
Their ways of doing things, and their treatment of their members were completely different.
Dazai had expected that, of course, but still, it felt strange.
Having been a PM executive for over three years, Dazai had gotten used to certain things. Certain
approaches that are not considered ethical by most.
Now being a member of the ADA, Dazai was feeling like a fish out of water.
He was not used to people doing their best to help others, and not wanting some kind of
compensation.
He wasn't used to finding solutions that abided by the law.
He wasn't used to helping people just because.
Doing those things for the first time felt odd, but in an interesting way.

" Here, " Dazai handed the papers to Kunikida, his handwriting purposefully unreadable. " Can we
go now? "
Kunikida looked at the papers for a few seconds, then at Dazai.
He ignored his mischievous grin and placed the papers on a stuck that had formed on top of his
desk.
" Where do you think? " He asked, hiding his surprise at his partner already having a plan of
action.
" Judging by our clues, I'd say the graveyard " The clues in question were some flower petals they
had found at the crime scene.
" The cemetery? " With only those, Kunikida could not help but wonder how on earth had Dazai
come to that conclusion. " You think our culprit is at the cemetery? "
" Oh, I'm certain "

...

The sun was shining bright, as they entered the graveyard through the big gate.
Dazai walked inside, a spring in his steps. Kunikida followed him, his pace slower. He wasn't a big
fan of places such as those.
With his mood still lifted high, Dazai continued waltzing around the gravestones, examining their
peripheries for, what Kunikida wanted to be, clues.

He leaned in and read the inscriptions aloud, making a big fuss about secret codes inside names,
and secret spellings. Kunikida tried to lecture him a few times, when he was louder than should,
but seeing it was in vain, he gave up.

" Can I help you? " The rusty voice of a man was heard from behind a tree.
" Do you work here? " Dazai asked unfazed, watching as the figure walked near them.
" I'm the funeral director, my lad. I arrange all that is to do with the journey that is one's end and
one's new beginning."
Kunikida felt chills as the man talked. Dazai grew excited.
" How could I be of assistance? " The old man asked, fixing his cane to the ground.
" We are Detectives, here for a case "
The old man tilted his head and squinted his eyes.
" What would you like to know, my boy? "
Kunikida took his notebook out and flipped to a page with several photos. " Have you ever seen
any of them? "
The old man traced the paper with his finger.
" They were all clients of mine this past week. " he said
Kunikida looked at Dazai and then at the man. " Could you tell us if you saw anything weird the
day of their funerals or-
" Most didn't have one, '' the old man interrupted. " Most were lonely people. No one showed up to
mourn them or organize anything in their memory. The only two that had an actual ceremony were
this girl, " his bony finger stopped at the photo of a woman with blond hair, " and this man. '' his
finger moved to the right, and tapped another photo. " He was a rich businessman from abroad. A
lot of people came from afar to say their goodbyes "
The two men considered his words carefully. " Is there anything else you remember sir, about
them? ‘’ Kunikida urged him, " Any similarities, any common acquaintances? "
The old man looked distraught, " I dig graves for countless people every day. I bury a lot of people
and I speak to as many. " he paused, " I'm sorry my boy, but my memory is failing me, at this
moment "
Kunikida nodded his head in understanding. Dazai opened his mouth. " That's alright, sir. If you do
remember anything, we'll be around here. Please don't hesitate to find us "

Initially, Kunikida had thought it was strange. Dazai had been as energetic, and as loud at the
beginning of the day, as he normally was.
Knowing Dazai was not the quiet type, him being this silent all of a sudden, was alarming.
He wanted to say something and make sure his partner was okay, but it felt as if he would be
intruding.
" Oi Dazai, "
Dazai turned to face him.
" What are we looking for, exactly? "
" A nice, plain gravestone, near the top of the hill? " Dazai said, a hint of a smile on his face.
" Why? "
" Cause I want my grave to have a nice view? " he said it, as if it was a normal thing to say.
Kunikida sighted a bit louder, " Stop wasting my time with your stupid jokes, and tell me why are
we here "
" You think of it as a joke, but once I leave this mortal world, how will I be able to enjoy the
afterlife without a good view? "
Kunikida stared at him, before hitting his head with the notebook he had been carrying.
" Fine, fine. " Dazai threw his hands up, " You don't care about my afterlife conditions. " he shook
his head. " But if you had cared, you would have noticed the grave a few feet away from us. "
Kunikida fixed his glasses and looked to his right.
" I don't-
" Look a little closer "
He focused on the spot Dazai was indicating and searched for anything familiar. " Wait. Those are
the same-
" Yep. The same flowers as the petals we found. "
" But why -
" They only grow in one place in the entirety of Yokohama. In this very cemetery "
Kunikida looked at Dazai again, " How did you know? "
Dazai grinned. " I know stuff "
" Hold it. That means our culprit must have come here prior to the attacks, picked his victims and
left? "
" It could be that, yes…" The way Dazai said it, raised doubts in his head. There was a hidden or in
the end of his sentence that prompted Kunikida to rethink the scenario.
" From what we know, all the victims were seen again after their death, right?
" They were caught on camera, looking perfectly fine and healthy. " Dazai agreed.
" But they were dead at the time, so they couldn't be. "
" Makes sense. Dead people don't just come back and go for walks "
" But they didn't go for a walk. All of the victims were seen at different banks a day after their
death. "
" Makes you wander. Do ghosts need money? "
" Okay then. We are most probably searching for an ability user that can shapeshift into others in
order to take the victim's money out of the bank with no problem. "
" So the culprit knew they had money, huh "
" All the victims were fairly wealthy, that is true. "
" I wonder who could have known such a detail. Who could have access to them "

Dazai had figured it out hours now, but he wanted to see if Kunikida would crack the case as well.
When Kunikida raised his head again, he wasn't disappointed.

" Where could he have gone to? " Kunikida asked, quickening his pace. Dazai continued walking
behind him, his hands in his pockets.
" Probably digging some graves? "
" Yes but where? " Kunikida looked around once more. " The cemetery is huge, and it's already
getting darker. "
Dazai lifted his brow," Afraid of the dark? " he teased.
" No, but I am behind schedule, " Kunikida said, taking out his notebook and flipping to the pages
his day's program had been written on.
Dazai examined the paper with great interest. " Oh my, " he stepped back. " We only have 10 more
minutes to find the culprit or your report will be at the president's office five whole minutes later
than it should have been "
The boy gasped, " Come on, Kunikida. We must make haste. We can not allow such an atrocious
thing to happen. " Dazai said, running towards the other side of the place, " We have to-

Not seeing what was in front of him, Dazai bumped into a young woman, making her lose her
balance, and inevitably, falling into the ground.
Kunikida rushed to help her, " I'm sorry miss, are you alright? " The woman looked at him and
then at Dazai, who was dusting off his clothes.
" I'm fine. " she said.
Dazai took a long look at her and then smiled. " What does a beautiful lady such as yourself do in a
place such as this? " he extended his hand for her to take.
The girl refrained.
" I'm on my way out of here " she responded, " I was just bringing some flowers "
Dazai's smile grew, " Then allow us to escort you to your house, please "
" That's quite fine, detectives. I can go home by myself "
Dazai looked at Kunikida.
" Detectives huh? "
The woman's eyes widened in surprise.
" Don't remember me mentioning that to you "
The woman stayed silent, probably thinking of how she could patch up the conversation and save
herself.
She couldn't.
Seeing that, she decided it was best to take off.

Dazai caught her arm, before she could have a chance at escaping.
Before him, the beautiful woman transformed into the old man from before.
His gray eyes found Dazai and then Kunikida.
He looked perplexed.
" My ability nullifies others. " Dazai explained, " Now. Would you be so kind as to give us an
honest confession? We already have enough evidence to prove it was you behind the case," he
bluffed, " but we would much rather a clean confession to the authorities. "
The man looked at him again, his eyes fragile. " I didn't kill anyone, I swear, " he said.
" Don't worry sir, we know. " Kunikida reassured him. " You changed into them after they had
died. But you still took money from their accounts. ‘’ He reminded him. ‘’ That's illegal "
" Don’t you think I know that?." Dazai let go of the old man's arm. He knew he wouldn't try to get
away.
The man stretched his hand before opening his mouth again." How much money do you think us
gravediggers get paid? ‘’ He asked, not expecting any answers. ‘’ I'll tell you. Not enough to live in
comfort. "
They both looked at him.
" I had a big family once. A wife who I loved more than anything in this world and beyond. Two
sons I was proud of and a beautiful daughter that was my joy. " He smiled as he talked about them.
" Then as the years passed my family grew. I had two grandsons and three Granddaughters. " His
eyes darkened as tears formed in their corners. " An accident took my family away. All that
remained was me and my grandkids. This was the only job I could get at my age. It didn't pay
enough, but I did my best to provide for all five of them. Until I couldn't. " His voice broke down.
" I never wanted for this to happen, but I had an ability that I didn't use and I thought to myself-
Kunikida placed his hand on the man's shoulder, Dazai stayed silent.
" I never wanted to-
" It's alright sir. Please come with us, and we'll find a solution, okay? "
The man looked askance at the two detectives. ‘’ Please, don’t let the kids know. I’ll do anything,
just, let me return to them. ‘’
" I promise, we will help you, sir. But you need to help us first. "
The man nodded his head weakly. " Help me help them, and I’ll do whatever you want me to do. "

…
" Hey, Dazai " the woman's voice made him stop. " Are you off to somewhere? " Yosano asked,
her hands crossed in front of her white blouse.
Dazai smiled, " Doctor Yosano, what a pleasant surprise "
" You're sneaking off, aren't you? " She raised an eyebrow. " I thought you'd stay till deep in the
night doing those reports you promised Kunikida you would do? "
" I said that I would do them, I know, " Dazai placed his hand on his chest, " and it pains me, but I
really have to be somewhere right now "
Yosano lifted her brow higher, silently demanding a better explanation.
" I will do them tomorrow, I will stay the whole night, I promise. But I have to be somewhere
today, before midnight and it's already a quarter to twelve.. "
Yosano sighed, " Okay okay, I'll cover you this once " she said.
Dazai smiled, " You're the best. " he turned around to leave.
" But. I do expect you to owe me…a favor…perhaps? "
" Whatever you want doctor, name it and you'll have it "
Yosano turned her head away from him.
" My eyes are on the painting on the wall. " She whispered loud enough for the escapee in front of
her to hear. " If someone were to...leave right now, I don’t think I’d be able to see them. "
She winked at him, and that was his que.

" Chuuya~ "

Dazai entered the apartment, a cheerful tone in his voice. " If you could only forgive my lateness, I
have four american burgers, some fries and two colas, in my hands~ "
He stepped into the living room, expecting to find him seated on the couch, looking at him in
disappointment. The game, ready on the screen behind him, their players waiting.
" Chuuya? "
To his surprise, all the lights were out and no one was there.

Dazai placed the food on the table and proceeded further into the room.
" Chuuya? " He called for him again.

A few weeks ago, Chief Taneda had showed up to the house with the intention of speaking to them
about the process of their rehabilitation.
The poor man had ended up sitting at the kitchen table, by himself, for more than three hours,
waiting for them to come back from their little outing.
When the door had finally opened, the two of them had walked in, arguing about what they thought
to be, the best type of cheese,
Taneda, very reasonably, had not been in his best mood.
He began his lecture by explaining thoroughly to Chuuya why he should not go out before all his
papers are finished being processed.
Then he had expressed his disappointment at Dazai, who had failed to inform him of their weekly,
as it had later been revealed, little excursions.

After the fiasco that was Taneda's last visit, Dazai had thought Chuuya would have wanted to stay
in the clear and avoid going out for at least this month.
He knew his flatmate would find it hard, the same way he knew he'd do it. No other reason but
purely out of respect for the chief.

Chuuya wouldn't go out, but he would bend the rules a little.

Dazai opened the door of the apartment again.
He stepped out and walked towards the stairs.

" Chuuya? " He opened the big metallic door that led to the roof, the cold air hitting him hard on
the face.
He stepped out and saw a short shadowy figure jumping down the railing, holding a cigarette in his
hands.
" What are you doing up here? " he asked.
Chuuya opened his mouth and let some smoke out. " Taking in some fresh air " he responded, his
voice colder than the wind.
" Oh, come on. " Dazai moved closer to him, " I was only a few minutes late. I haven't missed a
single game night this entire month." Chuuya wasn’t moved by his words.
" There was a case at work and it took a bit longer than I had expected it to." Dazai tried. " I came
here immediately after, only one stop in my way. '' Dazai wasn’t lying. He had left the office
literally running.
" Whatever " Chuuya pocketed his hands and looked at the ground. " Go back inside and I'll follow
in a bit "
Dazai opened his mouth to ask him what was wrong but Chuuya's words interrupted him.
" You can tell me about that case of yours while we play " a simple smile appeared on his lips.
Taking the hint, Dazai swallowed his question and headed back inside.

He wasn't stupid.

He knew exactly what was troubling him.

Still, he couldn't do anything about it, other than sit with him for a couple of hours, play some
video games and distract him the best he could with some stories from work.

" What happened to the old man? " Chuuya asked, hearing the keys turning and the door
unlocking.

Before he could even turn his head to the sound, Dazai had already crossed the threshold.
" You want to know? " he asked, catching sight of the redhead, seated on the couch.
Chuuya's eyes followed him as he closed the door behind and entered the room.
" Sure" he replied, not understanding why Dazai wasn't already telling him.

From his semi-surprised expression, it was easy to see that Dazai hadn't expected him to care all
that much about the case.

And he would have been right.

Chuuya did not care about the case, or the old man for that matter, but there was one thing he did
care about.

" Well, " Dazai clasped his hands together, " if you insist on knowing. I'll tell you "

He cared to see how the Agency had handled it.

Dazai made himself comfortable on the couch, and began talking.

" After Mister Tanaka, the old man, " he specified, " gave us his confession, we had two choices. "
he continued from where he had left off the previous day.

" The first one was to take him to the authorities, where he'd be put under custody. Then, tell the
victims of what had transpired and let them file a lawsuit against him. " he paused.
" The second option was to find someone able to fabricate a convincing enough lie, in order to
make the old man seem innocent."
" So you lied? " he didn't even have to think about it.
" Well..." Dazai scratched the back of his neck and looked at the ground. " Let's just say...system
errors happen all the time. "
" And the cameras? " Chuuya scoffed.
" I thought there was footage of the living dead entering the bank. "
" There was. Exactly " Dazai gave him that look he always did when he was implying something.
" You deleted it? "
" I mean, even if it still existed it proved nothing. " he let his head fall back to the pillows " No one
knows about Mister Tanaka's ability, except for me, the agency and you. Therefore, with no
evidence..."
" ...you can do nothing " Chuuya completed the sentence. " And the agency was good with that? "
He questioned. '' Letting him off the grip with nothing but a warning? "
Dazai laughed softly, " You'll come to see that the Agency isn't as rule-following as you'd think "
he paused. " In cases like this one, their decisions are mostly based on sentiment rather than the
law "
" Hmm " So they really did care about the people they helped.
" And don't worry about the old man, " Dazai continued, " Kunikida took him to apply for a Social
Security program. "
" Wait. " Chuuya turned to face him, " He didn't have one? " he asked, " But he is older than 60,
isn't he? "
" He is, but the poor man didn't even know what Retirement was. " Dazai explained. " He hadn't
even thought about applying for social security. " After hearing that, Chuuya started to feel bad for
the old man.
" If he hadn't done what he did and we hadn't caught him, he would have gone ahead and would
have worked for all the rest of his life. "
Chuuya crossed his arms. " He sure is lucky the Agency was the one that caught him and not the
police "
" Indeed. " Dazai agreed. " He is also lucky the detective on the case was Kunikida. The stuff he
needed help with would have been too much paperwork for me, " Dazai gave Chuuya a knowing
look.
" And even if I did try to help, I would have found a way to mess things up. " he shrugged, " In the
end, there was no other choice but to let Kunikida deal with him. "
" You lazy bastard, " Chuuya chastised, kicking him on his leg. " still using the same tactics to get
others to do your work... "

Dazai flashed him a grin but said nothing.

Day after day, like clockwork, Dazai would return to their apartment after work and tell Chuuya of
all the crazy, and all the boring cases he had either worked on or heard of.
And like clockwork, Chuuya would sit down and listen to all the stories while trying to beat him in
whatever game they played that week.

That was their routine for the first two months.

After that, well...
" Are you going somewhere? " Chuuya asked, hearing the door open from the living room.
Dazai closed the door, and popped his head round the corner of the frame.
" I promised Kunikida to take him out for a few drinks. " he explained.
Chuuya looked at him with doubt. " And how many times did you have to ask him before he
agreed? " he didn't trust that Dazai was telling the whole truth.
" Believe it or not, some people genuinely want to be around me." Dazai said, taking the keys from
the little hanger next to the door. "I didn't have to ask "
Chuuya raised an eyebrow.
Dazai waited a few seconds before replying, his tone almost shameful. "...fifty four times."
The redhead sighted and shook his head disapprovingly, as if he had expected it. " You're just tryna
get him drunk so he can do some weird shit and you can blackmail him, aren't you?"
"Chuuya " Dazai gasped. " I would never"
A pillow found its way to the brunette's face. " God, you're awful " Chuuya said, clear in his tone
that he was joking.
Dazai chuckled at his childish behaviour and opened the door.
" I know. "

...

" Oi, Dazai " Chuuya knocked on his door. " Hey " He knocked once again, before turning the
knob.
'' Dazai? ''

His room was empty.

Of course it was.

Chuuya shook his head and headed back to the couch.

He took the controller in his hands and switched his game from multiplayer to solo.

Seeing as he had reached one of the highest levels, there weren't any mission left to do.
Well, who cared.
He pressed some buttons, and there it was, the opening scene of the game.

The beginning of the first level.

...

The sharp piece of metal sheared through the air, letting out a reaping sound that was enough to
drive Chuuya mad.
The sound continued to echo in his head, even after the dart had found its target.
He had heard the sound so many times by now, that it had been engraved on his brain.
 He looked at the wall, and at the new item that was now decorating it.
It was something he had brought from his old apartment, but had forgotten had been laying in a
box, under his bed, all this time.
He walked closer to it, and reached with his hand.

There it was.

Another dart on the board.

Another perfect ten.

Another boring, repetitive day.

Chapter End Notes

Kinda wanted to end it when Chuuya would be ready to join the ADA but then some
new ideas and some new scenes popped up in my head, and yeah...I'll leave that for
the next chapter.

Hope you liked chapter three, even tho not a lot of things happened <3
 Patience.
Chapter Summary

In which Chuuya is so fucking done with the whole situation but won't say anything
aloud. Instead, he waits for everything to be resolved.
Dazai is genuinely perplexed by that behaviour of his. He tries his best to let Chuuya
know he appreciates it, without of course, ever saying anything.

In the end, his patience gets rewarded.

Chapter Notes

A month?

I uploaded it within a month and not two?

Character development, I say.

Jokes aside, this month was, something else, really. Lots of things happened. Both
good and bad. And right now I'm so super overwhelmed due to all of them, so writing
it is.
I do hope you guys like this chapter<3

Next chapter we're finally getting Chuuya being in the ADA, how do y'all feel about
that? Personally, I feel excited to finally be able to write him interact with all the ADA
members etc.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

The days that followed felt longer, and the nights, those where he couldn't sleep at least, felt as if
they could go on and stretch out forever.
It was a nightmare.
One he hadn't forethought would come true when he had decided to follow Dazai.

The days had become blurs.

Big white strokes on a black canvas that represented absolutely nothing.
Strokes so empty and devoid of intention, someone would say the painter was simply just messing
around with their new paints.

Time passed slower than ever before, and he could do nothing to speed it up but sleep.
It was a distasteful joke.
Sleep had never been kind to him, a shame that hadn't changed.
Only when he wasn't awake did time seem to move.
Only when he wasn't awake did the strokes seem to be forming anything remotely close to a shape.

Four more months of this were bound to feel like an eternity, but if he wanted to have a chance to
join the Agency, he would have to push through.
If he wanted to work with Dazai again and be back on the field, he would have to withstand all that
just for a bit longer.
If he wanted to start anew, he would have to fill that canvas with meaningless strokes until he had a
new one.

A blank one which he could paint however he liked.

He took a deep breath, distanced the cigarette from his mouth and blew the smoke out.
With his eyes, he followed that smoke upwards until it reached a certain height and then
disappeared into nothingness.
He continued to look up, not at the smoke now but at the clouds that had gathered above him.
Clouds that hadn't been in the sky when he had first got there.

How many hours had passed since then?

One hour had turned into two, and two hours had turned into four, and before he knew it, it was
noon.
He had lost track of time.
Again.

His visits to the roof had frequented as the days had passed, and it made sense.
He considered the rooftop to be the closest thing he had to an actual escape.
He wouldn't admit it to Dazai, but inside the apartment, he felt restrained.
He felt as if he stayed there any longer, he would suffocate.

It was a terrible feeling he had buried deep inside of him, ever since they had moved there, because
of the embarrassment it brought.
It was a feeling he would never dare express aloud.

He wasn't afraid of closed spaces or things like that, but being stuck inside four walls all day was
exhausting.
Seeing those beige walls staring back at him every time he opened his eyes made him so
irrationally angry he couldn't explain it.

It made him want to bring the whole building down with his ability and just leave.

Handling that feeling had been so much easier when Dazai had been there, but now that he was at
work all day, it had become unbearable.
The silence that he had once considered comforting was now so brutal, that it made him want to
scream. The solitude he had once craved so desperately seemed more like torture.
He had so much free time on his hands, that he didn't know what to do with it.

Chuuya had always liked to be on tight schedules that told him what to do and when. He liked
having responsibilities because they made him feel like he had a purpose.
He had always been productive and efficient. He had always worked his ass off for the sheep and
later on for the Mafia. And he was sure, when the time came, he would do the same for the
Agency.
But until then, he had to endure the life of a lazy man that does nothing but stay inside his house all
day and watch movies.
He always made fun of Dazai for being lazy and slacking off, but he had to admit. It was a lot
harder than it seemed.

Chuuya threw the cigarette down and stepped on it a couple of times to extinguish any remaining
fire. He made sure the cigarette was well put out before kicking it off the roof.
He took one last look at the scenery that lay before him, at the busy streets of Yokohama and at the
tall buildings that shadowed their little neighbourhood.

After that, he opened the door and headed back down.

" Were you on the roof again? "

Chuuya walked into the living room to find Dazai standing there with two bags in his hands.
He looked at the clock, then back at him.
It was close to noon.
Dazai shouldn't have been back for at least five more hours.

" I wanted to get some fresh air," he replied after some consideration.
It was the same excuse he had given the last time he had asked him.
The same excuse he would always give.

" Okay, great, good, now- " Dazai waved the conversation away, changing the subject completely.
It made Chuuya feel lighter.
He hadn't tried to pry on why he was using the same cheap excuse, and he hadn't teased him about
doing so.
Chuuya appreciated that, though he couldn't help but feel wary of that behaviour.

" I got us some food and a surprise." Dazai continued, " You can see it as me being a good person
and wanting to do something good for my roommate. "
Chuuya squinted his eyes, looking for any tell on Dazai's face.
Dazai displayed nothing.
" What are you up to? " he asked, slightly raising his eyebrow.
" Jee Chuuya, can't a man just-
" It's you we're talking about, " Chuuya interrupted, " So what do you want? "
Dazai shook his head, his disappointment clearly visible.
" Well..."
" Just say it. "
" I’m not planning on staying here today… "
Oh
It felt like someone had hammered a nail into his heart.
‘’ Okay ‘’
Their game nights were the only thing he looked forward to these days.
The only time of the week were Dazai would come home earlier from the office to spend time with
him.
" You going out or something? " He asked, using curiosity to mask any true feelings he may have
had about the question.
" Yeah..." Dazai said putting his hand behind his neck, " I've been planning it for a bit so I really
don't want to miss it "
The room grew silent.
'' Still if you-
" I'm not holding you hostage. " Chuuya said with forced laughter, " If you want to go somewhere,
just go. "
" You won't get angry if I do go, right? "
" Why would I? " his lips curled into a poisonous smile. " I honestly couldn't care less whether
you're here or not "
He was a terrible liar.
" Great then,’’ Dazai mirrored Chuuya's fake enthusiasm as he placed the bags on the table. ‘’ I'm
glad that's the case "

It was one of the most awkward, most silent dinners both of them had ever had.
Dazai was being his usual nothing-ever-happened self, eating in silence and ignoring Chuuya,
while Chuuya was trying hard not to stab him with his chopsticks.
No one acknowledged the other, and no one spoke.
The thickness of that tension made Chuuya regret some of the choices he had made in his life.

He watched as Dazai finished his plate and got up.

There was a strange look of satisfaction on his face.
It was unfair, but he wouldn't say it.
He wouldn't stoop so low as to say that it bothered him.

'' Leaving already? '' He observed, breaking the silence.

'' I told you I had something planned, didn't I? '' Again, that stupid little grin on his face. Was he
enjoying this? Leaving him so he can hang out with others?
'' Yeah, you mentioned it. '' Chuuya placed his plate on the sink before heading towards his room.
'' Have fun! '' He said, closing his door as soundlessly as he could.

'' You coming or not? '' Dazai asked, opening the door.
Chuuya turned his head to look at him, his hands gathering some of the papers spread on his desk.
'' Huh? ''
The man leaning on the doorframe threw his head back and groaned. '' Are you coming or not? ''
He asked again, his eyes finding Chuuya's.
That fucking bastard.
Chuuya considered him.
He was all dressed up now, with a suit, tie and everything,
Had he changed in those five minutes? He had to. He hadn’t been wearing that suit before.
‘’ Weren’t you going out with some friends? ‘’ He asked, having already realized what was going
on.
Dazai pretended to think about it. ‘’ Hmm. I don’t recall myself mentioning with who ‘’
That sly son of a bitch.
'' You suck ''
It was all he could say once he understood.
‘’ You know that, right? ‘’
'' I know. '' That smug look of his made another appearance. '' And before you ask, yes, our
gracious landlord is aware of this outing of yours ''
'' I wasn’t going to ask, '' Chuuya corrected him, picking up the last paper on his desk. ‘’ but- ‘’
'’ Just, get up~ '' Dazai whined, '' I told you, I have something planned, '' he reminded him, '' if we
don’t hurry, we'll end up running, and I really don't want to. ''
'' It’d serve you right '' Chuuya mumbled, walking towards the door. ‘’ For being such a-’’
‘’ Not so fast. ‘’ Dazai stopped him midway. ‘’ You gotta get dressed up first ‘’
Chuuya raised his eyebrow at him but Dazai didn’t seem to want to elaborate.
The redhead sighed in defeat.‘’ Fine ‘’

Dazai grinned with satisfaction.

‘’ Now leave ‘’ Chuuya pushed him out of the room and closed the door on his face.

After some minutes, and some questionable first choices, Chuuya came out of the room in a simple
black suit and a red cravat.
He felt strange, dressing up not knowing for what and where, but he knew Dazai wouldn’t tell him
even if he asked.
So he didn’t bother to.
Instead, he put on the simplest piece he owned in his wardrobe and prayed that the place they
would go to didn’t have a more specific dress code.

‘’ Finally. ‘’ Dazai exclaimed upon seeing him, his tone exasperated. ‘’ How long does it take to
put on a suit? ‘’
Chuuya walked towards him. ‘’ Takes me about two minutes ‘’
‘’ Then why did you take so long? ‘’
‘’ Was contemplating on whether to go with you or not ‘’ Chuuya answered him, a slim smile
tugging on his lips. ‘’ You’re being annoying today, ‘’ he walked towards the door. ‘’ More than
usual. ‘’
Dazai grabbed his coat from the hanger. ‘’ Is that so? ‘’ he asked, putting it on.
‘’ Indeed ‘’ Chuuya grabbed his from the second hanger. The one behind the door.
‘’ I’m being unreasonably annoying you say? ‘’
‘’ More every second ‘’ He put his on, as well.
‘’ Interesting. ‘’ Dazai admitted. ‘’ You find me so annoying yet here you are, ready to go out with
me. ‘’ The man opened the door and walked out. ‘’ I wonder why that is. ‘’
Chuuya punched him, not that gently, on his arm, before heading to the stairs.
The man behind him snorted. '’ Is that the best you've got? ''

'' You said we had to hurry up. '' Chuuya shot Dazai a dirty look. ‘’ so stop acting like a kid and
fucking go faster. ‘’
Dazai grimaced. '' I'm not acting like a kid, '' He defended himself.
'' You're sure are walking like one. '' Chuuya remarked, '' Maybe even slower. ''
'' Well, I wouldn't if someone hadn't kicked me down the stairs. ''
'' Oh, poor baby, '' Chuuya mocked him, '' maybe next time, don't challenge me. ''
'' You're the one acting like a child. '' Dazai countered, '' But then again, our attitude does match
our height. ''
Chuuya turned around and looked at him. '' Careful, now, '' he warned, '' or I'll kick you again. ''

Dazai wanted to prompt him by saying that he'd like to see him try, but the pain in his leg was
enough to make him refrain from making that statement.

'' Where did you say we needed to be? '' Chuuya asked, looking around trying to figure out the
answer before Dazai could respond.
'' I didn't, but I would have if you had asked. ''
'' Okay, so where do we need to be? ''
'' It's a surprise. ''

After walking for, what seemed like half an hour, the two of them finally arrived at their
destination.
Their destination, being a closed-off neighbourhood near the Kawasaki hospital.

They passed the neighbourhood fairly quickly, with Dazai leading the way through some shortcuts
and alleys he seemed to know.
Soon enough, they found themselves standing before a big, recently renovated by the looks of it,
building.

Chuuya looked at the building, trying to figure out what its purpose was supposed to be.
It had four stores and quite a unique architectural style. Like all the other structures on the street, it
was tall and expensive-looking, yet it seemed misplaced, somehow.
It didn't fit with the rest, but besides that, he couldn't see the why.

Eventually, Dazai signalled for Chuuya to follow him to the back of the facility.
Although a bit hesitant, Chuuya obliged.

'' What is-''

'' If anyone asks, '' Dazai rudely interrupted him, '' you are a rich businessman from Osaka, called
Riyu Honda. ''
Chuuya gave him a questioning look but said nothing in order to let him finish his sentence.
'' And I, am your business partner, Nakamura Takashi. '' Dazai continued, taking two red envelopes
out of his coat's sleeve and extending one to Chuuya.
Chuuya took the paper in his hand and stared at it. Then his gaze shifted to the man beside him.
'' And we are here because...? ''
'' As upper-class businessmen, we were invited, of course. '' He grinned, subtly fixing his tie.
'' Invited to...? ''
'' One of the biggest auctions to date. '' Dazai finally revealed.

Chuuya looked at the building again, '' So this is an auction house? '' he questioned. '' Is it new? I
don't remember coming to this place before. ''
Dazai nodded his head, impressed. '' What a kin memory you have. ''

When they were still Mafia members, a lot of their side missions, as they called them, had to do
with sketchy auctions.
So as teenagers, both Dazai and Chuuya spent a lot of time running around all the different auction
houses in Japan, trying to find people who had stolen from the Mafia and were trying to make a
profit out of it.
Those missions had always been more laid back than the others, more fun, in a way.
They always began with them stealing some poor men's invitations, knocking them out
unconscious, and proceeding to pretend to be them.
To make it even more fun, they would challenge each other by doing different accents or trying to
act in certain ways that seemed fitting.
Once phase one was accomplished, they'd have a few sips of whatever liquor was being served,
and then they would bid like all the other guests, but with money provided by the Mafia.
Of course, they would always end up stealing the items they were after with well thought out
plans.
Then, they would confront the smugglers that dared to steal from the PM and depending on their
mood or what Mori had instructed them to do, they would either ask for a favour as compensation
or kill them.

They were too easy for them, and they both knew that, yet they never complained to Mori.
Not once did they tell him to stop assigning them those dull, quick missions.

'' Indeed, this place is new. That's why I picked it. ''
'' Looks promising, '' Chuuya observed, '' do we have a target, or do we just wing it? ''
Dazai stifled a laugh as he started to walk towards the main entrance.
'' You'll see. ''

It was as if time had moved backwards.

As if they were seventeen again, doing another mission assigned by their Boss.
Doing crimes together, as partners.
It was, in a way, both a sweet feeling and a bitter one. Like when you think of a memory that once
made you so happy but know you will never relive it.
They weren't seventeen anymore, and they definitely weren't back in the Mafia.
Yet they were still together.

'' Easy there, '' Dazai took the glass away from Chuuya's hand. '' if you continue like this, you won't
be able to run away from the cops later. ''
Chuuya took the glass back and downed it. '' Screw you, I'm perfectly capable of handling my
liquor. ''
Doubt clouded Dazai's face. '' Yeah, sure. '' He said, moving away from the table.
'' Hey, where are you going? '' Chuuya walked after him, leaving the beverage table. Dazai turned
to face him. '' The show is about to begin. '' he pointed as discretely as he could to the man taking
his place on the podium. '' Trust me, you don't want to miss it. ''
'' You never told me what is being sold today. ''
'' Have a little patience, will you? ''
'' I'm being patient with your sorry ass. '' he mumbled under his breath.
'' Kicking me all day out of frustration is not considered patient. '' Dazai took the seat closest to the
hallway. The one in the last row.
Chuuya sat on the one next to his. '' I've kicked you twice, '' he corrected him, '' stop being so
dramatic.''
'' I'm gonna be all bruised up tomorrow, and it's your fault.''
'' Like I give a shit. '' '
'' Like I give a shit. '' Dazai echoed in a mocking voice. Chuuya looked at him with pure disgust
and disappointment. '' God, you are so fucking immature. ''
He said it like he was amazed by it. As if he couldn't believe someone could be that moronic.
'' Says you. ''
Chuuya was honestly so done with him, that he didn't even care to disagree.

The man on the podium began to speak, and silence fell into the room. Everyone around stopped
what they were doing, whether they were eating, drinking or socializing, and took their respective
seat.
After a very boring introduction, the curtain behind the man fell, revealing the items being
auctioned.

'' So? ''

That asshole.
'' Which one do you want? '' Dazai asked, side-eyeing Chuuya.
Chuuya looked at the stage again, at the hat placed on the middle pedestal.
'' You took me to a hat show? '' He whispered, loud enough for only Dazai to hear.
'' You like hats, don't you? '' Dazai justified, '' Thought you'd want a new one for that collection of
yours. ''

Shopping for incredibly expensive and extravagant things used to be a pleasure of his. But since he
left the Mafia, Chuuya hadn't had the chance to buy anything new for his various little collections.
Shopping was an activity he had quite missed doing, actually.

'' Middle.'' It was like when they were teens, and they would agree on stealing whatever had caught
their eye. A small souvenir from their mission that the Boss would most likely never know of.

'' The one with the red feathers and the ribbon? ''
'' Yes.''
'' Alright then. ''

It would just so happen that the item Chuuya chose was the one being auctioned last.
Dazai had no intention of spending any more time in that place than necessary.
A crowd of rich folks drinking and talking about hats. God, it was awful. So utterly boring for his
tastes.
He had wanted to progress their little mission as fast as he could, but then he had looked at
Chuuya, and Chuuya had seemed semi-interested in what the man was talking about, so he had
decided to at least wait until the break.

It was stupid.

When the time came, the man on the stage approached the microphone and announced the
auction's break.
Ten minutes for all the guests to carefully think about their next moves while eating and
networking.
Ten minutes for someone, or rather a duo, to steal whatever they wanted and be on their way out.
'' Ready? ''
Chuuya nodded his head in agreement, following Dazai as he moved closer to the back of the
stage, carefully concealing himself with the help of shadows and furniture.

The way the stage was built made stealing items a lot easier than one would think.
All you had to do, was pass the awkward area between the chairs and the stage and reach the back.
Once you were there, and if you hadn't been detected by anyone, the rest would be child's play.
With the big red curtain already looming over the items, all you had to do was, create a diversion
and just take what you wanted.
As always, Chuuya was the one handling the stealing part, while Dazai was the one in control of
the diversion.

Dazai made sure Chuuya was in place before walking away.

He fixed his tie again, which for some reason was looser than he had intended it to be, and waltzed
right into the middle of the great hall, where most of the guests were now eating at the buffet.
He counted to five before letting himself collapse to the marble ground.

A big crowd of people rushed to him immediately, trampling over each other to see what had
caused the commotion. They all yelled for someone to get a doctor, clear panic in their voices.
Dazai continued to lie there unbothered, even when a man was checking for his pulse.
There was none.
The man refused to believe it. He tried to bring back Dazai by pressing his chest a few times in a
specific rhythm.
Which, considering Dazai wasn't unconscious, hurt quite a lot.

After 3 failed attempts, the man turned to the small circle of people that had gathered above them
and announced what they all had been dreading to hear.

At the same time, a loud thud was heard, coming from the direction of the main entrance.
The people's heads turned to the door only for a few seconds, but it was enough.
Dazai managed to slip past them and ran to the other side, away from all the fuss.

'' Cardiac arrest? Really? '' Chuuya looked disappointed in him and at the little gimmick, he had
pulled. '' I expected better from you, Dazai. '' he mocked him.
Dazai shrugged his shoulders, '' Unoriginal, I know. '' he said, stretching his body, '' But it still does
the trick. '' his fingers indicated the hat Chuuya was holding.
'' That, I can't disagree with. '' The redhead moved closer to him in an effort to have a better view of
the building's exit. '' When do you think-
'' THERE THEY ARE '' Chuuya's words were cut short by the screaming voices of the security
guards. '' DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE ''
They had finally caught sight of the two culprits.
Good for them, Chuuya thought.
Dazai snickered as he heard them approach.
'' Right on cue. ''

Running away from security guards holding stolen items was something Chuuya had thought he
would never get to experience again.
Manoeuvring through dark alleys with Dazai at his side while the cold air of the night hit their
faces.
It was another thing he had missed.
The feeling of satisfaction after an accomplished mission. The adrenaline rushing through his veins
as he ran in the dead of night.
Dazai, following suit, talking about nonsense as always, his words getting lost in the wind.
He wanted this back so badly.

'' We lost them. '' Chuuya observed, finally stopping so that he could catch his breath. Dazai
glanced at the area behind them to make sure.
'' Yeah, three blocks now ''
Chuuya glared at him. '' Then why didn't you say anything sooner? ''
'' Wanted to see for how much longer you would run. '' Dazai grinned, jumping up on a bench.
Chuuya walked beside him. '' I hope you trip and die. '' He said it with such an endearing manner
that Dazai was caught off guard.
'' Aww, Chuuya '' his lips tugged into a smile. '' Hoping for me to achieve my wish? '' he said,
landing back on the ground. '' You are so considerate ''
'' You make m-
'' Wait, before you say it '' he cut him off, '' Read the paper on your left pocket. ''
It wasn't a new trick, not by a long shot.
Knowing exactly what was about to happen, Chuuya still reached for the piece of paper and took it
out.
Once he had unfolded it, the sentence written inside became visible.
'' You make me fucking sick '' Chuuya read aloud.
Dazai faked a yawn. '' God, you're so predictable ''
If he punched him right there and then, would he continue to be as predictable?
'' Thinking about punching me, just to surprise me? '' It was like the fucker had read his mind.
'' You'd wish. '' Chuuya had nothing left to counter him.

They continued their pointless little feud on the way back, with Chuuya trying to insult him faster
than Dazai could guess what he was about to say.
It was a game of wits, and he was going up against the master of predictions.
Needless to say, it wasn't going well for him.

He didn't care.

'' Using your ability is cheating '' Dazai said, struggling to climb up the low hanging hangar. '' It's
not fair. ''
Chuuya bent over the ledge to look at him. '' Okay, so? ''
Dazai pulled himself up, stabilizing his feet on a small ridge. '' Cheating is wrong,'' he said, sitting
down and crossing his legs.
Chuuya moved closer to the wall so he could have somewhere to rest his back. '' Okay, and? ''
The man beside him shook his head disapprovingly. '' Here I was, thinking you were trying to
become a better person. ''

It was funny how insincerely Dazai was saying it.

He was just needling him.
There was no malice in his words nor spitefulness anymore.
It was just a friendly tease.
'' You took me out so we could rob an auction. '' Chuuya reminded him factually. '' I'm holding a
priceless piece in my hands that I did not buy, '' he raised the hat, '' and we are sitting on a small,
roof-like hangar that literally has a caricature of you painted beneath it because you challenged me,
last time we were here.''
'' Don't forget the part where we ran away from those guards. '' Dazai added. '' You know, casually
escaping the law. ''
'' Yeah, of course, my bad. ''
'' Don't worry, it happens. ''
'' My point is, '' Chuuya tried again, holding back his laughter. '' you are no better than me. ''
'' Never said I were. '' Dazai flashed him a grin. '' Still, we haven't killed anyone in over two years.
That's a big win for the both of us. ''
'' You're impossible. ''

Dazai let his back fall to the ground. His eyes gazed upwards at the night sky. '' How do you feel
about it? '' suddenly, his playful tone changed into a serious one.
'' Not killing people anymore. How does it make you feel? ''
The question knocked the air out of him. He hadn't expected Dazai to ever ask something like that.
How did it make him feel?
'' Beats me. '' He hadn't really thought about it before. '' Maybe, lighter? I guess? ''
When he saw Dazai wasn't saying anything in response, Chuuya stilled.
''Why? '' He asked, tentatively, scared that he had failed some kind of mind test.
'' I was just curious. '' Dazai admitted.

Some minutes passed in silence before Dazai had another question.

This one was even stranger than the first.
'' What do you think I feel? ''
Chuuya wished for him to repeat himself, but he never did.
'' About not killing? '' He wanted to make sure he had understood the question right.
'' Yes ''
How the fuck was he supposed to know?
'' I don't think you feel that different. '' Chuuya spoke hesitantly, '' I don't think it makes a
difference for you. '' It was an honest answer. '' You may feel a bit proud because of your promise
to Oda, but other than that, I don't think there is a difference.''

There was a reason he had asked him that, one he had decided to keep to himself for the time
being.
Dazai listened to his answer with his eyes closed, giving Chuuya his absolute, undivided attention.
Closing his eyes made it easier for him to focus. He felt calmer that way. More there, if that made
any sense.

When Chuuya was done talking, he opened his eyes again and looked at the moon above him.
'' No difference, huh? '' he echoed, turning his head to the redhead.
'' Is there? ''
Dazai could have sworn that only for a fleeting moment, his eyes had shone brighter than any star
above.
Just for a second, Chuuya had hope.
'' No, not really. '' That glint left his eyes as soon as Dazai replied.

And maybe it was his imagination, but Chuuya felt the air get colder. He sensed the wind shift, he
sensed the sky darken.
He looked upwards at the stars and at the moon, trying to find an answer to a question he hadn't
even articulated yet.
He looked at Dazai.
At the weird kid he had met and had instantly hated when he was a teenager.
At the boy that had caused so much of his suffering, yet he could never seem to blame.
At the only ever person who had somehow given him a sense of normalcy in a life most abnormal.
At the only ever person who had beaten every odd and had stayed.
He looked at Dazai and wondered-

A lot of thoughts had been plaguing his mind lately, and most of them had to do with a certain
blue-eyed ginger.

Chuuya had shown, time after time again, a tremendous amount of patience with him, even when
he, himself, wasn't feeling that good.
Dazai knew he wasn't well, that much was obvious, but still, the man had not worded it.
He hadn't even tried to.
And that fact made Dazai all the more sure of the decision he had taken.

Dazai took pride in how well he could read people. He took pride in reading their actions and their
motives as if they were words on paper. He could see what others felt, even if they hid it behind
false smiles or even long-awaited bursts of anger. Nothing in the human behaviour surprised him
anymore. He could see it all coming.
The only people to have ever been the exception were two.
One person had been his friend, Odasaku. The other one was Chuuya.

Even when they were still teenagers, Chuuya had always managed to surprise him with his actions.
He could predict most of them, naturally, but he still found ways to make Dazai second guess.
It had always been fascinating, but this time around, it had straight-up been irrational.
Chuuya did not bottle up his emotions, especially his anger or frustration. Everyone that had ever
met him knew that. It wasn't a secret.
After two years, things would definitely feel dull for him, especially once Dazai had joined the
ADA.
Dazai had expected him to snap. To scream and curse at him and tell him he regrets everything. He
had expected him to be so angry at him, to try and make him feel bad about the situation.
Chuuya had done nothing of that sort.
Instead, he had resulted to going up on that roof and staying silent about his troubles.
Even when Dazai had tried to get him to snap earlier that week, he hadn't.
On the contrary, he had smiled and had said, 'Have fun.'
Even if his smile had been full of poison, he had forced himself to be nice.

Dazai had been perplexed by that behaviour. Amazed as well.

Which was why he was so set on doing this.
He took a deep breath and entered the threshold.
The familiar smell of booze and smoke infiltrated his nose immediately once he stepped in, making
it impossible for him to breathe.
The warm air around the room filled his lungs. A tinge of nostalgia came with it.

He climbed down the remaining steps and walked deeper into the room, towards the bar stools.
Towards a man that was sitting there, his back turned on him.

Dazai took a few more steps before sitting down, two seats next to the man. He fixed his coat and
turned to face him.
'' Ango, '' Dazai happily exclaimed, opening his arms to greet him, '' It's been a while. ''

...

His eyes drifted to the clock on the far end wall.

He closed them, blacking everything out, and focused on the faint ticking sound the machine made
as it counted down the seconds.

Tick...

Tick...

Tick...

It was twelve o'clock, and he was officially 20 now.

He had no one to celebrate with.

Ever since he could remember, Chuuya had never cared about Birthdays much, but his Birthday
last year had been great, he had foolishly been under the delusion that this year would have been
the same, if not better.

Last year, Dazai had woken him up at 12 o'clock, by placing a slug on top of his face and then
proceeding to make absurd noises with a toy flute he had somehow acquired.
Chuuya had opened his eyes to the slug.

A second later the slug was soaring through the air, before landing on Dazai's own face.

He cursed him a little, threw a temper tantrum, as Dazai had called it, and then he stopped.
Once he had stopped being annoyed and had calmed down Dazai had told him the plans he had for
the day.

Due to them being inside, there wasn't much they could do, so Dazai had gotten creative.

For starters, they played some video games of course, and some two-player card games they could
find. They talked a little, had a nice laugh, it was nice.
Even with only that, Chuuya would have been content.
But that wasn't enough for Dazai, no.
Dazai had gone out of his way to buy cake ingredients so they could bake one together. He had
gone out and had bought frostings and even decoratives for the cake a day before.

He had also gone and brought something else, something he had kept hidden inside the apartment.

They had spent all afternoon trying to make the cake, both knowing that it would have come out a
lot better if only one of them had made it, and they hadn't cooperated. Both ignored that possibility,
of course. Having flour on your hair, and cake mix all over your clothes, was definitely better than
having a good cake.

The cake had come out decent. Edible even, to Chuuya's surprise.
After baking it, they had spent a good hour or two decorating it.

The cake had ended up being a red and blue catastrophe, with sprinkles all over that did nothing to
make it seem better.

After it was finished, Dazai took some candles out of his pocket to put on top of it.

Chuuya had blown out the candles, making a stupid wish, and then they had tried the cake.
The cake had ended up on Dazai's face for various reasons.

It had been a great day, one full of laughter.

Today was nothing like that, it would seem.

It was already 12, and there was no slug on his face.

There was no Dazai laughing in the corner.

" Chuuya! " Dazai stepped into the apartment with a spring on his step. " Happy Birthday! " he
wished him, walking down the hall.

Chuuya heard him from the living room but pretended to not. He was already laying down, so
closing his eyes and faking being asleep wouldn't be that difficult.

He heard Dazai's footsteps approaching.

" Chuuya? "

Silence.

The next time he spoke, Dazai's voice had softened. " If you're pretending to be asleep because
you're angry at me, I understand, okay? " the man sat down on the armchair close to the couch. "
But come on, that's just childish "
It was annoying how well he could read him.
" If you don't want to talk to me right now, just turn your back to me. " Dazai proposed, knowing
Chuuya was listening. " If you want to curse at me for being an asshole and missing your Birthday,
wake up and do just that. "

Chuuya considered his options.

" Shut up, I'm trying to sleep." he said, tossing around on the couch.
" Oh, come on. " Dazai tried, " It's still evening, we have plenty of time to go out and celebrate
your Birthday. "
" Not interested " he mumbled, shoving his face on the pillow.
" We can go to a karaoke~"
" Fuck off. "
" Then we can go and-
" I don't want to go anywhere. " Chuuya said, standing up. " Especially not with you."
Dazai slid back on the armchair, his eyes staying on Chuuya.
" Look-
" I don't want to look either. " Chuuya got up, " I don't care that you weren't here, okay? So why
are you making it such a big deal? " Chuuya's eyes avoided his. " I don't care about my Birthday
Dazai, so just drop it. "
" I had to do something, I'm sorry I wasn't-
" I don't care, " Chuuya said again. " I really do not fucking care, so stop making it a big deal. "
" Are you sure? "
Chuuya tried to stay calm. He tried to keep his anger to himself. " Yes, I'm fucking sure."
Dazai sighted.
" Okay,'' he said, defeated. " If you do change your mind, however, I'll be on the roof. "
" Fine. "

In the end, Chuuya did end up changing his mind.

As much as he had wanted to be petty, and keep being mad at Dazai, he couldn't. At least not when
he didn't know the reason Dazai hadn't been there.

He climbed up the stairs and stepped outside to the roof, the cold air hitting his face and tussling
his hair.
He had walked up to Dazai and had demanded an explanation, but as he had predicted, Dazai had
told him that he would explain everything only after they had gone out.

Chuuya had no other choice than to agree.

It wasn't bad.
No, that wouldn't do it.

It was amazing.

Dazai had dragged him to a karaoke he had found nearby, and they had sung a few songs together,
had drunk a few drinks, had tried to play some musical instruments after... Maybe had gotten
themselves kicked out because of that...

Well, by the end of the karaoke incident, as they decided to call it, they were both quite tipsy.
Needless to say, that didn't stop them from going to their next destination.

Dazai's phase two involved a bakery specializing in hot-pot cakes.

It was a disaster.

How they didn't get food poisoning from that, they honestly didn't know.
Some of the ingredients they had decided to use included but were not limited to, toothpaste,
mustard, mushrooms, an onion, and some other stuff they couldn't remember.

Dazai, being his awful self, had challenged Chuuya to eat it all. Chuuya had counter-challenged
him to finish it all faster than him.
Both cakes had tasted awful.
And both Dazai and Chuuya had left the store with a terrible stomachache.

Phase three of Dazai's plan began once they had stepped inside the apartment.

He had told Chuuya to go and figure out what movie they should watch. Chuuya had obliged,
moving himself towards the gaming console in order to turn it on.

On top of the console, Chuuya found an envelope. It was a formal one, one that had been sealed
with wax.
He turned to Dazai to ask him what it was.
" Well, open it "

Chuuya did just that.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Chuuya looked at the door in front of him.

There were so many thoughts running through his head, so many worries plaguing his mind.
The Armed Detective Agency
Fuck.
It was real, and it was happening.
He looked down at his hands.

Why the fuck was he so nervous?

He hadn't been this worried when he had joined the Mafia, so why were his hands all shaky now?
Because you don't want this to fail. His mind whispered.
Because if this fails, that will mean-
" Oh," a familiar voice pulled him out of his thoughts, " Chuuya is here already, and it's only a
quarter before 8." Dazai's voice beamed. Chuuya caught sight of him, as he climbed up the stairs.
That bastard.

Two weeks ago he had left a letter for him to find.

One that proclaimed his return to society after being under the radar for more than two years.
A legal document signed and approved by none other than Sakaguchi Ango.

Chuuya shouldn't have been out for at least four more months, but Dazai had changed that.

Because of him, he was now standing in front of the Agency's door, ready to go in and meet
everyone.
 With his heart beating faster than it should, Chuuya smiled and turned his hand.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you liked chapter four!!!

As always thank you so much for reading, your thoughts and opinions are always
appreciated<3
 A Good Detective.
Chapter Summary

Chuuya has joined the ADA and is finally working on his first case.
Ranpo is getting a little on his nerves, but it's fine

Chapter Notes

I uploaded chapter five only in 20 days?

And it's 7k words? wow

I really hope you'll like this chapter. Writing beginner ADA detective Chuuya is
honestly so fun and exciting. This chapter doesn't have that much soukokou because
we're focusing on Chuuya and Ranpo but don't worry, we'll fix that in the next chapter!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Cold and dark.

Chuuya still remembers how he had felt the first time he had ever set foot on the towering building
that was the Port Mafia Headquarters. The first time, he had pushed that haunting metallic door and
had let himself inside the only building that dared to touch the Yokohama skyline.

Silence.

He remembers how all the hallways and all the rooms had been dark. He remembers the big red
curtains hiding the windows, the lights barely doing their job to illuminate all the rooms. The busy
men running around, all dressed in black, all holding weapons.
He remembers the disgusting smell of chlorine getting stronger the further he walked in. The smell
of crimes getting covered, of sins being committed and then washed away.

Emptiness.

He remembers the hallway with the stained glass leading to the Boss's office.
The way the light glistened in different colours and the way the air got colder once you stepped
closer.

He remembers turning the knob.

It had been so different this time.

The first thing he noticed about the Agency was the light.

The tall windows that could be found on every wall, their curtains pulled back, letting in the
daylight. The way it flew right into the room from every direction imaginable, casting little
shadows on every item in its way.

Then there were the people, at least those he could see from the threshold. They were all wearing
their best smiles, all looking healthy and happy.
Same as the windows, they were sources of light too. A different kind of light, the kind that
radiated warmth.

It hurt his eyes a little, how bright everything was.

'' You must be Nakahara '' Chuuya turned to face the person that had spoken.
He found that the voice belonged to a man seated on what he assumed was his desk. He wore a
brownish old-styled short coat and matching pants which he had paired up with a black vest and a
white shirt underneath. He also wore a blue striped tie and a brown hat. What Chuuya noticed tho,
was the lollipop in his hands.

Before he could reply anything to that man, a hand was extended to him from his left.
'' It's a pleasure to finally meet you, '' The blond man in front of him introduced himself. '' I'm
Doppo Kunikida. You are Nakahara Chuuya, right? ''
Chuuya shook his hand firmly, plastering a smile on his face. '' Indeed, I am,'' he replied, doing his
best to sound formal. '' It's a pleasure to meet you as well. ''
So this was Dazai's new partner, huh?
He looked to be a bit older than them, perhaps because of the way he carried himself. He looked
mature and serious, yet not unfriendly. He reminded him of someone else he knew but he couldn’t
recall who.
If that was Kunikida, then the man sitting on the desk, could he be Ranpo, the detective that had
amazed even Dazai?
He would figure that out later.

Chuuya cleared his throat and focused on the task at hand. He looked at the blond man again. ''
Where could I find-
'' Is that Nakahara? '' Before he could finish his question, he was interrupted once more, this time,
by a woman's voice.
She came out of a room located in the back of the office, a golden butterfly pin on her hair and a
bloody scalpel in her hands.
Yosano.
'' Oh, you're here much sooner than we thought you'd be. '' She said, walking up to the entrance
where Chuuya was standing. She put her hand on her waist and turned to Kunikida. '' Will you let
the boy come inside? '' She asked, indicating how he was blocking the doorway. '' I know we are
all excited to meet him, but we should try and make him feel comfortable first, shouldn't we? ''
Kunikida nodded his head in agreement. '' You're right, '' He took a few steps back and signalled
for Chuuya to step forwards.
Chuuya hadn't even realised he had been standing still the entire time.
'' Welcome, Chuuya, '' Dazai's hand gripped his shoulder as he stepped beside him, making him
jump in surprise. '' to the Armed Detective Agency. '' He motioned his hands to indicate the room,
creating a semi-circle in the air.
'' Morning Dazai, '' Yosano and Kunikida both greeted him.
'' Rare to see you here so early, '' Kunikida remarked, taking his seat back at his desk and writing
something down in his notebook.
'' I’m sure he’s here to show our newest member the place, '' Yosano guessed, '' Probably won't
happen again. ''
'' Oh, you know me so well, doctor '' Dazai joked. '' Now Chuuya, let me introduce you to the rest
of our members, '' he said, walking away. '' the quieter ones,'' he added in a whisper.

Chuuya liked the way Dazai had come to show him around and introduce him to everyone. He
seemed eager to do so, excited even.

He took him to meet Junichiro Tanizaki first, who had been sitting in his office alone this whole
time, and then Kenji, who had been away on a small case nearby. While Junichiro had been
uninterested in them, Kenji had been so excited to meet him that it had caught Chuuya completely
off guard.
The kid told them that if not for that case, he would have been the first person to have run up to
Chuuya.
He had been dying to meet him ever since Dazai had let them know of his ability.

While talking to them, the boy also expressed his excitement and how much he had been looking
forward to seeing ' From the Tainted Sorrow' in action.
To please him, Chuuya had lifted a cup and then some other stationery items, using his gravity
manipulation. Making them swim in the air and then bringing them back down.
Kenji had been thoroughly impressed.
Dazai had stifled his laughter.
After that, Kenji told them that he would have loved to chat more, but that unfortunately, he was
really sleepy and had to rest.
Knowing the way his ability works, both of them left him immediately.

The last person Dazai had introduced him to was the President.
Yukichi Fukuzawa.
A man that emitted respect and authority.

Dazai had knocked on his door once before the President had told them to come in.
His voice had been commanding, intimidating and clear. Great for a leader.
Chuuya had stepped inside his office with the highest of expectations.

He had not been disappointed.

The president had been one of the most straightforward people he had ever met and that became
clear early on, from the first minute of their interaction.
Although he had greeted them both with a neutral expression, the President had signalled only for
Chuuya to sit.
Directly and discreetly

Once Dazai had made the introductions and had left the room, he told Chuuya everything he
needed to know.

Like Dazai, in order to join the Armed Detective Agency officially, he would have to undergo an
Entrance Exam with another member supervising him.
The Exam would help his supervisor review his personality traits, his ability control, and, of
course, his detective skills. Those qualities would determine whether he would be a good fit for the
Agency or not. The test would be designed in such a way that it could bring forth even his most
hidden emotions.
The Exam wouldn't take more than a few days, and it wouldn't be something impossible. However,
it would be crucial.
Even one tiny mistake could cost him everything.

The President had been nothing but clear to him. Chuuya appreciated his transparency and honesty.
'' If your supervisor tells me that you did anything suspicious, you will not be passing. '' The man
looked at him, his grey eyes piercing through his soul. '' I know about your past, Nakahara.'' He
started. '' I know about Dazai's too. I wanted you to know that in case you tried anything. '' Chuuya
was already aware of that since Dazai had informed him prior to his interview with the man. Still,
the way he said it, it was nothing less than a threat.

'' I understand ''

‘’ Good.’’ The President had considered him for a few moments before dismissing him. ‘’ You will
be assigned a Supervisor by the end of the day. '' he had said, before letting him go.

'' Hey Nakahara, '' Stepping out of the President's office, Chuuya was met with Ranpo's voice. ''
President said you'd come along, so why are you making me wait? ''
'' I was inside his office for the interv-
'' I know that. '' Ranpo jumped out of his desk, '' But you aren't anymore, right? So why aren't you
at the door? ''
Chuuya had no answer to that. Maybe because no one had told him to be there? No, that wouldn't
work on Ranpo.
He moved to the door and said nothing. A moment later, Ranpo was leading the way.

Climbing down the stairs, his phone biped.

He opened it to find a text message from Dazai saying, ‘' Good luck with him. ''
After reading it, Chuuya very eloquently responded with a simple, '’ He can't be worse than you.’’

How the fuck had Dazai been amazed by him?

The longer he spent with Ranpo, the more foolish all his descriptions of him had seemed.
' A genius ' The man didn't even know how to ride the fucking bus.
Chuuya had had to explain to him the concept of a ticket not once but twice. Twice because the
first time, Ranpo had gotten distracted by a fucking candy shop he had seen across the street.
The man was useless.
No, he was worse than useless. Useless people didn't start fights by being know-it-alls.
Ranpo did.
Chuuya had to physically step in and stop a person's punch in midair because Ranpo had told him
his wife was cheating on him.
Who even does something like that?
His excuse had been that the man had been insulting another passenger, a woman.

Chuuya had heard stories about Ranpo's eccentricity from Dazai but damn. He was really
something else.

After half an hour, they finally arrived at their stop.

A small street near the Yokohama Art Museum.

'' What is this case about? '' Chuuya asked Ranpo, hoping that, unlike Dazai, he would actually tell
him instead of saying, ' You'll see. ‘
'' Hm, it's about a murder and a stolen painting. '' Ranpo said, unbothered.
'' What's so special about it then? '' Chuuya was under the illusion that the Agency dealt only with
cases involving abilities or large-scale threats to the city.
'' Haven't you figured it out, yet? '' Ranpo shook his head disappointed.
When could I have possibly-
'' Of course not,‘’ he responded, not the littlest ashamed. ‘’ Wait, how long have you been working
on the case? ''
'' President gave me the summary of the case just before you stepped into the office. '' That was
less than two hours ago
'' And that summery was? '' Chuuya tried again.
'' You're asking a lot of questions, new guy, '' Ranpo observed, '' but it's fine. You are impressed by
my ability. I get it. ''
Ranpo completely ignored him and his questions and stepped into the building. Chuuya followed
him.

'' The best detective is on the case, '' Ranpo loudly announced, approaching the security guards
gathered around the ticket booth. '' Prepare to be amazed. ''

There were a lot of words coming into his mind to describe Ranpo. Discreet or quiet was not one of
those.

'' Are you here for the murder or the painting, sir? '' One of the guards asked, walking closer to
them.
'' Both are connected. Haven't you figured that out? '' He didn't even try to be nice to them, Chuuya
had thought he would show a bit more understanding, but no.
'' Of course, you haven't. ''.
The security guards remained calm even after they had been insulted. It made Chuuya wonder if
they had crossed paths with him before.
'' Mister Ranpo, '' One of them tried to get his attention, '' We appreciate that you are here, but how
exactly can you tell that the two incidents are connected? '' That poor bastard had a lot of courage
if he was asking him a question like that. '' There is nothing linking the victim to the painting. ''
'' You can't see it? Really? '' His condescending tone was worse than Dazai's. '' But it's so obvious.
'' He continued to mock them.
'' Even Nakahara could get it. ''
Chuuya knew he should have felt insulted, but honestly, nothing Ranpo could say would ever
make him feel that way.
Maybe it was the fact he had decided early on not to take anything he said seriously.
'' Come on, new guy, '' Ranpo patted his shoulder, '' Show me what you got. ''
Chuuya turned to him. '' You want me to solve the case? ''
'' Aren't you a friend of Dazai's? '' Ranpo shrugged, '' I'm sure you'll manage. ''

A friend of Dazai's, huh?

No one had ever referred to him as Dazai's friend before, without it being sarcastic or a blatant lie
to get under his skin. His partner? Sure, people in the Mafia called him that all the time. But no one
had ever dared to call him his friend.
It felt strange, but he supposed it was true now, wasn’t it?

Dazai's friend.
It didn't sound half bad.

'' Just because I'm his friend, that doesn't mean I'm a freak like him. '' It was true Chuuya did not
possess the same detective skills as Dazai.
He had resolved a few problems in the past using his brain, but there was no way he could have
done half the things he had seen Dazai do to solve cases over the years.

At his words, Ranpo turned to him and opened his eyes. It was the first time Ranpo had looked him
eye to eye.

'' You say that, yet I know, for a fact, that's not true. '' His green eyes had a dangerous glint in them
as he spoke. One that told Chuuya Ranpo knew something. '' I won't get into detail now, tho '' He
closed his eyes before Chuuya could examine them further. '' we have more important things to
do.''
Just how much did he know?
Chuuya cleared his throat and agreed, feeling just a little wary of him.

'' Okay then, mister fancy hat. Lead the way. ''

What way.

Before Chuuya could have had the chance to ask him, a lady dressed in black walked through the
Museum's gate.
She entered the building crying and screaming, demanding to have an answer from the guards and
the police.
In her hands, she was holding the missing painting.

Chuuya watched as the guards realized.

To his surprise, nobody seemed to bat an eye at her.

'' Miss Achika, we're all so sorry for your loss. Yaru was a great man. '' One of the guards neared
her, extending his hand.
" You have my condolences. "
The woman stared at his hand but seemed not to be able to say a word anymore.
Just a few moments ago she had been screaming, but at the mention of Yaru, she had immediately
stopped.

She lifted her head to meet his eyes and tears started strolling down her cheeks again.
'' He is dead '' The poor woman's expression said everything. '' He is dead, Tano, he is gone.'' She
broke down again, falling to her knees.
The man, Tano, kneeled next to her, trying to wrap her in his arms.
Though he whispered, Chuuya managed to understand him perfectly.

'' He says he'll find out who did it, and he will make them pay for it. '' He explained to Ranpo. ''
He'll do anything to honour his friend and bring justice to his name. ''
Ranpo looked at him unimpressed. '' You can read lips, okay. But do you think he's being honest? ''
Chuuya glanced at the two people kneeling on the floor. '' No ''
'' Hm ''
'' He wouldn't be able to kill anyone. '' It wasn't that hard to read him. '' He's making false promises
to reassure her. ''
'' Hm,'' Ranpo made the same sound again. He said nothing.

Was that a cue?

Fuck, what next.

" Miss Achika, " Chuuya whispered, " I understand that you're unwell right now, but could I ask
you a couple of questions? "
The woman paid him no mind.
" It will help the investigation so we can find out who killed your husband. "
He tried again, reminding her of what was important.
The woman turned her head to him, letting go of the man she was holding onto. " He was a good
man, Detective. " her eyes had lost all light as she spoke, " Why would anyone do this? " She
asked, her voice shaking. " Why would they kill him? " She stood up to meet Chuuya's gaze, "
Why would they leave my daughter without a father? "
The woman's eyes were red and puffy and her make-up had smeared all over her face. Thick black
lines trailed the surface of her cheeks ending on her chin.
She looked like she could fall apart at any moment.

Chuuya thought to himself, what would a good Detective do in that case?

They'd try to reassure the widow.

" Don't worry ma'am, " He said, his voice soothing and low. " We'll find whoever is responsible
and we'll bring them to justice."
Tentatively, he put his hand on her shoulder.
The woman took his hand in hers and held it tightly in front of her.
" I'll tell you whatever I know, " She confessed, " I'll try and help you, but I don't think I'll be that
useful."
She took a hold of Chuuya's other hand as well. She clasped it between her own.

" Don't say that, ma'am. I'm sure whatever you say will be of much help."
The woman's smile was painful to look at.
She was trying so hard for her husband.

Now ask.

" Can you tell me how the painting came into your possession? " he kept the same, reassuring
tone, in his voice.
" I found it in the house, under our bed, while I was cleaning." She explained, " It wasn't hidden or
anything, it was just laying there."
Okay, so the man had stolen the painting and had managed to get it to his house.
A normal theft so far.
So where did it go wrong?
" Your husband didn't tell you of it, right? " The woman shook her head negatively.
" No, he didn't." She whispered.
" Do you know anyone that could have-
" He was a good man, sir. " she cut him short. " There was no one that would wish him ill. None I
can think of."
" Okay then. ‘’ Chuuya knew better than to argue with a widow about her perception of her dead
husband, so he decided on a different approach. ‘’ Could mister Yaru have been involved with-
"He isn't the type to go out and look for trouble, " she cut him again. " He is-", she took a moment
and corrected herself, " He was a quiet man."
Chuuya considered her words carefully.
" Had that always been the case? " he asked with caution. He didn't want to upset the wife, but he
needed to know.
The woman shook her head again, this time a little more hesitant.
" He had had troubles with the police before, but that was a long time ago. " She looked at Chuuya,
and then at the ground. " He was a changed man, sir. A family man, a great husband and a great
father. ‘’
‘’ What kind of troubles did he have back then? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know the details.’’ The woman said, ‘’ All I knew is that he had said multiple times that
he has done bad things he was not proud of, in the past ‘’
With that sentence, Chuuya’s suspicions grew thicker.
‘’ You’ve been very helpful, miss Achika ‘’ He said, thinking of his next move.
The woman flashed him a shy smile, barely lifting the corners of her lips. ‘’ I know I haven't. ‘’
She said, ‘’ but thank you for lying. ‘’

'' Watching the tapes is boring.'' Ranpo kept complaining as he stood behind him. '' Is this the best
plan you could think of? ''

Ranpo had been standing in the same position, criticising Chuuya, for over twenty minutes now.
He kept telling him that his method was super slow and super boring and that he was not cut out to
be a detective.
Chuuya had tried his best to ignore him and not let his comments affect his mood.
He had kept his eyes focused on the screen, trying to catch the detail that would give everything
away and would let him proceed with the case.

Watching the security footage from the museum's cameras had been his fastest option.

He had never been as observant as Dazai or Ranpo, and he definitely could not solve cases in
seconds just by deducting things like them.
He wasn't a skilled detective either.
He wouldn't go and pretend otherwise just so he could make a fool of himself.
'' Yes. '' He responded, not taking his eyes away from the screen.

By now, he'd seen footage covering almost a whole week and had discovered nothing.
Yaru seemed to be a pretty direct guy in the tapes.
He didn't slack off on his job, and he didn't take extended breaks either.
He was a perfect employee, which made Chuuya all the more suspicious.

The man took the computer's mouse and changed the date again, finally opening footage from the
week before.
'' How long will this take? '' Ranpo complained again.
At that point, Chuuya was sure he was doing it on purpose to make him tick off.
'' Well, we just reached the second week prior to the murder, '' Chuuya justified, '' So I guess, it
won’t take a while. ''
Ranpo moved away from his shoulder and reached for a nearby chair.
He dragged it across the floor and placed it beside Chuuya's.

Chuuya kept watching the footage in silence, waiting for the first clue, for the first piece of
evidence.
After half an hour of nothing, he finally found it.

'' He's making phone calls'' He said, excited to finally have something to offer to the other man.
Ranpo simply shrugged. '' So? ''
'' Every day the same exact hour, '' He elaborated, typing furiously on the keyboard.
'' He could be calling his wife or his daughter. '' Ranpo offered.
Chuuya turned his screen so Ranpo could see as well. '' If he were talking to them, why is the
footage erased? ''
Finally, he had caught Ranpo's attention.
'' Every day, he pulled out his phone and called someone at 6 a.m. From 6 till 6 and 2 minutes, the
footage has been deleted. ''
'' So he must have been conducting someone he didn't want others to know of. '' Ranpo
summarized.
Chuuya looked at the screen puzzled. '' The thing is, if he had wanted to cover it up he could have
easily duplicated the two minutes before the phone call and just, edit them in. '' he thought aloud, ''
But he didn't do that. Instead, he deleted it and replaced it with the same glitch as that of the
robbery tape. ''
'' Your point? ''
'' We saw him stealing the painting in a glitched out tape, and now we are seeing him receiving
calls the same way.'' Chuuya closed the tabs on the computer and opened a new one. '' That means
he wanted to get caught. ''
'' Why? ''
'' I don't know, ‘’ maybe he knew someone would kill him and he wanted to trap them as revenge?
Maybe he planned on betraying whoever had made him steal the painting?
So many possibilities it hurt his head to think about them all.

He got up from the chair and looked at the door then at Ranpo.
‘’ We need to find that phone ''

…
" Yaru's phone? " the woman echoed, " Yeah, I have it. "
Tano put the phone on speaker so that they could all hear her through it. " They gave it to me along
with some other things of his when I went to identify the body. "
" Could we have it? " Chuuya asked, nearing the phone.
The woman seemed to take a few seconds, " If it will help the investigation, sure. '' She responded,
her voice sounding tired. " I'll bring it to-
" No need, ma’am, " Chuuya interrupted, " We'll come and get it ourselves."
Ranpo gave him a questioning look, but Chuuya didn't retract his offer.
" I'll be waiting then," she said and hung up.

" Why do we need to go and get it? " Ranpo asked, already walking away from the guard.
" She isn't well, and she is obviously tired. " Chuuya expressed, " going to her instead of having her
come to us is the least we could do to help. "
" Huh. " Ranpo crossed his arms. " Fine."

The two of them left the museum and headed towards the nearest bus stop to hopefully catch the
right bus that would lead them to the woman's house.

Chuuya would have preferred to drive them there, but unfortunately, seeing as he had no car at the
moment (thanks a lot Dazai) and no driver's license to his name, that choice was out of the
question.
He had always considered public transportation to be a nightmare on its own but add Ranpo to the
equation, and you have a recipe for disaster.

He thought things couldn't go worse than when a random man had attempted to punch him earlier
that day. Ranpo proved him wrong.

The walk to the woman's house was a long one. Neither Ranpo nor Chuuya talked during it.
Ranpo was lost in his own little world, and Chuuya was, once again, trying really hard to maintain
his patience and not kick him to the fucking moon.
'' I hate walking. ''
He was doing it on purpose.
There was no way this man was actually so fucking-
'' We are almost there. '' Chuuya said calmly, '' Just a few more blocks. ''
Ranpo put his hands in his pockets and sighed, '' I preferred the bus. ''
He was testing his patience.
Yes, that was it.
Ranpo was testing his patience because if he weren't-
'' We'll catch a different bus on our way back. '' Chuuya reassured him. Ranpo said nothing.

After some minutes, the men finally reached their destination.

Once at the house, they rang the doorbell, and the woman rushed to open the door.
She looked worse than before if that was possible. It was clear in her face and especially in her
eyes that she had not stopped crying, not even for a second.
It was a sad image to look at.

She gave them the phone, telling them it was protected by a password she did not know and then
offered to answer any other questions they may have had. She even offered to tour them around the
house so they could search it and maybe find something.
Chuuya assured her that her earlier contribution had been enough and then told her that they had to
leave.
The woman walked them to her door, her legs barely moving. She looked so tired as she wished
them a happy evening.

Chuuya smiled at her as she closed the door.

He only hoped she would finally rest after all that.

While waiting for the bus to come, Chuuya made his first attempt to open the phone.
Unfortunately, as the woman had already told them, it was locked with a password.
However, she had failed to mention that you only had three chances to find the password before the
phone self-destructed.
'' He was definitely hiding something. '' Chuuya murmured, looking at the phone's screen,
searching for a fingerprint trail.
'' Because it’s a self-destruct phone? ''
'' Yes, and no. ''
'' There are many kinds of that type of phone. Anyone can use them. They aren't only for hiding
things. ''
Yes, but this model is.
'' That's true. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions too fast. '' He lied. Yaru was undoubtedly hiding
something, and he knew it for a fact.
'' Or maybe you're thinking based on your experience. '' Ranpo said, and then quickly added, '' You
know, as a tech supporter. ''
Ranpo knew something, and it was clear in his voice.
'' Dazai told you about my job in the tech store? '' He questioned, remembering some of the fake
backgrounds Dazai had created for them.
'' Yeah, '' Ranpo's voice told him he was lying. '' So maybe because of it, you know something
better? ''
'' All I know is that we need to find that password. ''
'' We need to find that phone, we need to find that password, '' Ranpo repeated, '' Your way of
doing things is so time-consuming, Nakahara.''
Chuuya had no effective reply to give him.
At least not one that didn't include curse words.

'' So, new guy, '' Ranpo turned to him, '' what's your plan? ''
The question is, do I have one?
'' We'll go back to the museum and investigate further. ''
Ranpo looked outside the window, '' It's nighttime, '' He observed, '' The museum won't be open
anymore. ''
Shit.
'' And even if it were, we don't have a warrant. We can't search the place without one. ''
Mmm, what now.
What would a good detective do? What would-
'' We break in and search the place ourselves,'' he said, without thinking it through. Ranpo
continued staring outside the window unbothered.
'' I see.'' He mumbled, '' You can go and search the place. I'll be waiting outside. '' Ranpo agreed to
the plan.
Again, Chuuya had this weird feeling Ranpo was testing him, but in what, he didn't know.

...
Only some minutes after their arrival at the place, Chuuya had already entered the building, having
immobilized both the security guards on duty, successfully.
It was a fairly easy operation in his opinion.
The security, if you could even call it that, was weak at best. The building had multiple openings
and ways to get in, and there had been only two guards.
The only real threat would have to be the cameras, but he didn't fear them. Having gained access to
the control room earlier that day, he knew exactly what to do to erase the footage, and how to do it
in a way that it wouldn't seem as if someone had erased it.
He'd learn to do that sort of thing while still at the mafia.

His plan was to go to the staff's locker rooms, and then to the late man's office. Those were the
only two places he could think of, where the man would have left some kind of clue about his
password. He would go in and search both rooms thoroughly.
If he found nothing…well, then he'd be in trouble.

He proceeded into the staff room, as silently as he could, and started surveying for anything that
could be a clue. He looked through documents, and papers laying on the desk.
He looked at the man's locker, and even at the other staff members' lockers, but he came up empty
handed.
He moved furniture and searched behind the paintings hanging on the walls. He searched under
the desk, inside the drawers.
Nothing.

He was prepared for that, so it was fine.

He still had Yaru's office to investigate.

He closed the door of the locker room and headed towards where the man's office used to be.
From outside the door, he heard clutter.
He approached with caution, stepping on his toes, leaning his body outwards, keeping his eyes on
the dancing silhouette he could see from the tiny window.

There was someone there.

And they looked as if they were doing the same thing as him.

He knocked on the door to surprise the intruder and immediately hid behind where the hinges
would open up.
The cluttering sounds inside stopped and he heard footsteps approaching.
The door opened in one violent motion and from the opening, a knife was thrown.
Chuuya rushed into the room activating his ability in case the intruder decided to open fire.
The shadow screeched as it saw him, and Chuuya recognized the scream as belonging to a girl.
She tried to stand her ground and attack him, using a slashing knife.
Chuuya avoided her attacks but didn't strike back.
" Who are you? " he asked, " Dodging another one of the blonde woman's kicks. She gave him no
answer.
" What are you doing here? " he asked again.
The woman stayed silent, as she tried to break free from his grasp.
Chuuya held her wrist tight enough to bruise her, but not tight enough to cause any real damage
" Who are you and what are you doing here? " he asked a third, final time, pushing her to the chair.

The woman sighed and gave up on trying to free herself.

" I'm searching for something my lover left behind." She said in a sharp tone. " Now will you let
me go? "
Her lover?
" Your lover? "
" The dead man." She said with a sardonic smile.
" What exactly are you searching for? "
Instead of answering him, the woman used her free hand to grab a small knife she had strapped
beneath her black coat.
She tried to stab him in the leg.
To her surprise, the knife bounced away from him.
" The fu-
Before she could finish the word, she was already on the ground, both hands behind her back.
" If you want to leave this place in one piece," Chuuya squeezed her hands a bit tighter to
emphasize his point, before releasing them again. " Talk"

The woman didn't seem to want to cooperate, but she did anyway.
" He was supposed to sell it. " She started. " Yaru would sell the painting and then he'd meet me at
the Port." She said, her words hesitant.
" I waited for him there, but he never showed up. A man came instead. A man I had never seen
before, in my life." She tried to move, so her face wouldn't touch the ground, " He told me to find
the painting or he'd kill him."
"The painting was in his house. His wife brought it here, earlier "
" That was a fake." She confessed. " The real one is still missing."
Oh.
" Who would he sell it to? "
The woman's eyes blinked a couple more times than they should have." I don't know." She lied.
Something was really fishy in her behaviour but he decided to let it slide.
At least for now.

He took his hands away from her and helped her stand up.
" What you're looking for isn't here. " Chuuya stated, " You should go before it's too late."
The woman got his innuendo.
It was a phrase used among the Port Mafia members when there was trouble.
Chuuya figured out her identity the moment she threw that first knife.
One of the oldest tricks in the book.

The woman regarded him with a silent understanding nod before she left through the window.

The Port Mafia.

Of course, they were involved.

Chuuya continued searching the office for the password, a million different thoughts roaming
around his head.
Yaru was dealing with the Port Mafia.
He had them steal the painting.
Then he did something wrong, maybe tried to betray them?
And they killed him.
But why the fake?
His supposed lover, said the painting they had was a fake, why?

As he was thinking all of that, he stumbled across the hanger.

From it, hang a coat and a hat.
Chuuya took them both in his hands to examine them further.
On the coat's tag was a number.
A four digit number.

Quickly, Chuuya took his phone out and snapped a picture.

He placed everything back to its original position, went for a walk to the control room and then
left.

" You found it?" Ranpo asked, getting up from the bench he had been sitting on, this entire time.
Chuuya walked towards him, with his phone in hand. ‘’ Yes. ‘’ He said, ‘’ Now give me the phone
so I can unlock it. ‘’
Ranpo reached in his pocket and pulled out the dead man’s phone. ‘’ Here. ‘’
Chuuya took it and typed in the password, ignoring all the candy wraps that had fallen out of the
pocket with it.

It opened.

The redhead pulled out a small piece of paper, handwritten by him. He looked at the numbers on it
and tried to see if they would correlate to the call history.
It was a perfect match.
‘’ Oh, you actually did find it. ‘’ Ranpo murmured.
Chuuya pocketed the phone and then the paper.

Phase one and two had been completed.

Now, for phase three, he only had to take the phone to the agency, call the number, and trace its
location and origin.

" Was that yours? " Ranpo asked, eyeing Chuuya's pocket. Chuuya nodded his head looking at the
bus stop at the end of the road and at the moon even further.
" Probably. "
" Won't you answer it?" Ranpo said, continuing to walk beside him, his hands behind his head.
" Eh, it's Dazai, " He said, patting the phone still inside his coat," It can wait."

His phone beeped again, as they reached the Agency's front door.
Chuuya sighted.
It beeped a second time.
" Annoying much? " Ranpo commented, waiting for Chuuya to open the door.
" He is, yeah," he agreed, " but I'm used to it."

He didn't know why he had felt the need to add that, but he had.

Chuuya pushed open the door, letting Ranpo walk in first.

" Chuuya! " Dazai rushed to the door. " Why don't you answer my texts? " he took his phone in his
hands and pointed at the unread messages. " I could have been in trouble." Dazai said dramatically,
his hand over his forehead, " I could have been kidnapped. " he fell to his knees, making a loud
noise. " I could be dying." He collapsed to the ground, playing dead.
Chuuya nudged his body with his leg before stepping over him and crossing the room.
Dazai gasped.
" How dare you," he started, getting up. " I- Who have never been-
" Oh, shut up." Chuuya glared at him from the nearest office, ready to throw something on his
head.
His gaze shifted around.
" Where is everyone? "
Dazai dusted off his coat and approached him. " It's past twelve, they are all at their homes by
now."
Chuuya thought about it. " Did the president leave you the key? "
" Yeah, sure." Dazai sneered." Left me the Agency as well."
" You broke in. " Ranpo deducted, already tired of them both.
" Knew Chuuya would come here.’’ He said. ‘’ His fault he didn't answer my texts."
Seeing no one but Ranpo around, Chuuya picked up a metallic pencil holder and threw it to the
brunette.
" Ouch."
‘’ Good. ‘’ Ranpo smiled, ignoring them. ‘’ I knew you'd be here. Was counting on that, actually.
‘’
Dazai smiled back. ‘’ Oh, I know. ‘’ He said with that smug look of his, ‘’ You forgot something
earlier this morning and you wanted to get it, didn’t you? ‘’
‘’ Exactly. ‘’ Ranpo said. ‘’ Well done, Dazai. ‘’
What kind of mind games were these two playing? And why was he somehow involved, he didn’t
know
‘’ We have work to do, you vagabond. ‘’ Chuuya called, ‘’ So you can leave now. ‘’
Dazai rolled his eyes. ‘’ You’re no fun,‘’
‘’ Nakahara is right. ‘’ Ranpo agreed, ‘’ We are still working, ‘’ He said, kind of hinting that he
didn’t want to be doing that, ‘’ So you do have to leave.’’
‘’ Yeah, yeah,’’ Dazai waved his hand. ‘’ fine, I’m leaving. ‘’
‘’ Finally. ‘’
‘ Oh, by the way, I’ve already fixed everything on the software. The only thing you need to do is
put the number in.‘’
Ranpo and Chuuya both turned to face him as he was leaving. ‘’ Helpful. ‘’Ranpo admitted.
Chuuya didn’t feel the same way.
‘’ II could have done it myself, asshole ‘’
‘’ Oh, I know. ‘’ Dazai agreed with him, walking out. ‘’ But it took so long, and it’s already
nighttime so I thought I could help a bit. ‘
‘’ Oh, fuck off. ‘’Chuuya glared at him as he closed the door.

He hovered over Dazai’s computer and turned to Ranpo.

‘’ You must admit, that was helpful. ‘’ Ranpo said, his tone clearly genuine, tho he could sense a
bit of mockery on it as well/
‘’Yeah, ‘’ Chuuya admitted, ‘’ But there is no way in hell I’m telling him’’
Ranpo sat down on a chair, and threw his head back. ‘’ Suit yourself. ‘’

As he had expected, the signal came nowhere else but from the Port.
Specifically, it had come from a large warehouse owned by the Port Mafia for years now.
It was a warehouse he had gone to, millions of times before for millions of different reasons.
 He told himself that things were different.
He couldn’t waltz in, and demand to see the one in charge.
He couldn't just ask what happened, or who set Yaru up, and expect to be given an answer.
He had no authority anymore.

From the call he had made to trace the phone, he had gathered two things.
First one, he knew the caller.
He’d heard that voice so many times when he was younger, that it would be impossible not to have
recognised it.

Second, he was most definitely walking into a trap.

If he knew anything about the man behind the phone, instead of him, soon another person would
walk through that door and attack him.
He wondered if it would be someone he knew.

That trap was the reason he had chosen to go there alone.

Ranpo would have been in danger if he had come, and honestly, he would have been a burden.
Chuuya knew these people. He knew their ways, he knew their tricks.
He would resolve this as fast as he could, with the least damage possible and then go back to the
Agency with an honest explanation to give to Ranpo.
He would solve the case and he would be proud of doing so.

‘’ You.’’
The voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
Chuuya turned his head and started searching the room for the source of the sound.

There, standing on top of a metallic box, was a boy. His black coat flowed around him,
transforming into spikes.

So that’s who he had sent after him, huh?

The Port Mafia’s hellhound.

The boy known as Akutagawa Ryunosuke.

Chapter End Notes

Did you like this chapter?

I really hope you did<3

There is much fluff to come in the next couple of chapters, just letting you all know<3
 A warm welcome
Chapter Summary

Chuuya's first case continues as he stumbles upon familiar faces.

Will he solve the case or will he face trouble?

What happens after that?

Chapter Notes

Less than a month AND an 8k words chapter.

Honestly, I'm having so much fun writing ADA Chuuya, y'all can't imagine. Writing
his interactions with all the ADA members, I love it and building all these friendships,
it's so fun.
And as promised, we got more soukoku scenes in this chapter, yayyy

Just wait until the next update. It will definitely be a soukoku (fluff) bomb.

Enjoyyy

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Two years ago

Chuuya knocked on the wooden frame once, praying that nobody would answer.
To his misfortune, he heard footsteps approaching from behind the door.

‘’ Yes? ‘’

From inside, Akutagawa’s voice was heard, as low and controlled as always.
Chuuya debated between staying and telling him the news or walking away and giving that
responsibility to someone else.
Maybe ignorance was bliss.
Maybe it would be better if he didn't learn of it yet.

No, it wouldn't.

‘’ It’s Nakahara. ‘’ Chuuya said, deciding on staying and getting this over with.

It wouldn't make anything better.

Upon hearing the voice, and without wasting a single second, the boy opened the door
immediately, not wanting to have an executive waiting on him.
Chuuya looked at the boy first before shifting his gaze to peek inside the newly revealed room.
He wasn't sure of what he had been expecting.

There were no lamps, no open windows.

There was no light.
Nothing he could distinguish between the darkness.

As if embarrassed by the sight, Akutagawa closed the door behind him and stepped forward,
nearing his superior.
‘’ Is there something I can do? ‘’ He asked, clearly confused by Chuuya’s presence in the hallway
leading to his apartment.
Chuuya took a moment to breathe before answering him.
‘’ Dazai is gone, ‘’ He said, watching as the boy’s eyes widened with surprise. ‘’ He left the Mafia
this morning. I thought you should know. ‘’

Chuuya hadn’t wanted to talk to anyone that day, but he told himself he had to do this one thing.
He didn’t know Akutagawa that well, and they had never been close, yet he had felt the need to
break him the news himself.

The boy’s eyes darkened then, his brows knitted together. ‘’ Nakahara, sir, what do you mean? ‘’
He asked, his voice failing him.’’ What do you mean, he left? ‘’

As he uttered those words, Akutagawa didn’t seem like the vicious hellhound of the Port Mafia.
He didn’t seem like the heartless monster everyone was so afraid of.
At that moment, Akutagawa had looked like a child.
A child ready to break.

‘’Dazai betrayed the Mafia. ‘’ Chuuya repeated, keeping his voice professional. ‘’ I know he was
your mentor, but he is a traitor now. ‘’ The words felt foreign in his mouth as if someone else was
speaking them. They felt wrong. ‘’ I expect you to treat him like you would, any other in his
position. ‘’
It was the same thing Mori had told him not so many hours ago.

Akutagawa stared at him in disbelief. Those black holes he had for eyes seeming more empty than
before if that was even possible.
‘’ He left. ‘’ The boy echoed, not believing the words." Dazai left." He repeated again and then
paused.
" I understand. ‘’

The boy's gaze turned colder, his face a blank page, devoid of any emotion.
He had that unreadable look Dazai used to have.
That unreadable look Chuuya had tried time and time again to understand but in vain.

Same as every other time, he wanted to say something to wipe that look away.
And same as every time, he didn’t know what.

He knew Dazai had been rough with the boy. He knew his methods of teaching, and disciplining
him had been barbaric and violent. He knew Dazai had been awful to him, but he also knew Dazai
had cared about Akutagawa.
He would never say it to his face, and he would never show it, but Chuuya knew he cared.

If he hadn’t cared, he wouldn’t have been so worried in his first mission when the boy hadn’t
returned at the appointed time.
If he hadn’t cared, he wouldn’t take him out to dinners, nor would he make sure the boy always
returned to his room, sober.
He treated him horribly, but that was because of their job. Dazai didn’t have anything against him
personally.
On the contrary, to Chuuya, Dazai had always seemed interested in him.
In his own twisted-messed up-Dazai way, Chuuya was sure he had cared.

‘’ Oi, Akutagawa, ‘’ Chuuya turned to face the boy again, ‘’ If you want to discuss anything, come
and find me, okay? ‘’
It felt so forced and disingenuous, but Chuuya had meant it.
He hadn’t said it just to seem reassuring as his superior, nor to seem like he cared when he didn’t.
Chuuya remembered how it had been when he had lost people close to him at that age.
Akutagawa was a mafioso, sure, but he was also still a kid.
A kid that had just lost someone important to him.

Chuuya had always known Akutagawa wouldn’t take the news well.
So when Hirotsu had come to him to report a few incidents that had led to explosions and
numerous deaths, it hadn’t surprised him the tiniest bit.
Akutagawa had always been a loose cannon, but fortunately for the Mafia, Dazai had been there to
discipline him.

Now Dazai was gone, and Akutagawa was left all alone.

Present

Chuuya dived in, dodging one of the attacks. The black razor-sharp ability barely scraping his
head.
‘’ You-
Akutagawa attacked again, his eyes filled with malice and hatred.
With his speed and agile movements, Chuuya managed to do the same he had done at the museum.
He dodged and blocked all of his attacks, but he didn't strike back, not once.

‘’ Fight me you coward, ‘’ The boy yelled, unleashing Rashomon towards his direction, ‘’ You’re
a traitor, ‘’ He reminded him. ‘’ You should die. ‘’
Chuuya stepped back, letting the ability come to him.
When the black sharp spike was inches away from his body, he jumped.

Akutagawa waisted no time. He used the spikes his coat had become and elevated himself to be at
the same height as his past superior.

‘’ I’m not here to fight you, ‘’ Chuuya said, putting his hands in front of him as if he was
surrendering. ‘’ I’m here to find out what happened with Yaru. ‘’ Chuuya let his feet touch the
ground.’’ I’m here for a case.’’
Akutagawa followed his lead, descending himself to the ground as well.
‘’ That’s Port Mafia business. ‘’ Akutagawa snarled, extending his hand again, readying himself
for another attack. ‘’ A traitor like you, has no right to know. ‘’
Although his voice had remained controlled and distant, Chuuya could still detect a small hint of
bitterness in his words.
‘’ I don’t want this to turn ugly,’’ he warned him. ‘’ Tell me what you know, and I’ll be on my
way. ‘’
Akutagawa cracked his knuckles and adjusted his sleeves, ignoring the young man’s words.
‘’ I don’t think that will happen.’’ He said, and charged.

Chuuya had hoped he wouldn't have to fight him.

He really had hoped that it wouldn't be necessary.
Not because he was afraid he would lose, or get injured, but because he knew it would mess with
the boy's head.

Unfortunately, it would seem there was no other choice.

Chuuya was not close to Akutagawa, but he knew a lot about him.
In the past year that they were stuck together, Dazai had told him all about his protege.
About the bloodthirsty beast that was Akutagawa.
About the kid, Dazai had found and had ‘saved’ by dragging him to a Hell worse than the slums.
Chuuya had paid attention.

The boy launched his attack at him but this time, Chuuya decided not to dodge it.
He stood his ground and waited for the lethal blade, for Rashomon, to slash his arm.
No cut was made.
Instead, Chuuya’s body started to emit a radiant red glow.

Akutagawa stilled as gravity pulled on him.

To Chuuya’s surprise, even tho his body must have felt heavier than a rock, the boy was able to
struggle and keep standing on his ground.
Just for a few seconds, he was able to fight off even Chuuya’s ability.

Unfortunately, gravity was far stronger than him, and so his knees gave out.

The boy coughed once, lifting his head to look at the one at fault.
‘’ You-
‘’ That’s quite enough. ‘’ Another voice cut him short from what he was about to say. Chuuya
recognized it immediately.
‘’ It’s being a long while, Chuuya, sir.‘’

From the shadows, an older man stepped in. A faint smile on his lips, a cigarette between his
fingers.
Chuuya looked toward the man and a strange feeling of nostalgia rushed through him.
‘’ Hirotsu,’’ he said the name aloud, greeting him. ‘’ Long time no see. ‘’

The man averted his attention from Chuuya, shifting it to the boy kneeling on the ground.
‘’ Akutagawa, sir, ‘’ he neared him, handing him a handkerchief. ‘’ Maybe it’s time for you to go.
‘’
The boy didn’t seem happy to hear the old man speak.
He pushed down his hands, and with his legs shaking, he stood up, completely ignoring the man’s
extended hand.

‘’ I was told to be here in case it was a trap. ‘’ Akutagawa explained, ‘’ And it is. ‘’ He concluded,
glaring at Chuuya. ‘’ Nakahara is a traitor, ‘’ He said the name like it was a cuss, ‘’ He should be
dealt with as one. ‘’
‘’ I think it would be best if we didn’t, sir.’’ Hirotsu remarked, his voice slightly warning.
‘’ Nakahara is indeed a traitor to the Mafia.’’ he agreed with him, ‘’ However, he can be of help to
us, in finding the painting. ‘’
Akutagawa’s intense stare continued to follow Chuuya as he spoke.
‘’ The real one, right? The one that was supposed to be brought here.’’ Chuuya questioned.
Hirotsu nodded.
‘’ But if the Boss knew… ‘’ Akutagawa started carefully.
‘’ Unless someone tells him, he won’t. ‘’ His cold gaze shifted to the man that had just spoken. ‘’
Besides, ‘’ Hirotsu turned to Chuuya. ‘’ Won’t solving this case help Dazai as well?‘’
‘’ It will. ‘’ Chuuya replied, wishing it hadn’t been necessary to use such ugly means.

Akutagawa took a few steps towards them before turning his body in the direction of the exit of the
warehouse. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out of it.
He turned his back on them.
‘’ I see. ‘’
It was the only thing he had managed to say before he left the warehouse.

‘’ I’ll help. ‘’ Hirotsu voiced, seeing as Akutagawa was no longer there. ‘’ Not because I care
about the Agency finding Yaru but to honour the old times. ‘’
Chuuya gave him a quick smile, ‘’ I’ll be in your debt, old man ’’

Chuuya kept telling himself that mentioning Dazai had been the only course of action they could
have taken.
With one word, Akutagawa had both left them alone and had reassured them that he would not say
a word of this little ‘reunion’ to the Boss.
It had been a necessary evil.

Still, it had felt wrong.

‘’ So he was a subordinate? ‘’ Chuuya asked, making sure he had understood correctly.

‘’ He was, yes. ‘’ Hirotsu confirmed. ‘’ He used his ability to make fakes and then he replaced the
paintings with those. Then, he’d bring the paintings, the real ones, here. ‘’
‘’ So he could create things? ‘’
‘’ Duplicate them.’’ Hirotsu corrected him, ‘’ He couldn’t create something out of thin air, but he
could duplicate whatever he touched. ‘’
‘’ Useful. ‘’
‘’ It was quite useful, indeed. The Boss had been very impressed by what he could do for us. ‘’
Of course, he had been.
Such an ability could save him a crazy amount of money.
It could make transaction offers seem so much more appealing to partners.
It could help with-
‘’ Why is he dead then? ‘’ Chuuya asked, realizing that the Mafia couldn’t have killed him.
He would have been too great of an asset for Mori to get rid of.
‘’ A good question, my boy, but let me raise you a better one.’’ Hirotsu looked at him before
taking another sip of his cigarette.‘’ Is he dead? We’ve seen his corpse, but taking his ability into
account-
‘’ It could easily be a fake one. ‘’ How had he not seen that before? ‘’ He left with the real painting
and faked his death so that the mafia wouldn’t go after him. ‘’
Hirotsu chuckled as Chuuya explained his theory.
‘’ That’s why you sent over that girl. ‘’ Chuuya realised. ‘’ She couldn’t care less about the man
that died. She only wanted to find the real painting. ‘’
The older man smiled again, ‘’ Ah. I see you’ve met Higuchi. ‘’ He said, taking in another puff. ‘’
Her acting isn’t that great, seeing as you’re here, but I assure you, she is a very skilled mafioso. ‘’
‘’ Put up a good fight, ‘’ Chuuya admitted. Hirotsu nodded.
‘’ I’m sure you’re being too generous to her. ‘’ he regarded him. ‘’ As our top martial artist, I don’t
think anyone could have ‘put up a good fight’ with you, as you put it. ‘’
Chuuya had no words to that comment.
‘’ I’m not saying that to flatter you, ex-executive Nakahara. I’m simply stating a fact. ‘’ Hirotsu
walked closer to one of the creates stacked inside the warehouse. ‘’ You’re no match for anyone,
boy. No wonder you were an executive at such a young age. Or a part of Double Black, for that
matter. ‘’

Chuuya needed to change the subject.

Getting praised and reminded of his status and how strong he was…it wasn’t something he liked to
hear. Getting called things like the king of the sheep or the strongest mafioso in Yokohama. He
knew how strong he was, and he knew everything Hirotsu said rang true, but still, hearing it had
always just felt, weird.

‘’ I see the Boss is still not making you an executive? ‘’ Chuuya observed, light-heartedly, trying to
direct the conversation towards the older man instead.
Hirotsu shook his head. ‘’ Oldest and most experienced member of the Port Mafia, yet the Boss
refuses to. ‘’ He responded, taking the joke as he always had.

It was like they were co-workers again, drinking at a bar and making jokes about their job and the
Boss and everything that had happened that week.
It was a familiar situation.

‘’ The Boss refuses to make anyone an executive nowadays, actually. ‘’ HIrotsu added.
‘’ Says he is keeping two seats open in case you and Dazai decide to return. ‘’
Chuuya furrowed his eyebrows, a questioning look on his face.‘’ Does he really think that we’ll
come back? ‘’
HIrotsu shook his head. ‘’ I don’t think he is so naive as to believe that. ‘’ he said, ‘’ He knows you
won’t be returning to the Port Mafia. At least not willingly. ‘’
Chuuya nodded in understanding.
Not willingly.. he wondered if Mori would ever plan a revenge…
No…
‘’ I know it’s a stupid question, but how is he? ‘’
‘’ Dazai? ‘’ Chuuya said the name as if it were a question. ‘’ He is well." He replied,
" Better. "
Hirotsu gave him a slight nod, " That's good to know."

‘’ I do wish I had more information on that case of yours to help you, but we only know what you
do. ‘’ Hirotsu changed the topic back to the original subject. ‘’ Yaru faked his death and most
probably fled with the painting. ‘’
‘’ Then he left clues to blame the Port Mafia. ‘’ Chuuya completed. ‘’ Can’t even imagine the
Boss’s face when he figured it out. ‘’
Hirotsu sat down on the crate and signalled for Chuuya to join him. ‘’ He called for me and
ordered me to go and search him with my unit. Then, when we couldn’t find him, he ordered
Akutagawa to take over the operation. ‘’
Chuuya sat down next to him, taking another cigar from Hirotsu's extended hand. ‘’ He did that? ‘’
‘’ Oh yes, most definitely. ‘’ Hirotsu took a sip of his own cigarette, nearing to its end. ‘’ Now, I’m
in a unit called the Black Lizards, with Akutagawa and, by extension, Higuchi as my superiors. ‘’
Chuuya crossed his leg to make himself more comfortable. ‘’ And who else is on it? ‘’ he asked,
genuinely interested in what the man was telling him.
‘’ It’s me, Gin, and our newest member, a boy named Tachihara. ‘’
‘’ Wait, Gin? As, Akutagawa? ‘’ In his time in the Mafia, he’d only seen her a handful of times.
Chuuya remembered Akutagawa’s sister only in flashes.
‘’ Pretty handy with a knife. ‘’ Hirotsu admitted. ‘’ Very silent, observant, and likes to keep in the
shadows. She is the exact opposite of the troublesome young lad that is our rookie. ‘’
‘’ Her and Tachihara don’t get along well? ‘’
‘’ No, they don’t, ‘’ Hirotsu got up, ‘’ they remind me of two other kids I knew.‘’ he said, his lips
tugging into a smile.
Chuuya chuckled at his words. ‘’ So bad, huh? ‘’ He followed the man, realizing that it was time to
go.
‘’ Not as bad, but they do keep things interesting. ‘’

Chuuya looked at the man, as he extended his hand again, this time for a handshake.

‘’ It was nice seeing you again, boy ’’ Hirotsu said, ‘’ even under these circumstances. ‘’
Chuuya shook his hand firmly, smiling. ‘’ It was.’’ He agreed. ‘’ The feeling is mutual. ‘’
Hirotsu let go of his hand.
‘’ I don’t need to remind you to be careful when walking around these parts of the harbour, do I? ‘’
Chuuya opened the door, ‘’ When have I ever listened to you? ‘’ He said, flashing a smile before
disappearing.

‘’ It had all been a Port Mafia ploy. Yaru was working for them. ‘’ Chuuya announced to Ranpo,
entering the office.
Ranpo looked at him, from where he was seating on the ground.
‘’ It was? ‘’ He asked, his mouth full of candies.
Chuuya tried his best to ignore that childish behaviour of his. ‘’ Like you didn’t know. ‘’
At that, Ranpo laughed. ‘’ Well, I did. But you didn’t, and you figured it out. So good for you. ‘’
Again, Chuuya ignored his low-key condescending tone, trying to focus on articulating what he
wanted to say correctly.
‘’ I went to the location the machine indicated, ‘’ Chuuya started to explain. ‘’ It turned out to be a
Port Mafia warehouse. I only fought some agents, before retrieving the information. ‘’ He said,
purposefully leaving some of the details out. ‘’ No higher ranks were involved. It was a quiet and
quick job. ‘’
Ranpo considered his words carefully, already knowing they were nothing but lies.
‘’ Oh, and what information did you retrieve? ‘’ He asked.
Chuuya walked closer to him, ‘’ Yaru had been stealing paintings for months now. He stole them,
made fakes of them, and then placed those fakes back in the museums while giving the real ones to
the Port Mafia.’’
‘’ So he sold them to the mafia? Is that it?’’
‘’ No, he worked for them.’’ Chuuya corrected him, ‘’ Until his latest mission, that was. He kept
the painting for himself and then fled the crime scene, betraying the organization.’’
‘’ So the painting we have is a fake. ‘’
Chuuya nodded.
‘’ And the man isn’t actually dead but rather faked his death to get away with little to no
consequence.’’
‘’ Pretty much, yes. ‘’ Chuuya said, pride in his voice.
‘’ And it took you so long to figure that out? ‘’ With that one sentence, Ranpo had destroyed every
dream he had ever had about becoming a detective.
‘’ You...You knew, didn’t you.’’
‘’ It was clear as day for me, but I am Ranpo Edogawa, the greatest detective alive, so it doesn’t
count. ‘’
That man was so full of himself it made Chuuya want to mock him.
‘’ But you did solve it, in the end, even if it took you so long, so I’m not entirely disappointed in
you and your abilities as a detective.’’
This had to be the closest thing to praise he would ever hear from the man.
‘’ Uh, thank you.’’ Chuuya reponed, ‘’ Should we continue searching for the fugi-
‘’ No, no. There’s no need for that. ‘’ Ranpo cut him short.
Again.
It was becoming a habit, and Chuuya didn’t like it.
‘’ It would be too boring of a job, ‘’ Ranpo reasoned, waving his hand at him. ‘’ Besides, I’ve
already gotten what I wanted.’’ He said with a smirk.

Chuuya and Ranpo stayed at the Agency for a few minutes more, before agreeing to end the night
there.
Having solved the case and having the truth uncovered, all that remained now, was for them to tell
everything to Yaru’s wife and the museum security, and then make a report of the case for the
President of the Agency.
Due to the current time tho, those things would have to wait until morning.

‘’ If you send me one more text while I’m at work, I will chop your head off and throw you at the
river to become food for the fish.’’ Chuuya very calmly said, entering the apartment and walking
towards the living room." You understand?"
Dazai lifted his head to look at him, a huge grin on his face.‘’ You would help me die? Aw, you're
so thoughtful and kind and-
Chuuya threw his head back and let out a sigh.‘’ I’m so fucking done with you, ‘’ He said, letting
go of his coat, and taking off his shoes. ‘’ If you want to die so much just go and jump off the
fucking roof already. At least then you’d stop texting me all the time. ‘’
Dazai stood up, taking his phone from the table. ‘’ What if it had been an emergency? ‘’ he asked,
‘’ What if-
‘’ You weren’t dying, Dazai. ‘’ Chuuya glared at him. ‘’ And I really doubt you were getting
kidnapped either, so- ‘’
‘’ Fu fu, how would you know? You didn’t even read them. ‘’
Chuuya let out another sigh.‘’ Fine, ‘’ he snapped. He reached into his pocket and got his, own,
phone out.
'’ From Mackerel at 12:20 ‘Chuuya’. 12:22 ‘ Chuuya’ with four a’s. 12:25 ‘ Why are you ignoring
me?’. 12:25 ‘ I just want to check up on my friend, is that so bad?’. 12:26 ‘ Chuya’ you said my
name again, this time with a typo. 12:28 ‘ aliens have come into the Agency ‘ " he deadpanned,
looking at him.
‘’ 12:29 ‘ I don’t have much time left ‘ 12: 29 ‘ they’ve taken Kunikida I think my turn is co-’ and
then you cut off.’’
‘’ Your point? ‘’

It was when he looked at him like that that Chuuya often thought, God, Dazai really has such a
punchable face

‘’ My point is that you’re wasting my time with nonsense. ‘’ Chuuya blurt out, throwing himself at
the empty couch.
‘’ How do you know that didn’t happen? ‘’ Dazai argued.
Chuuya thought about throwing him a pillow to his face, but then he reconsidered.
‘’ You wouldn’t be here annoying me if aliens had taken you. ‘’ He replied to his question. ‘’
You’d be up on a spaceship annoying some poor alien bastard. ‘’
Dazai turned his head to look at the turned-off screen in front of him. ‘’ Okay, so I might have
exaggerated a little. ‘’
‘’ A little? ‘’ Chuuya scoffed, ‘’ If that is your idea of little, god, help us all. ‘’
‘’ So religious all of a sudden.’’ Dazai rolled his eyes at him, ‘’ Never had Chuuya for a religious
person. ‘’
‘’ I’m not. ‘’ Chuuya responded with a sharp smile. ‘’ But whenever you speak I really do pray for
someone above to make it stop. ‘’
Dazai fell from the couch and landed with his back on the carpet. ‘’ What if a bolt of lightning
struck me and I died? ‘’
Chuuya raised an imaginary glass, pointing it at Dazai. ‘’ Then my prayers would have finally been
answered.’’
Dazai rolled to the left and hit the table.
Chuuya looked at him, a confused look on his face. Dazai ignored him.
He stood up, and with a slight movement, he opened the table.
‘’ The fuck. ‘’ Chuuya watched as Dazai reached with his hand inside the table.
He was pretty sure he had never seen any hidden cabinet space inside the table prior to that day,
but oh well, it would appear he was wrong.
‘’ Since when-
‘’ It’s my secret stash. ‘’ Dazai said, still fishing for whatever it was he had wanted to take from
inside.
‘’ Stash? ‘’
‘’ My wine stash. ‘’ Dazai proudly declared, raising a bottle in the air. ‘’ For emergencies.’’
‘’ And what is the emergency? ‘’ Chuuya asked, albeit a bit hesitant.
‘’ You solved your first case today, ‘’ Dazai elaborated, ‘’ It’s only proper that we celebrate.’’ He
handed the bottle to Chuuya. Chuuya inspected it.
‘’ Oh come on, I want to hear about your day, ‘’ Dazai continued, ‘’ I want to hear about your
thoughts on the Agency, on Ranpo, on the case-
‘’ Did you hit your head on the table? ‘’ Chuuya asked, eyeing the table Dazai had bumped into
earlier. ‘’ Or perhaps, when you fell from the couch? ‘’
Dazai looked at him perplexed.
‘’ I…didn’t? ‘’
‘’ Okay, how many fingers am I holding up? ‘’ Chuuya made a fist before extending his thumb and
index finger.
‘’ Two, but wha-
‘’ So you’re not having a concussion.‘’ Chuuya concluded.
‘’ Why would I be having one? ‘’
‘’ Why would you wanna know about my day? ‘’
Dazai stilled, his confusion growing larger on his face. ‘’ Why wouldn’t I?’’

Oh fuck.
He’d done it again, hadn’t he?
Crossed some invisible line by asking something stupid.
God, he was being so unpleasant and he knew it.
Why?
Why had that been his first thought?
Having a concussion instead of just being curious?
Really Chuuya?
Aren’t you friends with him now? Doesn’t he tell you about his day?
Isn’t it common sense that you ought to do the same?

Seeing as Chuuya wasn’t saying anything, Dazai brought the bottle back to the table.
‘’ Change of plans," He announced his face dropping, "I’m clocking out for the night. ‘’ Dazai
said, faking a yawn as to seem tired. ‘’ You can drink it all if you want, I’ll be in my room
sleeping.’’
Without adding anything else, he turned and walked away.

Chuuya stared.

They were friends, for fuck's sake.

Why was it so hard for his brain to register that?
Why was it so unbelievable even to him?
Dazai was trying so hard to better himself, to be a good friend to him, and all Chuuya could do was
sabotage their friendship.
Why was it so hard?
He had never had trouble having friends before, so what made this so different?

‘’ Dazai? "
Chuuya knocked on his bedroom door, holding the bottle of wine and two glasses in his hands.
" Oi, you-
Not getting a reply back, he turned the knob and entered the room.

As he had expected, he found Dazai seated on his chair rather than asleep on his mattress. A black
shadow reading a book in the darkness, his finger brushing through the pages.
If Chuuya didn't know better he'd wonder how he was doing it.
Reading with barely any light inside the room. It couldn't be easy to do. Nor could it be good for
your eyes.

Chuuya stretched his hand and hit the light switch.

Immediate regret filled him.
Now that the room was illuminated he could see everything clearly.
The messed up bed, the pillows scattered throughout the room the sheets pulled down.
That view was a clear indication of the sleep Dazai hadn't been getting.

‘’ What is it? ‘’ Dazai asked, not bothering to look at him.

Chuuya closed his eyes for a moment, reminding himself why he was there.
"You need something? " The way Dazai said it made Chuuya want to hit him in the head. He didn't
though.
Instead, he smiled.
‘’ I saw Hirotsu today. ‘’
That seemed to have caught his attention.
" He asked about you. " Chuuya proceeded.
‘’ You saw Hirotsu? ‘’ Dazai asked, pretending to be surprised. ‘’ How come? ‘’ His face remained
buried in the book in front of him.
" Turns out, Yaru was Port Mafia."
" No, I know that. I meant, how come you talked to him." Dazai specified. " Was he the one
dealing with Yaru's betrayal? "
Chuuya completely brushed off the fact that Dazai had known. It was Dazai, it wasn't even
surprising anymore.
" To an extent, yes." He answered him. " He was the one that set up the trap at the warehouse."
" Trap? "
" Akutagawa. He was the one that greeted me when I entered through the gates. "
" Must have been a warm welcome. " Dazai scoffed, finally letting go of the book he had been
reading, and turning his head to face him
" Oh, yeah, definitely. " Chuuya returned the mockery. " You could say he welcomed me with
open arms. "
" Wouldn't expect anything else from him. " Dazai remarked, a strange ounce of pride emitting
from his voice.
Chuuya decided not to comment on it.
" You mentioned Hirotsu asked something? " Dazai's joking tone dialled down as he spoke about
the man.
Chuuya's lips curled into a smirk.
" I said he asked about you." He replied. " You know, like a father fi-
" Oh, don't start that again. " Dazai whined.
" I'm not starting anything, I'm just saying-
" The same thing you've been saying ever since we were fifteen. " Dazai stood up, " Hirotsu was
just another subordinate of mine. Nothing more."
" You say that, yet he is the only person you still keep contact with." Chuuya's smirk grew wider. "
And don't ask how I know that."
" I wouldn't. Hirotsu's question gave it away, didn't it? "
" More so his lack of interest in continuing the conversation. " Chuuya reasoned. " If you didn't
keep tabs on each other-
" He would have been more interested yes, yes, I know. " Dazai finished the sentence.
" Look at you and your deductions. " he amused, " you're getting better. "
" Fuck off’’

The first sun rays of the new day found them sitting on top of the roof, passing the bottle of wine
between them as they described the perfect crime.

In Chuuya's opinion, the perfect crime would entail that the culprit would never have been caught.
Dazai had disagreed with that, saying that the culprit should aim to be caught. In fact, getting
caught should be a big part of their plan.
Only if you're caught can you prove your 'innocence' with a perfectly crafted alibi.

Chuuya had ignored him and his hypothesis, going in to say that the perfect crime should be a
combination of criminal activities.
With that, Dazai had agreed.

How they had ended up having that discussion while drinking on the roof, not even they knew.
Chuuya had gone to Dazai’s room, in an attempt to correct his previous behaviour.
They talked for a while there, before moving back into the living room, and inevitably up to the
roof, because of how hot it was getting inside.

Hours passed and they were still talking, about the case and the Agency and Ranpo and then about
other things.
Chuuya had so much to say about everything and Dazai wanted nothing but to listen to his every
word.

When they first saw the sun rise behind the shortest of buildings, they looked at each other and
stilled.
The realization hitting them both at the same time as their eyes met.
It was morning.

They had stayed up all night talking to each other, completely losing track of time. So deeply
invested in the conversation that neither of them had bothered to notice that the moon had
disappeared from the sky.

‘’ Morning. ‘’ Dazai said, breaking the silence with an easy laugh.

‘’ Morning. ‘’ Chuuya echoed, grinning back.

‘’ Move, we’re gonna be late. ‘’ Chuuya shouted at Dazai, opening the door.
Dazai put on his coat and fumbled to find his keys inside one of the pockets. ‘’ It’s just work,
jeez.‘’
Chuuya grabbed his sleeve and pushed him outside to the corridor before locking up the door. ‘’
For fuck’s sake just walk. ‘’

‘’ And where have you two been? ‘’ Kunikida asked, looking at his watch and then at them as they
entered through the door.
Dazai plastered a smile on his face as he approached him. ‘’ We’re so sorry we’re late, ‘’ he said,
such a fake apologetic tone in his voice, it made Chuuya want to laugh. ‘’ It’s just, Chuuya is so
hard to wake up sometimes.’’
‘’ You fu-
‘’ I see. ‘’ Kunikida interrupted him before he could defend himself. ‘’ Well, Nakahara, we do
value punctuality in this office. ‘’ He remarked, finally letting them through the door. ‘’ There is
one exception, of course, ‘’ His gaze shifted to Dazai, who was already heading for the couch‘’ But
everyone would appreciate it if you weren’t like Dazai in that sense. ‘’ He fixed his glasses, ‘’ or in
any other, really. ‘’
Chuuya nodded his head, as the man turned to leave.

‘’ Chuuya, good morning! ‘’ Kenji smiled, waving his hand from where he was seated further
inside the room. Chuuya turned to him and waved back. ‘’ Morning, kid.’’ he said, walking
towards the desks, and the couch Dazai was laying on.
‘’ What should I do now? ‘’ He whispered, looking at Dazai. Dazai removed his headphones to
hear him. ‘’ Uh, work? ‘’
‘’ But I haven’t gotten through my entrance exam yet.’’ Chuuya reminded him. ‘’ So do I stay or-
‘’ Go and ask the President, I don’t know. ‘’
Dazai was being so helpful, today.
‘’ But didn’t he say that he’d assign me a supervisor by the end of the day? Why didn’t he? ‘’ ‘’
Just go and ask him, man. ‘’
Chuuya looked as if he wanted to smack him with something, ‘’ Fine.’’ He spitted out, ‘’ I’ll go
and ask him. ‘’
‘’ Have fun! ’’ Dazai waved him off, putting back his headphones and turning to the other side of
the couch.

‘’ Please, do come in. ‘’

Fukuzawa’s voice had the same calculated tone as the last time he spoke to him. ‘’ Sit down. ‘’
Chuuya did just that, entering the room.
Fukuzawa looked at him as he tied up a small cluster of papers he had in his hands. ‘’ Something I
can do for you? ‘’ He asked, arranging the papers.
‘’ I was wondering,’’ Chuuya started, ‘’ why haven’t I been assigned a supervisor yet? ‘’
Fukuzawa kept tending to his papers, signing them one, one by one.
‘’ And why hasn’t my entrance exam started? ‘’ The man kept signing the papers with his pen until
he handed one to Chuuya.
‘’ Sign me this. ‘’ He instructed.
Chuuya stared at the document, trying to read it as fast as he could before the man would take it
away.
Realizing what it was, he picked up the nearest pen he could find and signed his name at the
bottom of the page.
Fukuzawa smiled as he retrieved the paper.
‘’ Any other question? ‘’
Chuuya shook his head. ‘’ No.’’
‘’ Then you’re free to go. ‘’ Fukuzawa voiced.
Chuuya looked at the stack of papers again. At the freshly signed one that bore his signature.
He stood up and turned to the door.
‘’ One last thing.’’ Chuuya stilled, ‘’ Find Ranpo and tell him that the device broke and that he
ought to get here and fix it. He’ll know what I mean. ‘’
Chuuya nodded his head, ‘’ Of course, ‘’ then he left the room.

It was am employment contract.

The paper Fukuzawa had given him to sign was his employment contract. A.k.a. the paper that
made his recruitment to the Agency a hundred percent legible.

He turned to look at the couch Dazai had been laying on, eager to share the news.
To his surprise, Dazai was no longer there.
He looked around.
Dazai wasn’t the only one missing from the frame. No one was there.
Kunikida wasn’t in his office, and neither was Kenji.

Thinking how odd it was, he moved closer to the infirmary. Maybe something came up and they
had to leave while he was inside discussing with the President.
Whatever the case, Yosano should know.

He knocked at the infirmary's door, but no answer.

‘’ Doctor? ‘’ He called, knocking a second time.

Well, it seems like Yosano isn’t there either.

He turned his body again, this time moving towards the only other closed-off room he knew the
Agency had. The conference room.
Maybe they had a conference Dazai had forgotten to inform him about.
Happened all the time in their days in the Mafia.

He reached the door and knocked.

‘’ Yes? ‘’
Dazai’s voice was like an invitation.
Chuuya turned the knob and entered.

‘’WELCOME TO THE AGENCY, NAKAHARA!’’

A cacophony of voices and party horns greeted him as he stepped inside. The noise too loud and
too obscure for him to understand what was happening.
‘’ Officially this time, ‘’ Kunikida added, earning an approving look and then a smile from
Yosano.
From where he was standing. Dazai grabbed a small party hat and rushed to get it to Chuuya’s
head. He patted his shoulder.
‘’ They wanted to welcome you with a party, ‘’ Dazai explained, rolling his eyes. ‘’ I told them it
wasn’t necessary but-
‘’ Oh, you liar, ‘’ Yosano called him out. ‘’ Don’t listen to him, Nakahara, ‘’
‘’ Yeah, ‘’ Ranpo agreed, ‘’ He was the one that-
‘’ I think it’s time for the cake. ‘’ Dazai interrupted, ‘’ walking further away from Chuuya and
towards the middle of the long table where the cake was placed.
Naomi held up the cutting knife, ‘’ It was the best I could do,’’ She said, ‘’ Given the time limit.’’
She looked sharply at Dazai. ‘’ I hope you’ll like it. ‘’
‘’ It’s cherry and vanilla flavoured. ‘’ Tanizaki added,

Chuuya stood there for a good minute just watching everyone.

The smiles on their faces when they welcomed him, the eagerness to cut the cake and share it
around.
Dazai’s smile that he was trying so hard to hide.

‘’ We have to get back to work in 3 minutes, so Nakahara, will you cut the cake already? ‘’
Kunikida reminded everyone in a factual tone.
For some weird reason, those words were exactly what Chuuya had needed to hear to solidify that
this was happening.

‘’ Yeah, sure. ‘’ He said, finally stepping near the cake.

Naomi handed him the knife carefully., and all eyes fell on him.
‘’ I’m glad I’m here, ‘’ It was the only thing he felt was appropriate to say as he cut into the cake.
‘’ Thank you, everyone. ‘’

It’s funny how so many things can change in the span of a few years.

For Chuuya, it still felt like yesterday, when he had been welcomed into the Port Mafia.
When he had crashed through the wall and into Dazai’s secret party for him.
Although at the time he had been nothing but angry and frustrated, the memory left a bittersweet
feeling on him now.
Back then he had been so clouded by his hate he hadn’t cared about anything Dazai did or said.
But remembering all these things now, knowing all that he does, he can’t help but wonder how
differently things would have unfolded if he hadn’t been so angry. If he hadn’t acted the way he
had.

Would he still be there?

Or would he be at the Mafia?
Would Dazai still be around him?
Or would he have left no matter?

It was stupid to think of these kinds of scenarios but he couldn’t stop it once he had started.

He looked at Dazai as he dig into his piece of the cake. Dazai rolled his eyes again, walking
towards him.
‘’ Eat up, cause if you aren’t done in exactly, ‘’ He looked at his phone, ‘’ one minute and 29
seconds, Kunikida will yell at you, and taking your tardiness this morning, ‘’ Dazai grimaced, ‘’
things aren’t looking that good for you. ‘’ He smirked, knowing damn well that had been his fault.

Would they be having this same conversation?

Had he been friendlier, kinder to him even…
He had a feeling they wouldn’t.

He took a bite out of his own cake, tasting the cherry flavour on it.
His favourite.
‘’ So this little thing,’’ he said, ‘’ It was your idea? ‘’ His lips tugged into a smirk.
‘’ This? ‘’ Dazai echoed, ‘’ Pfff, of course not. ‘’ he lied. ‘’ Ranpo was just trying to pin it on me
because he wants to get revenge by embarrassing me or something. Making me look like a nice
human being, so my mysterious image gets shattered.’’

If he didn’t know him, he would believe him.

Dazai lied like no other.
He was an artist, and deception was his craft. He could make anyone believe anything. He could
convey whatever emotion he needed to and lie his way to wherever he wanted.
It was so easy for him, so natural.
Nobody ever questioned his words exactly because of the way he delivered them.

Chuuya wasn’t nobody, though.

‘’ Sounds like him. ‘’ Chuuya agreed, pretending he didn’t know Dazai was lying.
Dazai knew his lies didn’t work on Chuuya.
‘’ Yeah, it does, doesn’t it?’’ still, he kept up the charade.
That charade had always worked as a wall for him.
Normally, he used his lies to deceive anyone he wanted. To manipulate people into doing or saying
things needed for his plans and schemes.
With Chuuya, he lied in order, to tell the truth.

Dazai wasn’t one to admit when he didn’t want to talk about something, or why. So by lying about
it, Chuuya picked up on that lie and understood just that.
He knew Chuuya would see through him, so he always made it abundantly clear that when he
didn’t want to discuss something, like the party being his idea, for example, he lied.
It was an unspoken rule of some sort.

‘’ 20 seconds left. ‘’ Dazai pointed out, picking up all his remaining cake and shoving it all in his
mouth.
‘’ You’re revolting, ‘’ Chuuya said, doing the exact same thing but two times instead of one and
with smaller bites, so it wouldn’t seem as revolting.
Yosano, who had been standing just a few inches away from them, turned to Naomi with a
disgusted look.
‘’ Boys.’’ She muttered under her breath, making Naomi laugh loudly.

Once they were both done with their cakes, they watched as Dazai’s phone counted down the
seconds.
Not a second later than what they had calculated, Kunikida got up to tell everyone to return back to
their respective position and resume their duties.

After finishing with the party, like Kunikida had instructed, everyone went about their day.
Kenji, Kunikida, Tanizaki and Naomi went to their respective offices to work, Dazai went to his,
tho he made a little stop to that nice comfortable couch first, and Chuuya went to talk to Ranpo,
who, turned out, had been his supervisor all along.

Albeit a bit frustrated with his vague answers at first, Chuuya had a good chat with him about his
entrance exam and what had made Ranpo pass him.
He couldn’t tell him all the details of his report, but what he told him was enough to paint the
picture.
He’d describe him as a professional-mannered type of guy, that lacked any ability to solve cases
quickly. Not a master of deduction but that didn’t make him any less of a good detective. His skills
to use and utilize every technique and every machine that was offered to him, paired up with his
physique and fighting style, made up for that.
In conclusion, he had painted Chuuya to the president as a hard-working, patient and considerate
man, that was ready to learn how to be a better detective.

In conclusion, Ranpo had decided Chuuya had passed the exam and had said so to the President.

What followed that discussion had been another trip to the museum with Ranpo. This time, to close
the case and bring some closure to the widow.
Both Chuuya and Ranpo had been on the same page when deciding what to tell her.
They had lied, withheld and modified a lot of information, but in the end, it had been for the best.
‘’ Hey, where are we going? ‘’

A tiring day of closing cases, picking up phones and doing paperwork had finally come to its
conclusion. After a lot of hours of doing stuff like that, Chuuya’s first day of work had officially
ended.
Dazai and he had been walking back home when Chuuya noticed that Dazai took a wrong turn.
Of course, in his case, it couldn’t have possibly been a mistake, which was why Chuuya asked him
about it.

‘’ To a nearby bar, to drink and celebrate your recruitment. ‘’ Dazai answered him, full of honesty.
‘’ Really? ‘’ Chuuya asked, a bit surprised by the plan.
‘’ Yeah, ‘’ Dazai confirmed. ‘’ I was thinking we could drink some beers, maybe some wine,
before heading back to the apartment? You know, to commemorate the occasion.’’
Chuuya took him up on that offer.

A terrible mistake, truly.

They went to this little bar just a few blocks away.

As Dazai had expected, the building wasn’t too crowded nor was it too empty. It had enough
people to make the place seem lively, but not so many as to not find a spot to sit.
In other words, it was great.
The place they chose to sit was near the bar, obviously, for convenience, and a bit further away
from the stage, where all the people had gathered to enjoy some kind of live musical performance.

The plan was to drink a few drinks, have a nice chat, maybe watch a part of the performance later
on and then leave.
But give Dazai and Chuuya some alcohol and a nice comfortable space, and yes…that won’t be the
case.

Two hours and two bottles of wine later, Chuuya had started to talk nonsense.
‘’ Come on, you’ve had enough. ‘’ Dazai said in an attempt to get him to stop talking. Chuuya
moved away before he could take the glass out of his hand.
‘’ But I mean it, ‘’ He insisted, ‘’ Am I a little tipsy right now? Probably, yeah, but that doesn’t
make me a liar. ‘’
Dazai sighed as he positioned himself closer to the other boy,’’ You’re drunk. ‘’ He simply stated,
his voice lower than before.
‘’ Drunken thoughts are sober words, ‘’ Chuuya replied, fumbling over his words. He looked so
proud of himself after he had said that.
Dazai shook his head as if disappointed in him, ‘’ Come on, we’re leaving. ‘’
‘’ No, no, no ‘’ Chuuya refused, waving his hands around him so that Dazai couldn’t approach
him. ‘’ You play the piano first. ‘’ He said, standing up a bit shakily.
Dazai looked at him in horror.
‘’ You’ve said before that you used to play, ‘’ Chuuya explained himself, ‘’ And look, ‘’ he
pointed at the, now empty, stage, all excited, ‘’ There is a piano right there! ‘’
‘’ Yeah, no ‘’ Dazai shut him down. ‘’ There is no way I’m playing. ‘’
‘’ If you don’t play I will- ‘’ Chuuya paused, probably thinking of a good enough threat. ‘’ I will-
‘’ He repeated again, staggering over his feet as he tried to get near Dazai. ‘’ I will-
He fell down before he could complete that sentence.

Dragging Chuuya back to their apartment had been a very time-consuming and exhausting thing to
do, but he had done it multiple times in the past, so it hadn’t really bothered him. Chuuya’s weight
felt familiar, as he placed his arm beneath his to support it.
His body leaning unconsciously into Dazai’s as the taller man walked for them both.
I’m glad that you’re here
Dazai couldn’t get those words out of his mind.

Who even says that kind of stuff?

Carrying Chuuya while thinking of all that nonsense he had spurted earlier, was definitely not
helping him forget.
Chuuya had been so good to him, it couldn’t be true.
It was all a product of alcoholic consumption
Yeah.
Whatever gibberish Chuuya had said had all been a result of his intoxication.
You’re my best friend Disgusting. I know that going back to Ango wouldn’t have been easy for you,
so I’m sorry that you did that for me Sickening.
Thank you for the party, it was nice Rancid.

‘’ …Dazai? ‘’ Chuuya’s voice brought him back to the present. ‘’ The fuck you carrying me for? ‘’
Chuuya took a small step to the left, getting away from Dazai’s body.
He stumbled and almost fell.
Dazai caught him before he could hit the ground. ‘’ I’m just helping you walk, ‘’ He reasoned, ‘’
because you clearly can’t do that alone right now.’’
‘’ I can. ‘’ Chuuya said, not refusing his helping hand, ‘’ I just don’t want to. ‘’
Dazai was so done with that whole conversation.
‘’ My head is killing me, ‘’ Chuuya complained leaning into Dazai’s shoulder. ‘’ The music is of
fucking loud.‘’ he kept complaining, as Dazai did his best to ignore him.
‘’ Music? What music? ‘’ He challenged him, ‘’ Man, you’re so wasted.’’
‘’ Whatever you say. I’m fine. ‘’ Chuuya said, clearly not fine as he couldn’t even drag his feet
without them swaying. Dazai didn’t want to provoke him any further for the time being.
I appreciate all that you do for me., my ass.
It wasn’t fair that Chuuya could say all that and then just forget everything because of Booze.
Not even alcohol could make Dazai forget anything. His good memory had always been such an
inconvenience, honestly.

‘’ You can let go now, ‘’ Chuuya started saying as they passed through the threshold.
Dazai, as instructed, let go.
Chuuya fell down.
‘’ I meant once we were inside, you idiot. ‘’ He said, doing his best to get up from the floor.
‘’ Oops,‘’ Dazai scoffed, ‘’ my bad. ‘’

Trying to sleep with those words still buzzing in his head was impossible.
Dazai kept looking at the ceiling and just replaying that scene again and again.
Chuuya had really said all that, but he said them while drunk.
So automatically his words held little to no value. Drunken words mean nothing. Dazai reminded
himself.
If he had been sober, that would have been different.
Thankfully, he hadn’t been.
Thankfully? Why was it good that he hadn’t been sober?
Because if he had been, Dazai would not know how to react.
Because if he dared tell him that kind of stuff while being sober, Dazai wouldn’t be able to respond
in a way that wouldn’t make Chuuya hate him.
Why?
They were friends but that didn’t mean Dazai liked to be reminded of that.
It didn’t mean Chuuya had the right to tell him things like that.
It didn’t mean anything, their friendship.
It was just, a convenient way for-
Dazai pulled on his hair as he thought that. He stood up and moved towards the bathroom.

Unwrapping his bandages he couldn’t help but stare at his scars.

He only ever did that when he felt like he couldn’t take something any longer. This time,
something being the feelings he had for Chuuya.
The red-head was his best friend, but he couldn’t admit that not even to himself.

He looked down at his hands.

At the blood that covered them still, yet was invisible to anyone else.

Maybe with Chuuya, it would be different.

Maybe, just maybe, he would be there even if he admitted the existence of their friendship.

Maybe he could be the exception.

Or maybe he won’t.

Maybe he’ll meet the same fate as-

Dazai violently shook his head, trying to get rid of that thought. No, no, no
He kept shaking his head until he could feel pain.
No
He would never let what happened to Oda happen to Chuuya.

Losing Oda…It had been a pain worse than when he himself had been on the brink of death.
His death continued to haunt him every single second of his every day.
Just thinking about him made Dazai want to drown in whiskey and just drink until he’d pass out.
It had been the worst thing to ever happen to him, but he was still alive.
Chasing a ghost’s dream.

Losing Chuuya…
He couldn’t even handle the thought of it.

He reached for the cabinet behind the mirror and took a fresh roll of bandages. He washed his
hands and arms, dried them with a towel and then he wrapped the white bandages all around them
like he always did.
Then he took some more rolls from the cabinet and changed all the remained bandages on his body
as well.

He passed through the kitchen to get a glass of water before heading to his room. But before
reaching his destination, silently, and with caution, he neared Chuuya’s ajar door. He took a peek
inside.
Chuuya was laying on his back, his limbs all stretched out, his mouth wide open.
 He’d fallen asleep as soon as his back had hit the mattress.

Dazai considered the current weather.

It was hot enough, Chuuya didn't need any kind of coverlet.

He left the door as it had been and went to his room.

Again, he tried to lay down and sleep.

Yeah, as if that would happen.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you for reading, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter<3

As always, I look forward to hearing your opinions about it<3

 Happiness
Chapter Summary

Dazai's 20th Birthday.

That's it. That's the chapter.

Chapter Notes

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAZAI OSAMU DAY!!!!!

For his birthday, I give you this little thing.

I wanted to pull an Asagiri and have this be chapter 6.5 but AO3 isn't letting me do
that, so I have no other choice than make this chapter seven.
This chapter is honestly just a 6k words soukoku fluff bomb.

Enjoy<3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

A FEW DAYS AND A MONTH LATER

The day of Dazai’s 20th birthday would forever be carved in his heart for a lot of different reasons.
Not even in his death would he forget it.

The day had started out pretty simply, with Chuuya and him going to the Agency, and working
with their respective partners.
Dazai had continued being Kunikida’s partner, while for a month now, Chuuya had been partnered
up with Kenji and Ranpo, depending on the day.
Most of the time he would accompany Ranpo to his more dangerous cases and act as his
bodyguard. Being that he mostly protected Ranpo, he didn’t offer much to the case-solving aspect
which was why he made up for it by also being Kenji’s partner.
In his team with Kenji, he was the one doing most of the work in the case department.

He'd come to really like that boy, actually.

Kenji reminded him of his younger self a lot, minus all his anger and mean attitude.
He always got so excited when the battle began, and he loved to taunt and mock his enemies,
blatantly displaying his raw physical power over them.
He was a cool kid.
A good partner to have.
Unlike Ranpo.
It still didn’t make sense to Chuuya how could a person like Ranpo be the same age as Kouyou. It
was baffling.
Although he could see Ranpo’s talent, and appreciate it for what it offered to the agency and the
world by extension, that didn’t make the manchild any less annoying.
Ranpo was a walking headache, but Chuuya had learned from early on not to pay him any mind.
It was easier that way.
They both did their job, maintaining a strictly professional relationship.
With Kenji, he was a lot more friendly.
Joking and laughing with him and even taking the boy out for ice cream a couple of times.

It was nice working for the Agency.

And being a detective was definitely more interesting than he had originally thought.
Chuuya was beginning to like it a lot there

He finished all his assigned paperwork and looked over at Dazai’s desk.
That bastard. Instead of working, like he was supposed to, he’d putten on an eye mask and had
fallen asleep on his chair.
Well, it was better that way. Since he was asleep, he wouldn’t suspect a thing.

With that on his mind, Chuuya walked over to Kunikida’s office.

When Dazai woke up, he was greeted by a big pile of unread and unsigned papers that hadn’t been
on his desk before.
Great, more paperwork
He stretched out his arms and legs, lightly turning his neck so he could crack his head and get rid
of that stiffness he felt.
He picked up the first paper from the gigantic pile and skimmed through it.
Oh no.
He realised that the papers were in fact all the reports he had poorly written in the past that now
needed to be polished and edited in order to get stored in the archive.
He thought it would take Kunikida more time to collect and gather them all, but it would seem he
had underestimated him.

He wiped his eyes in an attempt to clear his fogy-just woke up, vision, and looked around the
room.
Specifically, he looked around the area that was considered to be Chuuya’s workspace.
Chuuya wasn’t in his office, that wasn’t surprising. He’d probably be out in a case with Kenji or
Ranpo.
At least he was out.
Indoor work was so much more draining. He prayed for a new case to appear, a murder maybe?
Anything that would get him out of the hell that paperwork was.

‘’ Oi, Dazai, ‘’ Kunikida called for him. ‘’ Can you get you’re ass here for a second and stop
lazying around? ‘’
Dazai stood up.
‘’ Ah, Kunikida, kind as always I see, ‘’ He teased the other man, moving himself to him.
‘’ What can I do for you? ‘’ He asked, hovering around with his body still on the chair.
Kunikida made a mental note to remove Dazai's office chair and replace it with one that wouldn't
have wheels. He wrote the thought down in his notebook ln order to not forget it.
‘’ Are you busy at the moment or available? ‘’ Kunikida asked him.
‘’ Totally free. ‘’ Dazai lied, thinking of the big pile of reports he wouldn’t have to write that day.
‘’ Great. ‘’ Kunikida handed him a paper, ‘’ I’ll have you be in a stakeout,’’ he said, handing him
an envelope as well. ‘’ Details are inside.’’
‘’ Aren’t you joining me, Kunikida? ‘’ He asked, eyeing the papers in his hands and then his
partner.
‘’ Oh, no, I have way too much work to do here if I want to stay inside schedule,’’ he explained, ‘’
You’ll be going along with Nakahara. If that is okay with you. ‘’
No.
‘’ Wait, really?’’
‘’ Yeah,’’ Kunikida confirmed. ‘’ Now, if you have nothing else to ask me-
‘’ Nope, I’m all covered. ‘’
‘’ Great, then.’’ Kunikda shifted his position to reach the drawers of his desk. He pulled one out
and picked up something from inside. ‘’ This is for you,’’ he handed it to him. ‘’ Happy Birthday,
Dazai.’’
Dazai was taken aback by the gesture.
Two questions throbbing in his head.
How had Kunikida known it was his birthday when he hadn’t told anyone in the Agency yet and
why had he given him a gift?
‘’ Thanks, Kunikida ‘’ He said, hiding his confusion behind another smile‘’ I’ll speak to you later,
kay?’’
‘’ Okay.’’ Kunikida offered him one of his rare smiles before resuming his work.

A stakeout with Chuuya?

On his birthday?
Hm, something was fishy there.

Dazai opened the envelope with the details of the stakeout. There was an address written inside and
a photo of the man that was their target.
Dazai only read the address before pocketing the envelope and leaving the Agency.

‘’ Hello~’’ Dazai greeted, sneaking up behind Chuuya.

Chuuya, knowing he was coming, didn’t even flinch. ‘’ Oh, great,’’ He mumbled instead, trying
his best to act annoyed.‘’ They sent you’’ He said it with such an exasperation he wondered
himself if he was being too hyperbolic.
Dazai smiled as he took the seat next to him.

‘’ So, have you spotted our target yet? ‘’ Dazai asked, pretending to care about the mission.
Chuuya shushed him,
‘’ Yeah, he passed by with his car earlier." He whispered," Once he returns we’ll follow him. ‘’
‘’ And how do you know he’ll return?’’
‘’ His case file has his entire schedule. He'll come back, don't worry.’’
‘’ If you say so.’’ Dazai agreed with him. ‘’By the way, did you tell Kuninkida my birthday is
today?’’
Chuuya turned to face him, ‘’ Yeah," he confessed, putting his hand behind his neck," I let it slip
earlier this morning. I didn’t know you hadn't told them.’’ The second part was actually true.
Chuuya hadn’t known that Dazai had kept his birthday a secret.
‘’ Okay then, I just found it weird that he knew.’’
‘’ Yeah, my bad.’’

It was noon and the sun was still high, its light hitting them as it penetrated through the tall trees
that tried to shield them. They were sitting on a high enough building, overseeing the road the man
would drive on, through two pairs of binoculars.
Dazai pointed out that following him would be hard, seeing as they wouldn’t have enough time to
get down or a vehicle to move with.
Chuuya called him stupid before explaining to him the premiss of the plan.

The man would make a stop for just a few minutes to pick up his kids from the school opposite
them. In that little space of time, they would run down the stairs, rush out of the building and plant
a bug beneath the man’s car.
Then they would follow him as they saw fit.

Dazai had asked him if they would go by foot or by car. Chuuya had smiled, telling him that he’d
gotten a legal driving licence, and a temporary motorcycle, provided by the agency.

When the time came they followed the plan suit.

Chuuya jumped off the building, using his ability to get to the car as fast as he could while Dazai
ran down five stories of stairs, to get there.
They planted the bug and hid behind some tall columns.
Then they watched as their target and his two kids got inside the car.

Once they were off their viewing field, Chuuya took out the tracker from his coat’s pocket.
‘’ Let’s go. ‘’ He said, with an excited voice.
Dazai ran after him.

Motorcycle had been an exaggeration.

The machine that lay in front of them was more like a small Vespa rather than a fully fledged
motorcycle, but hey, it had two wheels and an engine.
That should be enough.

Chuuya jumped on the bike, feeling the brakes beneath his clenched fists.
To Dazai he had the excitement of a child.
‘’ I’m not riding with you after last time.’’ He said, already knowing he was going to. Chuuya
rolled his eyes at him, ‘’ You can’t still be mad about that,‘’ He reasoned, ‘’ It was entirely your
fault that you fell.’’
Dazai got to the back of the seat, carefully. ‘’ I broke my leg.’’ He reminded him with a snarky
smile.
‘’ Poor baby, and I had my motorcycle confiscated for a month.’’ Chuuya was still petty about that.
Being a mafioso and having to drive around? Fucking embarrassing.’’ You didn’t see memoaning
and whining ‘’

Dazai remembered Chuuya very vividly breaking vases out of frustration but sure, that wasn’t
whining.
‘’ Oh, just start it already. ‘’

He regretted ever touching that thing.

Dazai had completely forgotten how it felt to ride a motorbike with Chuuya.
The oxygen getting knocked out of your lungs the moment the engine started.
The wind blowing on your face, the whiplash so strong you can’t even hear.
The air suddenly getting colder as he accelerates, your grip tightening because fuck Chuuya drives
so carelessly you feel like you will die at any given moment.

All those things brought back so many memories of their time in the Mafia, and of that god-
forsaken pink motorbike.
Chuuya used to love that thing.
He used to treasure it.
Dazai did the same, although in secrecy. He never let the bike get damaged, or if it had to happen,
he always made sure the damage would be minimal.
The only thing Dazai knew about the bike was that it had been given to Chuuya by one of the
Flags. By the man with the codename Albatross.
That was the only thing he knew, yet that was enough for him to understand its value.

He wondered if Chuuya missed that deadly thing.

He probably did.
Leaving the Mafia the way they did, he couldn’t possibly have taken it with him. And even if he
had, he would have to keep it hidden for years.
The biggest possibility was that his motorbike was still stored somewhere in the Port Mafia garage
underneath Headquarters.
Dust would have covered it whole by now.

‘’ You good back there? ‘’ Chuuya asked, slightly turning his head to him for only a second.

There was one thing Dazai had always enjoyed in his rides with Chuuya in the death machine, and
that was his smile.
Chuuya had this glint in his eyes, he had that spark, Dazai only ever saw when he was either
fighting or driving around Yokohama.

Was it that thrilling for him?

It had to be.

‘’ I’m fine. ‘’ Dazai said, and it was true.

His stomach would hate him later, and possible in the far future considering the idea he had just
come up with, but seeing Chuuya so carefree and excited, made him feel…content?
No, it was stronger than that.

He didn’t know what he was feeling, but he knew it was something good.

‘’ Okay, so this must be his house, ‘’ Chuuya said, as they both watched the man going inside a,
quite expensive by the look of it, estate.
‘’ No way.’’ Dazai deadpanned.’’ Are we sure about that? I think the woman coming out to greet
her family must have be-
Chuuya slapped him behind his head to shut him up.
‘’ Shut up and watch.’’ He said.

Twenty minutes of incredibly stupid small talk would pass before the man would come out of his
house.
Once he did, he got inside his car again.
‘’ Great.’’ Dazai muttered under his breath, already walking towards the bike.

The cold breeze wheezed through his ears once again, as Chuuya ignited the engine. His longer
hair flowing in the wind, landing on Dazai’s face. Dazai tried to push them away, but the wind
wouldn’t let him.

They followed the man’s car for what seemed like an hour, finally arriving at a small beach area
near Sagami Bay.
Dazai could easily recognize the place. He’d been there a handful of times.
The Port Mafia was located in Yokohama, yes, but that didn’t mean they weren’t involved with
surrounding cities like Kanagawa, Kawasaki or even Tokyo.
After all, the Port Mafia had a very rich network all around Japan.
A very rich network constructed by no other than Dazai.

‘’ Remind me why are we following him? ’’ Dazai asked, crouching next to Chuuya so they could
be hidden by the bushes.
‘’ Cause he is our target?’’
Dazai stretched out his arms` keeping his eyes on the man walking to a nearby store. ‘’ No.’’ he
said with a blank look, ‘’ You don’t say.’’
Chuuya ignored his sarcasm, focusing on watching their target from what he had decided was a
safe distance.
‘’ Didn’t you read the file?’’ He asked, already disappointed by the answer Dazai was about to
give him.
‘’ I skimmed through it. Said we’d just act as surveillance.’’
Skimmed through it
‘’ Then what’s so confusing about that? We just have to follow the guy today, and note down
everything he does.’’
‘’ If he were to-
‘’ Everything of importance.’’ Chuuya specified before Dazai could make his stupid joke.
‘’ That’s boring.’’

They watched the man come out of the shop with a handful of bags. All of them containing snacks
and six-packs of beer.
‘’ At least someone is gonna have fun.’’ Dazai remarked, still watching the guy as he loaded all his
cargo inside the car.
Chuuya stood up hastily, ‘’ He’s moving again, let’s g-
‘’ No, no.’’ Dazai grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.’’ He ain’t going far.’’ he added. ‘’
He’ll probably just move his car so it will be closer to the stage.’’
Chuuya arched his eyebrow.’’ You think he’s here for the concert? ’’ he asked, looking at the
stage near the beach.
It was a temporary one by the looks of it. A small one.
Not many people had gathered there yet.
‘’ Definitely,’’ Dazai replied. ‘’ Look.’’

And soon enough what Dazai had described happened.

The man got inside his car and drove it just a few feet away before parking it again.
Then he opened his door and took all his stuff out of the trunk. He took a foldable chair out of it as
well.

‘’ He’s come prepared.’’ Chuuya commented with a sly smirk. Dazai nodded his head. ]
He opened his mouth to say something by then his attention went elsewhere.
Chuuya tried to follow his eyes to see what was looking at.
‘’ I reckon we’ll be here for a while.’’ Dazai finally said, standing up.
‘’ Yeah, that will probably be the case.’’ Chuuya agreed with him, getting up as well.’’ Well, I’m
coming back in a bit.’’ He turned away.‘’ Find us a good place to sit, in the meantime. ‘’ He added
before living. ‘’ Preferably with an okay view of the stage.’’

Knowing what happens next can be so frustrating at times.

Dazai had never felt this strong of a dislike for his deduction skills before as he did now.
It was so stupid.
He could see how hard Chuuya was trying to keep it all a surprise, and although he wanted not to
know, he couldn’t.

He’d figured it out the minute they had stepped into the Agency that morning.

It was his birthday, and Chuuya had come up with a plan for the day.
It made sense.
He’d even let Kunikida in, which was why Kunikida had known it was his birthday.
This stakeout mission or whatever? A fluke.
Their target? Probably a guy Chuuya had paid good money to go about his day and just spice it up
a little with a random trip nearby.
God, it was so frustrating.
He wanted his mind to go silent. He wanted for once in his life, to just exist without his head
thinking of everything all the time.

‘’ Here,’’ Chuuya said, handing him an ice cream cone. ‘’ They didn’t have vanilla, so I got you
Chocolate.’ Chuuya explained.
‘’ Chocolate?’’ It wasn’t a flavour Dazai got often.
‘’ Yeah, don’t go crying about it.’’ Chuuya teased.
Dazai took the cone, and just stood there, staring at the sea on the horizon.
Chuuya sighed.
‘’ Was it really so obvious?’’ He asked, joining him in staring at the sea.
Maybe if he wasn’t Dazai it wouldn’t be.
Maybe if he was normal, then Chuuya’s surprise would have actually worked.
‘’ Yeah…’’ Dazai said, letting his voice trail off.’’ But I mean, I’m me.’’
I’m me? What was that supposed to mean?
‘’ I knew it was stupid,’’ Chuuya admitted, his voice dropping. ‘’ You can’t surprise Dazai
Osamu.’’
Something in the way that he said it made Dazai feel as if he had been slapped.
He turned his head to look at him, trying to think of something to say when Chuuya beat him to it.
‘’ Screw surprises then.’’ He grinned, ‘’ Here’s the day's plan, and whether you like it or not, I
don’t give a fuck.’’
It seemed like he didn’t need to say anything.
‘’ First, since we’re already here, we’re staying for the concert, the snacks and the beers. Once
we’re starting to get bored, we take this old thing,’’ He kicked the motorcycle lightly, ‘’ and get
the hell out of here.’’
‘’ Is there a continuation awaiting us?’’ Dazai asked, interested to know.
Chuuya laughed.‘’ You bet your ass there is.’’ Since surprises didn’t work, why not just say
everything? ’’ After we’re done with this place, I’m taking us go-karting around Tokyo.’’
‘’ Oh?’’ That actually sparked Dazai’s interest.
He was known for his dislike and his aversion to driving, so that was something he hadn’t
expected Chuuya to come up with.
‘’ Sounds good?’’
‘’ Sounds promising, ‘’ Dazai stated. ‘’ But really Chuuya, are you doing this all for me? ’’ He
couldn’t not tease him.
‘’ Yeah, as if.’’ Chuuya rolled his eyes at him. ‘’ I’m just using your birthday as an excuse to get a
leave today from work.’’ He informed him, ‘’ The rest are just things I want to do. You just happen
to be here.’’
‘’ Pff, yeah sure, whatever you say, softie.’’

Was it worth it?

Calling Nakahara Chuuya, an ex Port Mafia Executive, their top martial artist, a man with a living
god inside him, a softie?
Dazai and his three, possibly broken, ribs would say yes.
Yes, it was.

After getting kicked to a wall (and almost passing out because of the pain), Dazai got up perfectly
fine and joined Chuuya at the venue the concert was taking place in.
Before moving to a good spot, that they could both hear and see from, they stole some of their
target’s snacks and a six-pack.
Chuuya assured him that the man wouldn’t mind, Dazai told him that even if he would mind, he
didn’t really care.
It was a fair point. They’d done the same thing countless times before. Chuuya hadn’t cared that
much either.

The concert wasn’t half as bad as he had expected it to be.

Chuuya’s plan from the start had been to get Dazai here and just hung out. Eating, drinking,
commenting on everyone and everything, casual things.
Maybe sabotage one of their microphones or the sound system, if the music wasn’t good.

Turned out, they didn’t have to.

Dazai had seemed to quite like the whole thing.

The music the band played hadn’t been bad at all. A bit lacking, sure, but not bad.
They were able to have a good enough time, drinking a few cans of cheap beer and singing some of
the lyrics at the top of their lungs once they had listened to them enough times. They even danced
in that jumpy-crowdy way teenagers tend to.
They talked and they laughed, and it was nice.

He couldn’t wait to see what else Chuuya had in store for the day.
…

Driving through Tokyo at night is definitely an experience.

Driving through Tokyo in a tiny go-kart, wearing a character costume, while your friend is
throwing banana peels on you trying to sabotage you, is a whole other thing.

Even when Chuuya had announced to him their plans, Dazai hadn’t thought he’d like it nearly as
much as he had.
But he was wrong.
And, oh, how much he enjoyed being wrong.

Dazai had had some pretty crazy experiences in his life, being in the mafia and all, but this had to
be one of the most bizarre things he had ever done.
Driving around a city in a tiny vehicle while wearing a pink puffy dress and a long blonde wig.
Having Chuuya yell and laugh at him as he surpassed him. Triumphantly cheering, thinking he was
gonna beat him.
And then watching the seer horror and disgust in his face, when Dazai managed to surpass him by
throwing a blue shell plushie near his vehicle and making him sidetrack.
Oh, it was wonderful.
Driving that thing had been so…fun? Enjoyable?

It had been great.

But the best part had to be watching Chuuya as he got out of his car in defeat and just walked his
way to him to shake hands.
Good sportsmanship or something.
Dazai had lost it then.

He hadn’t laughed that hard in-

Probably never.

With his stomach still aching from laughing so hard, Dazai followed Chuuya out of the Go-Kart
centre.
‘’ Please tell me there isn’t more.’’ Dazai said, hoping there was more.
Chuuya couldn’t help but smile, ‘’ I’m afraid there is.’’ He said, confirming his worst fears.
‘’ Oh no,’’ Dazai whispered, ‘’ How much longer do I have to suffer before this day ends? ’’

He wondered what more could Chuuya have planned.

It was getting late, and they both hadn’t eaten anything all day besides some snacks. So most
logically, he’d be taking him out somewhere to eat.

‘’ Well, I have a couple more things planned. After that, you’ll be a free man.’’ Chuuya joked,
already getting on the motorcycle again.
‘’ Fine, be me.’’ Dazai moved to the vehicle, cautious of the exhaust.

Their next stop was a restaurant back in Yokohama.

The restaurant Chuuya took him to had a large, warm. spacious venue, full of tables, chairs and
guests. The food they served there was Italian, and there was live music as well.
Seeing as they just had been to a concert, they decided to sit far away from the stage.

It had been a normal dinner until it happened.

Dazai and Chuuya had been eating pasta with vegetables and cheese when the waiter arrived.
He walked up to them, singing as loudly as he could, holding in his hands a giant, blue birthday
cake.

He had wanted a surprise, hadn’t he?

Now he was getting one.

Dazai had looked so awestruck by the man, so completely dumbfounded.

He’d sat there, frozen like a statue, listening to them as they had sung the birthday song.
Then he had been expected to be functioning normally enough to make a wish and blow the
candles.
Dazai didn’t have to think about his wish.

He had blown out the candles and had turned to Chuuya, only to find him staring with the biggest
grin on his face.
It had been so embarrassing, having the whole room looking at him, while a random man who he
had never met before, sang him Happy Birthday, but he wouldn’t have traded for the world.

It was so unbelievably stupid, that whole scene, but he didn’t care.

Maybe sometimes stupid things like those were necessary.

‘’ Happy Birthday, Dazai,’’ Chuuya said again, digging in on his piece of cake. ‘’ You’re a year
closer to death now.’’ He joked, taking another bite.
Dazai laughed with him, ‘’ One year closer to death, I like that. ‘’ He took a bite out of his own
plate.n
‘’ So this was also another thing you wanted to do right?’’ He asked, provoking the other boy,’’
Definitely not about my birthday.’’ He said, fiddling with the two candles that had made up the
number 20.
‘’ Yep.’’ Chuuya responded sharply. ‘’ You’ve got a big idea for yourself if you think differently.’’

Dazai remained silent.

It was all too much for him.
This whole day, god it was too much.

‘’ Won’t you ask me to play you the piano this time? ‘’ His eyes drifted on an old piano on the
wall closest to them, that looked to be open to the public.
Chuuya stared at him with a confused face. ‘’ When did I ask you to? ‘’
‘’ Couple of weeks ago, when we were out celebrating your-
‘’ Yeah,’’ Chuuya cut him off immediately,’’ I remember nothing from that day. Everything after
work is just a big fuzzy cloud.’’
‘’ I know.‘’
‘’ So whatever I said, I don’t even remember it. You can forget it as well, I’m sure it was nothing
important.’’
‘’ Nah, it was mostly nonsense.’’ Dazai agreed,’’ And you confessing your undying love for me.’’
Chuuya choked on his drink.
‘’ I’m just kidding,’’ Dazai smirked, taking a more serious pose. ‘’ Or am I?’’
Chuuya arched his eyebrows at him, a calm expression on his face. ‘’ Really? At least make it
believable.’’
‘’ You’re right, you’re right.’’ Dazai agreed again, ‘’ I should have said that you told me how
thankful you were for my existence.’’
Chuuya looked at him lost.
‘’ We just ate, you bastard. Don’t make me wanna throw up.’’
‘’ Fine, fine, I’ll drop it.’’
Chuuya’s voice was laced with poison as he thanked him

They finished their dinner nicely and civilized with no other scenes occurring.
Then they left.

This had been the most ridiculous day he had ever lived.
It was like an episode of some kind of show. It was so surreal.
And Chuuya.
Dazai could swear he’d never seen him as starry-eyed as that day. So excited to share his little plan,
and just do all the things he said he would
Was that the fun side of a friendship?
It had to be, right?
Just spending time with your friend doing stupid stuff. That had to be it.

Back in the mafia, they seldom had days like that.

And when they did, it was never to that extreme.
They did have some fun moments, and they did have their fair share of laughs, but it wasn’t the
same as now.
Everything had been so clouded by that darkness, that hatred they harboured for each other, those
unspeakable rules about their strictly professional relationship.
Their whole relationship had been so heavy back then.

But now it was so much lighter.

There was no longer any hatred between them.
Even if they loved to argue the opposite, the truth remained that they were friends, and it was
weird.
But a good weird.

‘’ Drinking? ’’
‘’ Yes.’’ Chuuya replied, ‘’ Drinking.’’
‘’Okay, sure. But if you pass out, I’m not carrying you to the apartment. Just to be clear.’’
‘’ I can handle my liquor.’’ Chuuya brushed him off.
‘’ You really can’t.’’

Indeed, Chuuya couldn’t handle his liquor.

Dazai, as it would appear, couldn’t either.

So overwhelmed by the entire day, Dazai had drowned himself in whiskey and scotch
He hadn’t cared about how much he had drunk, he just kept on going.
Chuuya hadn’t drunk not even one-third of what Dazai had before he’d reached the same state as
him.
Taking him out for drinks after that entire day had been a huge mistake.

When Chuuya finally woke up, he found himself inside the apartment.
In the living room, more specifically.

He looked around the room, trying desperately to find any clue that could help him remember.
The only thing he could find that was different from before was a tattoo pen that was now laying
on the tabletop.

Oh, no

Using the last bit of common sense he had, he tried to figure it out.
With a hasty movement, he violently pushed back his right sleeve and looked at his bare forearm.
Nothing. Good.
He moved on to his left sleeve.

Which was already pushed up…

He looked at the inside of his wrist…

‘’ DAZAI YOU FUCKING BASTARD COME HERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW. ’’

No, this wasn’t happening.
No, no, he was hallucinating, yes.
‘’ DAZAI I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON-
‘’ What is it? ‘’ Dazai ran inside the room, looking actually concerned. ‘’What happened?’’
He looked as if he hadn’t slept in weeks.
‘’ Please tell me that you remember what happened yesterday.’’
Dazai stared at him blankly. ‘’ Yesterday…yesterday…yesterday,’’ he snapped his fingers, ‘’ My
birthday. Yes, I remember, why? ’’
Chuuya was going to murder him.
‘’ Why is there a tattoo pen on our table? ‘’ he asked, trying his best to stay calm.
Dazai looked at the pen, and then at him.
‘’ We got tattoos. ‘’ He said casually.
Chuuya considered the possibility that Dazai was high.
No, the thought was stupid. He was drunk. He just wasn’t used to seeing him like that.
‘’ Elaborate? ‘’ He was being too patient.
Dazai continued looking at him. Then he looked at his hand.
His bandages were half wrapped, half dangling from his arm.
‘’ You wrote ‘Mackerel’ on my wrist and drew a little fish. ‘’ Dazai explained,‘’ I wrote ‘Slug’ on
yours and tried my best to draw one. It’s like our contact names, you know.‘’
he said, proving his point by showing him his arm.

Chuuya recoiled, ‘’ Wait, we tattooed each other? ‘’ a stupid question, he knew. He blamed the
booze inside his system.
‘’ Yeah, pretty much. Stole the machine from some guy while on that bar.’’
That sounds like them.
‘’ Okay.’’ Chuuya muttered in defeat, a lightness overtaking his head. ‘’ That’s…

He didn’t have words.

His eyes felt so heavy and he could barely even hear Dazai over all the static noise still ringing in
his ears.
Yeah, he wouldn’t be staying up for longer after that.

‘’ okay. ‘’ He repeated, his eyes closing.

When Dazai had woken up, the first thing he had felt had been water and the first thing he had seen
had been blood.

It didn’t take more than a few seconds for him to realize he was lying inside the bathtub. His
clothes all soaked up, his bandages unravelled, scattered around.

He tried his best to pick them all up out of the stained water while also trying to get up and leave
the bathtub without making a bigger mess.

Once he had thrown all his bandages inside the trash can, he turned to face the mirror.
He felt horrified by how naked he looked.
With all his scars, blatantly exposed for everyone to see.
The bruises, the cuts, the burns, everything on display.

Looking at the crimson water he wondered if an old wound had re-opened. He checked for the
most obvious ones, before touching his head and realizing.
The memory surfaced almost immediately.

Last night had been crazy and all that drinking they had done hadn’t helped with anything.
He remembered them struggling to get out of the bar and then walking towards the apartment.
Staggering and stumbling on whatever thing along the way. He remembered Chuuya hoisting him
up at some point when he fell.
It had been such a draining day.
Dazai clearly remembered wanting to take a shower.
After messing around with the tattoo pen they had stolen, he’d left Chuuya sleeping on the couch
while he went to the bathroom.
Being so drunk, he slipped and fell, hitting his head hard on the marble.
It made sense.
Why his bandages were halfway undone, and why there was blood everywhere.
And of course his headache, a mix of hangover and physical pain,

His whole body felt stiff.

He needed sleep.
Real sleep.
But winning the lottery had more chances to happen than that, so he shook that thought out of his
head and reached for the faucet. He turned it to cold.
He cupped his arms and threw some water in his face. Then, he picked up a towel, wetted it and
applied pressure to his head wound.
He waited for a couple of seconds before removing it.
The bleeding had stopped hours now by the look of the wound. It would be fine, it was just a
surface cut for him.
He was turning to the door to leave the room when he heard it.

‘’ DAZAI YOU FUCKING BASTARD COME HERE RIGHT FUCKING NOW.’’

‘’ You look like you’re having the worst hangover of your lives, ‘’ Ranpo commented laughing,
seeing Dazai and Chuuya as they entered through the doorway.
Chuuya glared at him with more annoyance than usual. Dazai elbowed him so he would stop.
‘’ I’m perfectly fine,’’ Dazai assured him, ‘’ Chuuya on the other hand, ‘’ he side-eyed him,’’ let’s
just say he isn’t in his best mood.’’ This time, Chuuya glared at Dazai.
Ranpo looked at them both but before he could speak, Kunikida approached them, his notebook
open in his hand.
‘’ I see you’re both late,’’ He observed, ‘’ I assume it's because of yesterday? ’’
‘’ Yeah, ‘’ Dazai answered for the both of them.
‘’ I see.’’ Kunikda noted the time they arrived at his notebook, ‘’ Well, I hope you’re both sober
enough to deal with the case you have, cause I won’t be covering for your asses.’’
Chuuya looked at him confused.
‘’ Our respective cases, you mean, right? ’’
Kunikida returned the confusion, looking at Dazai. ‘’ Didn’t you tell him? ‘’ He asked.
‘’ Tell me what? ’’
Dazai looked at Chuuya who was beginning to get angry and then at Kunikida‘’ Tell him what?
‘’ Didn’t you open the envelope I gave you? ‘’

Oh.
Dazai had completely forgotten all about it.
Kunikida’s present. Fuck
Thankfully, he remembered enough to know that the envelope was still in a pocket inside his coat.

Kunikida let out a sigh. ‘’ Read it, and then go to the president.’’ He instructed. ‘’ Once it’s
finalized, you can both join me in my office, to discuss the decision in greater detail.

What decision?

‘’ Alrighty~’’ Dazai responded cheerfully, his head an abyss of possibilities. He moved over to his
office, to open the envelope.
Filled with curiosity, Chuuya followed him there.

Dazai took the envelope out of his pocket and opened it. He started reading the contents of the
paper inside. When he was done, he turned to Chuuya.
Chuuya was already staring back at him. He looked awake.

Ranpo passed by them then, ‘’ A nice little surprise isn’t it? ‘’ He laughed. ‘’ Don’t go ripping
each other’s throats, now.’’

Chuuya had entered the building with a terrible headache. His plan for the day had been to avoid
everyone and everything, ignore his hangover state and just exist in peace. That letter had changed
everything. Even being in the state that he was, he couldn’t keep himself from smiling at the news.
Dazai very well could.
He didn’t tho.
 Why hide it?

‘’ Does that mean-

Chuuya couldn’t believe what had just happened.
‘’ I think it does. ‘’
Dazai could, but that didn’t help him with figuring out what he was feeling.

What was it?

What could it be?

He opened his eyes wide, as he realized, taking the letter, and stuffing it in his pocket.
‘’ Shall we go? ’’ He turned to ask Chuuya, still smiling.
Chuuya nodded walking passed him, and he followed.

It was the same thing he had felt yesterday all day long.
It was the same exact feeling, the same sped-up beat in his heart.
It was…

It was happiness.

He felt happy or at least the closest he could to it.

There was no doubt in his mind, the symptoms were all there.
Suddenly his overwhelm made perfect sense.

He’d never experienced this level of happiness before for so long, so it made sense why his brain
wasn’t able to register that.
It all made sense.

‘’ You coming? ‘’ Chuuya pulled him out of his mind, and he realised he had forgotten to follow
him.
‘’ Yeah, I’m right behind you.’’

Dazai Osamu was happy.

Huh. What kind of anecdote was that?
He was happy and he was self-aware enough to know it.
And all that because of one stupid sentence from one stupid letter about one stupid boy.

It was ridiculous.

Chapter End Notes

I promised fluff and I believe I delivered.

I really hope you liked this chapter, it was so fun to write.

As always, thank you for reading<3

 Have You Ever Heard Of Twin Dark?
Chapter Summary

Another day, another slay for the best detective duo.

In which we see Dazai and Chuuya working together on a very big case.

Chapter Notes

TW the case is about a sensitive topic. Human trafficking is mentioned, although not
that explicitly. The reason is that I wanted to show a more dark, not that talked about,
side of the Mafia.
The mafia is so much more than torture and death, and I think that's an important
element of the story.

I know I already uploaded twice this month, but it's my birthday and I had the chapter
ready, soooo

I hope you enjoy this 13k word monstrosity.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ Hey Odasaku, ‘’ Dazai started, ‘’ I know I haven’t talked to you in a while, but here I am, ‘’ He
said, kneeling down so he could sit with his back on the tombstone.
‘’ So many things have happened since I last spoke to you, but don’t worry, I won’t bore you with
all the details. ‘’ he laughed.
A soundless, empty laugh.
‘’Do you remember that day at Lupin when you told me I should try harder to be Chuuya’s friend?
‘’ He asked, knowing he would never get an answer. ‘‘ I had been complaining about him while in
a drunken rant, and you told me that it would be better if I tried to be his friend instead of acting
like a jerk every time I saw him. ‘’ Dazai remembered that day well. ‘’ Of course, at the time, I
only disagreed with you. I thought a friendship, a real friendship with Chuuya would be impossible.
We were partners, sure, and we trusted each other with our lives, but we weren’t friends. Not like
we had been. ’’
Dazai looked longingly at the sky, thinking of everything he wanted to say to him but couldn’t. He
looked at the clouds above, at the sun as it fell.
‘’ It wasn’t the right time. I couldn’t be friends with Chuuya back then, it was too difficult. I know.
‘’ A tinge of melancholy in his voice. ‘’ But I’m his friend now,‘’ he admitted. ‘’ I can sit here, and
say it, out loud, with no fear. Chuuya is my friend, and it’s honestly so much better this way. ‘’
‘’ I never knew life could be so nice, Odasaku.‘’ Dazai smiled. ‘’ Leaving the Mafia has been the
second-best thing I’ve ever done. The first, being inviting Chuuya to join me.’’
He closed his eyes and let his head fall back.
He let it rest on the stone.
‘’ We’re both detectives now, working for the ADA.’’ Dazai proclaimed, ‘’ We solve cases and we
help and save people. We bring bad guys to justice.’’ he paused, thinking how ironic it was.
‘’ We’re also partners, again, but this time it’s different.’’
‘’ And it’s nice. It really is.’’
Dazai opened his eyes again. ‘’ And I’m happy, ‘’ he confessed. ‘’ Surprising, isn’t it? ‘’ He tried
to joke, ‘’ I never thought I would feel this way, but there was this one day and from then on,
everything has been so different. Even little things have been different.’’
‘’ I think that day was the closest I’ve ever been to feeling true happiness. ‘’
He imagined he was back at the Lupin, looking at the wooden floors and the walls covered in
wallpaper. A glass of whiskey in his hands as he spoke to Odasaku.
Ango was there as well, sitting on his stool, listening thoroughly but pretending not to be interested
in the conversation.
‘’ I’ve never used the word happiness aloud before, you know. But I can’t seem to find a more
fitting word.’’
‘’ It’s crazy when I think about it. Me, talking like a sappy teenager, using all these words, and-It
sounds so silly, doesn’t it? But I’m happy, Odasaku.’’
‘’ I always used to hide whatever little emotion I felt and I still do that, but not as much.’’
‘’ If it weren’t for you telling me to leave the Mafia, neither I nor Chuuya would be the people we
are today.’’
‘’ I really wish you could-

He can’t

The realization dawned on him.

He’ll never be able to.

Dazai didn’t want to open his eyes.

He wanted to stay there, at the Lupin for a little longer.
He wanted to stay seated on that little stool just for a few seconds more.
Just enough so that he could finish telling Oda about his day.

But the smell of grass and of early spring gave it all away.
The feeling of the sun on his skin, and of the gentle breeze.

He wasn’t inside Lupin.

And Odasaku wasn’t sitting by his side.

His body shifted so his eyes could focus on the stone next to him. On the name engraved upon it.
Sakunosuke Oda
It’s been three years now.
But it feels like yesterday.

Odasaku had been the first-ever person Dazai had dared to consider a friend.
He’d been the first-ever person to voice his affection for him without shame or fear.
Odasaku had never hidden the fact that he considered him a friend of his.
And that had been something Dazai had needed.

‘’ I won’t tire you today, ‘’ Dazai’s voice lowered as he spoke, ‘’ I already told you everything I
needed to.‘’ He reached for the bouquet of flowers he had brought with him and placed them in
front of the stone. ‘’ Thank you for always listening to me.’’ He smiled as he let go of the flowers.
‘’ Till next time.’’
Dazai hadn’t visited his friend’s grave ever since he'd started working for the Agency. It wasn’t
that he didn’t want to or that he hadn’t been thinking about it, it was strictly a time management
issue.
So many things had happened ever since Chuuya had joined the ADA that he hadn’t had the time
to properly visit him.
He’d pass by to leave flowers and clean the tombstone from now and then, but he hadn’t sat down
to talk to him in a long while.
It felt cathartic, in a way.
Having someone he could talk to so openly about everything in his new life.
Even if he knew he’d never receive a reply, it still helped him.

There was no one else that could listen to him.

Chuuya was his best friend, and he did speak to him about heavier matters, but he couldn’t talk to
him about Chuuya.
He couldn’t go and just tell him how it felt now that their relationship had changed. He couldn’t tell
him how content he was with his life now, how happy he was on certain days because of him.
The only person he could ever say all that stuff to was Odasaku.
He couldn’t admit most things, not even to himself but talking to the man was different.
He could easily say all that stuff because he knew Odasaku would never judge him.
Because he knew Odasaku would never say anything about Dazai’s behavior.
Nothing positive, nothing negative.
Nothing.

In a twisted way, it made Dazai feel comfortable speaking. It made him feel secure.
No one was truly listening to him when he spoke, after all.

He wasn’t delusional.
He was very well aware of Odasaku’s death.
He knew it had happened and he had accepted it.
That didn’t mean he liked it.
And that didn’t mean he was fine with that.

Dazai missed Odasaku.

He missed him so much.
But it was a grief he had chosen to keep secret.

The only time he had ever talked about him was with Chuuya.
Over the years he’d told him countless stories of their infamous little trio. Of him, and Odasaku
and Ango and their adventures at a small, little bar in Yokohama.
And although Dazai had initially wanted to keep that friendship a secret, something private only to
him, he’d found out that sharing it with Chuuya had helped more than he had expected.
It had somehow made the whole thing feel more real.

Now Chuuya was a witness to that friendship as well.

So if a time ever came, where Dazai would have trouble recognizing that friendship, that
experience, as real, he knew he could always turn to Chuuya.

Dazai had always prided himself on his ability to remember names and faces and passwords and
locations and clothes and sentences and everything, really, but sometimes-
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his memory,
It was just that, sometimes, his memories would get clouded by doubt.
Sometimes he’d look back on a good day or a good moment and he would debate if it had really
happened.
If the people that had been with him had really been there.
If they had existed at all.

And it was so stupid.

He knew for a fact his memory made no mistake, yet he could never seem to shake that little cloud
of doubt whenever it appeared.
So having a third party helped.
Be it a person, be it a photograph, be it a small relic of that memory.
Whatever it was, it always helped make it real.

It was five in the evening, and Chuuya was getting back to the Agency after helping Kenji with a
small case they had undertaken. To his surprise, they had solved the case a lot faster than they had
anticipated, so to reward themselves, Chuuya had taken the boy out for some ice cream.

On their way back to the Agency, they passed by a bar. Kenji looked inside and halted, before
raising his head to look at the older man accompanying him.
‘’ Can we go for beers next time? ’’ He asked, wearing an innocent youthful smile. ‘’ Can we?‘’
Chuuya burst out laughing, patting him gently on his back.
‘’You’re thirteen, Kenji. You can’t drink. ‘’ He reminded him in a joking manner. ‘’ You’re still
just a kid.’’
Kenji looked at the bar’s window again, a strange longing in his big golden eyes.
‘’ So is that a no?’’ He asked, averting Chuuya’s gaze.
‘’ That’s a no.’’ Chuuya confirmed.
‘’ Okay.’’
Oh, damn it.
‘’ How about this,’’ Chuuya started to propose, ‘’ stay alive until you turn twenty and I’ll take you
out to the best bar in Yokohama, okay?.’’
‘’ Twenty? ‘’ Kenji started counting, using his fingers. ‘’ That’s six years from now.’’
‘’ Seven ‘’ Chuuya corrected him.
‘’ Even more, but- ’’ Kenji seemed to consider his offer. ‘’ You promise you’ll do it, right? ’’ the
boy asked again.
‘’ I promise,’’ Chuuya said. ‘’ yes.’’
‘’ You swear it? ‘’
Chuuya looked at the kid, thinking to himself how naive he still was. How trustful.
‘’ I swear.’’ He said, placing one hand on top of his heart.
Kenji smiled.
‘’ Good. ‘’ the boy exclaimed happily, continuing to walk towards the Agency’s building.’’ I’ll
remember it. ‘’
‘’ Got it.’’

Though they weren’t partners anymore, Chuuya still helped Kenji whenever he could. He helped
everyone around the Agency, actually, trying to make up for the fact that his partner was
completely useless.
Dazai hadn’t been this way when they were in the Mafia. Sure, he had had the same bored,
uninterested attitude but that’s where the similarities ended.
Executive Dazai had worked his ass off back then, completely ignoring himself and everything that
didn’t have to do with his job. He’d stay up for days, trying to find solutions to all of the Port
Mafia’s problems. He wouldn’t eat, he wouldn’t drink, he wouldn’t do anything besides working
the hardest he could to preserve his position as an executive.
Detective Dazai, well, he wasn’t the same.
He was an amazing detective due to his various skills, and he solved every case he got, but he
didn’t work nearly as hard. Most days he wouldn’t even pick up the phones.
It was the easiest job yet he refused to do even that.
The only thing he did besides solving cases, was laying on the couch in the common hall until it
was time to leave.

Everyone in the Agency called Dazai lazy and a sloth for that behavior of his, but Chuuya was glad
he was acting like that.
What they saw as laziness he saw as years of incredibly hard work finally catching up to him.
They saw Dazai taking another nap on the couch while he saw Dazai finally being able to sleep,
even for a few minutes.
They saw a man that couldn't be bothered to get up from the couch. He saw Dazai, who could
finally catch a break.

Their perspectives couldn’t have been more different.

Chuuya had experienced both versions of him, and he was certain he preferred this one.

‘’Oi, Ranpo, ‘’ Chuuya called, walking towards the man with his shoes on the desk. ‘’ Have you
seen Dazai? ’’ he asked, looking around for the brunette.
Ranpo took out the lollipop from his mouth so he could answer him. ‘’ Took a leave. ‘’ He replied.
‘’ Said he wasn’t feeling that well.’’
Chuuya nodded his head to show him he had heard.
‘’ Thanks.’’ he muttered, walking away.

He returned to his office and sat down, removing the papers from his desk so he could put his
hands there. He looked at his computer’s screen.
Oh.
Suddenly Dazai’s disappearance made perfect sense.

Three years ago today marked the day Oda Sakunosuke had died.
The day everything in their lives had changed.

Dazai always took that day to himself.

Even when they had been under the radar, Dazai had gone out that day. Chuuya remembered it
clearly.
It had been during the night but he still had risked everything.

He had never asked him where he went every year at that exact date, and he never would, but if he
had to guess, Chuuya would say he either went to Lupin or to the place his friend had been buried.
Odasaku had meant a lot to Dazai, for that he was certain.
And he knew Dazai was still hurting from his death.

Even after three years, Chuuya could still hear Dazai having nightmares. And they were almost
always about Odasaku.
He remembered one night in particular, just a few months ago.
He couldn’t sleep so he was heading for the kitchen to drink some water when he saw Dazai’s door
was ajar. He reached to close it, and that’s when he heard him thrusting between his sheets.
He remembered hearing Dazai screaming, ‘’What do I do? What do I do now, Odasaku ’’. There
was so much pain in his voice.
He had wanted to go inside, and just help him, somehow, but in the end, all he had done was close
the door and pretend he had never heard anything.

Three years had passed and he still didn’t know how to help him.

‘’ Something on your mind? ‘’ A voice startled him.

‘’ Oh, it’s you, doctor’’ He said looking at the woman hovering over his desk.’’ I’m sorry.’’
‘’ No need to apologize, Nakahara. I’m the one interrupting you from…’’
‘’ I was just thinking about something. It wasn’t important.’’
‘’ Right.’’ Yosano agreed with him, albeit a bit hesitant..’’ Anyways, the reason I’m here…would
you mind doing me a small favor?’’
‘’ What kind of favor?’’
‘’ I need someone to help me ran some errands.’’ Yosano explained. ‘’ Normally, I wouldn’t ask
you, but there is no one else available right now and so.’’
A few errands? ‘’ Sure.’’ Chuuya replied.
‘’ If you don’t want to it’s fine, you can just say so.’’ Yosano tried, her tone indicating a tinge of
hesitation. She really didn’t want to be asking him, huh?
But why? He didn’t think he had done anything to offend her or be put on her bad side.
‘’ I don’t mind helping.’’ Chuuya reassured her.
‘’ Great then.’’

Chuuya had come to find that the work schedule in the Agency was very…flexible.

Yosano and he had left the building at the premises of running a few errands related to the Agency.
They had a few things they needed to acquire for the infirmary, as well as some stationary
shortages to deal with.
Apparently, his good-for-nothing partner was very fond of this new hobby he had found. It entailed
flinging pencils and pens out the window and into random people’s heads.
He couldn’t believe Dazai was still playing that game.
After ‘accidentally’ hitting Mori that one time, they had agreed to quit playing it, or as it would
seem, at least Chuuya had.

They went and purchased everything fairly quickly, splitting up to be even faster. In just a few
minutes, they had completed their full list.
Yosano had gone to find all of the medical supplies and a few groceries, while Chuuya had headed
to a nearby paper store to get pens, pencils, and other stationery items. He’d also passed by the
grocery store as well, but only because Yosano had forgotten something.

Once they were done, they met up and gathered all of their belongings to see how they would get
them back. Yeah, like that wasn’t the reason Chuuya was there.
Using his ability, Chuuya was able to lift every single bag they had without even raising a finger.
The bags just floated around and followed him.
It was super convenient.

‘’ Let’s go shopping. ‘’ Yosano grabbed his arm in excitement, her eyes looking at the windows of
the stores on their street.‘’ Shall we? Unlike Kenji, I’m sure you won’t drop my bags.’’ she
laughed.
Chuuya looked at her. ‘’ I’m not some kind of professional carrier, you know.’’ He said in a joking
way, ‘’ And besides, aren’t we supposed to go to work after we’re done with our errands?’’
‘’ I didn’t know I had invited Kunikida with me,’’ She said, acting surprised. ‘’ We are already
behind schedule, you’re right. We should be getting back.’’’
Chuuya sighted.
For some reason, Yosano reminded him of Dazai right then.
That slight tongue they both had, knowing exactly what to say to get someone to do what they
wanted.
‘’ Okay, okay, I suppose we can be away from the Agency for a few more minutes.’’ he said in
defeat.
Yosano nodded her head in approval. ‘’That's the spirit.’’

A few minutes, apparently, for the Agency’s doctor, meant a few hours.
But that was fine, Chuuya didn’t mind her.

Yosano was a fun person to hang out with. In a sense, she was very much like him. Mostly though,
she reminded him of Kouyou, the woman who had raised him as her little brother when he was still
in the Mafia.
They should be around the same age too.
Like them, he found out Yosano was really into fashion. She also loved to drink wine.

After spending half the day with her, Chuuya realized that being on edge around her was just
stupid. Yosano was such a genuinely good person, he really didn’t know why he had been so
unnerved with her ever since he joined the Agency.
Could she kill someone by beating them to death? Sure. Did that make her any less nice? No.
She went inside every store she saw, buying whatever seemed to fit her best. She had asked
Chuuya’s opinion a few times as well, saying that he was a man of fine taste and that his opinion
would actually be of value, unlike of people like Kunikida or Ranpo.
Chuuya had taken that as a compliment.
He did pride himself on his fashion sense, that much was true.

‘’ Canned crab? ‘’ Yosano asked, looking at the one item they had bought that hadn’t been on the
list.
‘’ Yeah, that’s mine.’’ Chuuya said, taking hold of the small container.
‘’ You like crab? ’’ Yosano asked him, adjusting a few of her shopping bags.
Chuuya looked at the can before putting it inside one of the many floating bags around him.
‘’ Dazai does.’’ He said, waiting for the woman’s reaction.
Yosano replied with a simple, ‘’oh.’’

It was something he had noticed months now.

Their mutual aversion.
He had asked Dazai once about it but all he had said was that he highly valued Yosano as a
coworker.
Nothing more, nothing less, which had made Chuuya even more sure.
‘’ If you don’t like him just say so. I don’t like him either.’’ He joked. ‘’ He is so annoying and so-
.’’
Yosano couldn’t hold his gaze. Her eyes fell to the floor. ‘’It’s not like that, ‘’ she tried, ‘’ I think
Dazai is a great person, he just…reminds me of someone.’’
Oh.
‘’ A bad someone? ‘’
Yosano nodded her head.
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ Don’t tell him I told you that. ‘’ She said, ‘’ Or do, it’s not of much importance, now that I think
about it.’’
‘’ I won’t.’’ He said. ‘’ Now, are we done, or is there any other store you’d like to visit?’’
Yosano smiled, ‘’ We’re done,’’ she stated, ‘’ now we’re going back to the agency.’’

‘’ If I were you, I would leave the agency now. ‘’ Ranpo whispered behind his ear. ‘’ Except if you
like being dragged around to go shopping with a girl every week, then I just feel sorry for you.’’
He said, before sitting on top of Chuuya’s desk with his legs crossed.
‘’ I don’t mind.’’ Chuuya simply replied, thinking of the countless times he had accompanied
Kouyou on such shopping trips in the past.
‘’ Suit yourself.’’ Ranpo got up again, ‘’ At least the rest of us are free now.’’ he remarked,
heading back to his office.

Chuuya swiped his desk clean before lighting up the nearest and smallest lamp he could find. With
his hand, he reached and took out a few folders from under his desk. He placed them on top of the
surface and started reading and annotating them with a pen.

For better or worse, like his job in the mafia, this one also required a lot of paperwork. Chuuya used
to loathe paperwork, he always preferred being in the action rather than writing words. But
paperwork was a necessary evil. He had to do it, even if he didn’t like it.
When he was still young, fifteen-sixteen, he used to dodge it as much as possible, and when he
couldn’t, he was always complaining about it to Dazai.
Reaching seventeen and eighteen though, he had come to understand the importance of it.
So now, it was just a standard procedure, equally as important as the action and the case-solving
itself.

He sat there with his papers and pen until it was finally time to leave.

‘’ Hey,‘’ Yosano called, rushing up to him as he was about to exit through the door.
‘’ Yes?’’
‘’ I found this in one of my bags,’’ She handed him the canned crab he had brought earlier.
’’ Must have been mixed up with the rest of the groceries...’’
‘’ Oh, you must be right,’’ He said, taking the small container from her hands, ‘’ I had forgotten all
about this, thanks.’’
‘’ No worries.’’ She paused and turned. ‘’Have a good night, Nakahara’’ She said, heading back to
the infirmary.
Chuuya put the container in the pocket of his coat, ‘’ Goodnight, Doc.’’ he said, heading out.

He went down the stairs, left the building, and cursed at himself.
Great, now he would have to walk all the way back to the apartment.
Fuck
It wouldn’t take more than a few minutes, he knew that, but something about walking back from
work didn’t sit quite well with him.
He didn’t want to have to walk back.
He wanted to feel the cold, night air hit him in the face as he drove.

Walking everywhere was too time-consuming and taking public transportation was just out of the
question. What he wanted was-
no
What he needed was a legitimate license and a car, if not a motorcycle.

Yes. That would certainly fix all his problems.

Walking back from the cemetery was Dazai’s least favorite part of the visit.

He couldn’t stand the sight of people crying and sobbing, begging for their loved ones to come
back. The widows throwing themselves at their late spouses’ graves, screaming and yelling. The
children placing flowers, silver tears lining their eyes.
Everyone looked so pathetic and sad and broken.
He couldn’t watch them for more than a few seconds.
Not when he knew he couldn’t do all those things no matter how much he had wanted to.

Dazai’s grief was different than most people’s.

He didn’t make it obvious, he didn’t show it.
No, that wasn’t the correct phrasing.
He couldn’t show it.

Even when his best friend had died, breathing his last words inside his arms, all Dazai had done
was shed a single tear.
One single tear.
Nothing more.

He had stayed there, frozen holding his body for at least an hour before he could return to his
senses. The pain he had felt had been insufferable, yet all he was able to do was shed one tear.

There was nothing that made him feel more inhuman than that.
So when he saw people grieving the way he couldn’t, he hated them.

He turned the key, careful not to make any noise, and entered the apartment.
He hung his coat on the rack, put his shoes away, and headed toward the kitchen.
He hadn’t drunk nor eaten anything all day, yet his body hadn’t made any attempt to warn him.
Only when he saw the plate already set on the table did his stomach start to growl.

He glanced over at the living room. Chuuya didn’t seem to be there.

By now, he should be asleep in his room.

Dazai sat down and looked at the plate in front of him. A smile tugged on his lips.

5 MONTHS LATER

‘’ Good morning, how can I help you? ‘’ A beautiful young woman greeted them as they
approached the reception, dragging their luggage behind them.
‘’ Good morning miss,’’ Dazai smiled at the woman, fondly. ‘’ We’re here for the check-in?.’’ He
said, looking at her,
The woman turned to the screen on her desk, her hands on the keyboard.‘’ Can I have a name? ‘’
‘’ I believe the room is under the name Dazai.’’ He said, looking at Chuuya. Chuuya nodded his
head.
The woman typed his name in. ‘’ Room 160, right? ’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Great.’’ The woman exclaimed, handing them two cards, ‘’ Your room is on the first floor.
Those are your key cards.’’ She explained. ‘’ Would you like for me to call you a groom? ’’
‘’ No, we’ll carry them ourselves,’’ Dazai replied, kindly refusing her offer. ’’ thank you.’’
‘’ Okay. Should you need anything, the reception is open 24 hours. If you don’t want to come here,
your room is equipped with a phone. Ring it, and we’ll have someone there immediately.’’ She
informed them, showing them the phone on her end.
‘’ We’ll keep that in mind.’’ Chuuya said, finally contributing to the conversation.
‘’ Alright!’’ The woman smiled at them again. ‘’ Have a great day!’’

The case shouldn’t take them more than a few days.

‘’ Room 160? Really,‘’ Chuuya said, walking towards the door. ‘’ I swear, you can be so immature
at times.’’ He complained, putting his key card on the slot to open the door.
‘’ Why? Do you have something against that number?’’ Dazai asked, pushing the door open with
his hand.
Chuuya thought about extending his leg and making him trip, but he didn’t do it.
‘’ Oh, so the number is a coinci-
His words were cut short as he stepped inside.
‘’ Your face.’’ Dazai laughed, pointing at him. ‘’ Oh my god, your face-
Chuuya’s eyes were like two daggers ready to cut him into pieces.
‘’ Haha, funny,’’ Chuuya deadpanned,‘’ You’ll be sleeping on the floor.’’ he said factually,
looking at the single bed in the middle of the room.
‘’ Oh come on, I-
‘’ Yeah, no.’’ Chuuya interrupted him, throwing himself on top of the bed. ’’ You, ‘’ He pointed at
him, ‘’Floor.’’ he pointed at the floor.
‘’ But-
‘’ Not negotiable.‘’
Okay, so Dazai might have wanted to mess with him a little by booking a double bed room instead
of a twin. It was all in good fun, there was no need for him to be sleeping on the floor.

‘’ Whatever, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’’ Dazai started, ‘’ For now, let’s focus on
the case.’’
Chuuya bit down his desire to tell him there was no bridge. ‘’ Fine, what’s the plan? ’’

The reason they were in the Hotel in the first place was because of a big case they had been
working on for the past week.
A case they both felt obliged to solve.

The hotel was a hot spot for a very special group of people, actually. A group of people they
needed to find, follow and then capture.
Every month, and for three days only, those three people would leave their homes and high
esteemed workplaces to gather here and discuss their future business plans.
Plans that would make anyone that would hear them sick to their stomach.

‘’ The best way to catch predators is by playing the prey. ‘’ Dazai said, opening his suitcase. ‘’
And what better pray than some drunken, small, defenseless teenager.’’ He fumbled inside the case
until he found what he was looking for.
‘’ I hate you.’’
Dazai handed him the clothes he’d brought.‘’ You know it wouldn’t work on me. ’’
‘’ Why, cause you’re not…vertically smaller? ’’ Chuuya challenged.
‘’ Just say sho-
Dazai didn’t have the chance to finish his sentence. Chuuya slapped him in the back of his head.
‘’ Fine, vertically challenged, whatever.’’ He earned a sharp look, but not another slap.
‘’ Point is, you pass as a teenage boy, I don’t. So you play the bait and I come and save you.’’
Chuuya threw his head back laughing. ‘’ You, save me? ‘’ Chuuya questioned, ‘’ Sometimes I
forget that you can actually be funny.’’
Dazai’s eyes widened.‘’ Chuuya finds me funny? ‘’
‘’ I find your face funny.’’
‘’ Aw, ‘’ Dazai swooned, ‘’ I find your height funny.’’
The daggers were out again, this time piercing through his soul, or whatever was in that place,
instead.

Chuuya took the clothes in his hands and went to the bathroom to change.
When he came out he looked as if no time had passed since the day they had first met.
‘’ The fact you remember what I was wearing is creepy, you freak.’’ he joked, looking at himself
through the mirror.
‘’ Of course, I do, it was the day I told you I love you for the-
‘’ Not this again. ‘’ Chuuya turned away, disgusted ’’ One more word and I swear I’m out.’’
‘’ Okay, fine. You don’t want to hear about me confe-
‘’ Dazai.’’
‘’ Fine.’’ Dazai threw his head back, hitting the wooden frame of the bed. ‘’ Can’t even joke
here.’’ He complained to no one at all.
Chuuya bit back another nice remark. This one being about his schizophrenic tendencies.
‘’ And what will you be doing while I’m baiting them?’’
Dazai smiled. He pointed at the suit hanging from the hanger in front of the closet. ‘’ I’ll be out for
a few drinks. Thought my outfit should be matching.’’
Looking at the black costume and then at his attire, Chuuya couldn’t help but think about that day.
That fateful day he met that stupid, insufferable, suicidal brat.
He couldn’t help but think of how far they had come since then.
‘’ And, I’m doing all the work while you laze around,’’ Chuuya scoffed, ‘’ Just like always.’’
‘’ Yeah, ‘’ Dazai agreed, attaching a small bug to Chuuya’s hood. ‘’ Just like always.’’ He gave
him a smug smile.

It wasn’t hard for Chuuya to pretend he was drunk. He’d already done it a few dozen times in the
past for cover, so it wasn’t anything new.
He entered the club room and headed straight for the bar, where he ordered a glass of Vodka,
something he didn’t drink so often. Then he ordered another glass and a third one.
Vodka was a liquor he knew didn’t have much effect on him, unlike wine or beer. So it was the
one drink he used in missions when he had to pretend he was drinking.
He kept drinking, trying to spot the men.
According to Dazai, they would surely pass by there to do their little ‘haunt’.

The whole case was disgusting, but that wasn’t the reason they wanted to stop it so badly.

Soon enough, three men entered the bar, their appearances perfectly matching the descriptions
Dazai had given him
They entered the bar with such confidence and purpose, marching towards their goal. Their eyes
scouting left and right, trying to spot their next victim.

Human traffickers were really the worst of the worst.

When the case had first fallen into the Agency’s table Dazai had immediately taken custody of it.
He said he had found it intriguing. Chuuya knew that wasn’t the reason.
When they were finally at the apartment, Chuuya had dared to ask him why he had taken it.
Dazai needn't hold back the truth from him. Why would he? There was no good reason. Chuuya
wasn’t a stranger to the Mafia ways. He knew better than anyone what was going on in the darkest
parts of the city, he wasn’t oblivious to it.
So Dazai had told him.
The ring was his fault.
At least partially.
A big revenue went to the Mafia every month because of that ring of traffickers. And while still an
Executive, Dazai had been aware of it.
No. He wasn’t just aware. He was the reason the ring hadn’t been caught for so many years.
Dazai had ensured that their ‘business’ would continue uninterrupted because, well, it was in the
Mafia’s best.

He not only had condoned those actions, but he had made sure they would continue because it was
beneficial to the Mafia.
So Chuuya had been right. He hadn’t taken the case because he had found it interesting. He’d
taken it for more personal reasons.

Seeing the men in the flesh, just hovering over younger women and men made Chuuya want to
smash something in their heads. They were sick for that, but was he any better?
They took people away and forced them into situations they didn’t want to be in. They treated
people as if they were cage animals or even worse.
Their actions were unforgivable, they were inhumane.
But so were his.

He used to kill people for his job, taking them away from their loved ones without a second though.
He used to torture and beat people without ever caring to know what they did or didn’t do.
He followed orders that led to countless deaths.
Wasn’t that as awful? As sickening?

He shook those thoughts away, focusing on the task at hand.

He grabbed his glass tighter and, staggering, he made his way towards the booth near theirs.
He stumbled on the chair, and then sat down, making it completely obvious that he was in no
shape to get up again.
He glanced over only to discover that their eyes were on him.
Good.
He blinked a few times, making it look as if he was struggling to keep himself awake. He hit the
table with his hand before pretending to be passing out.
He closed his eyes and focused on hearing the footsteps around him.
Soon a hand was shaking him, ‘’ Hey boy, you good? ‘’
The way they pretended to care about their future victims made his blood boil.
Chuuya kept his eyes closed, slightly twitching to indicate he was somewhere in between awake
and asleep.
‘’ Boy,’’ The man shook him again, ‘’ Do you need any help?’’
That was his cue to wake up.
He opened his eyes slowly, trying his best to seem disoriented, confused.
‘’ Would some water help you?’’ The man asked, looking over at his table and at his two
accomplices. Chuuya nodded his head.
‘’ Get the boy some water,’’ the man called to the other two.
A glass was placed in front of him almost instantly. The man pushed it towards him.
Chuuya took the glass with both his hands, tipping it over to his lips.
In reality, he wasn't actually drinking it, but he made sure it would appear that way from their
perspective.
The water was certain to be spiked, for Dazai had said that was the way in which they operated.
And since Dazai had been the one to say that, he wouldn't be taking any chances.
‘’ Here, ‘’ The man extended his hand at him, ‘’ We’ll help you up.’’
Any non-sober person would have missed the sly smile on his lips.
‘’ Let us get you to your room.’’

They didn't help him to his room.

Once he had passed out, (about 20 minutes later like Dazai had instructed him to, so he could fake
it convincingly) they moved him to the fourth floor.
The floor their room was at.
They ‘helped’ him inside and placed him on the floor, tying his arms and legs with some rope.
Yeah, like that would hold him.

Chuuya waited to hear the footsteps fading before he opened his eyes. He waited to hear the door
open and then close.
with his right eye, he took a quick peek to ensure that no one was there. Once he made sure, he
broke free.
The rope was severed the moment he activated his power.
It was too easy.
He stood up and looked around the room.
Three more people were lying on the floor, their hands and legs tied up just like his had been.
They must be the rest of their ‘hunt’.
Two very young seemingly girls, around the ages of ten, and a teenage boy.

He would return for them later.

He couldn't stall the mission now.

Searching closets, safes, cupboards, and everything else he considered a good hiding spot, he was
able to find two of the men's real IDs and some pretty incriminating evidence.
The papers bore the same signature as the IDs he had discovered inside the safe. The hidden one,
the one between the mattress of the bed and the floor.

He’d snatched the papers away, fast, before taking a last look inside the safe. Seeing nothing else
of value was in there, he closed it, making sure the placement, the angle, and everything, were the
same as before he had intervened.

Now all he had to do was wait for one of them to come back to the room.

It didn't take long.

Soon, one of the three men returned, a child sleeping in his arms.
Chuuya had said to himself that he wouldn't bother with the rest of the victims now, but when he
saw how that man was looking at the little girl he reconsidered.

While tying her arms, the man seemed to observe there was no more rope for her legs. He let go of
the girl to go and fetch the rope that was on the counter behind Chuuya.
With one swift and clean motion, the man flew across the room, stopping only at the far end wall.
If he had wanted, Chuuya could have made him go through that wall, but that would have resulted
in his cover being blown.

With a kick like that, the man wouldn't be getting up for a while.
Chuuya dragged him inside the closet that seemed to not have been used by them, before resuming
his initial position.

Then he waited.

An hour passed before the two other men both returned, two more people, hoisted up in their arms.

According to Dazai and his plan, that marked the end of their monthly visit to the hotel.
6 people.
Always the same number.
Was it for convenience? Was it a habit? Was it a business tactic?
They'd know in a few hours.

Dazai had said that the sedative drug they had used on them would last for about 10 hours.
And he had been right, the dragged people around him seemed to be awaking now that the hours
had passed.
He could see all of their confused faces as they woke up to a living nightmare.
They tried to yell, to scream, but inside the truck, and after being unconscious for so long, their
voices were barely audible.

Chuuya tried to shush them. He tried to tell them that things would be okay soon, that he'd help
them out of here, but they wouldn't listen.
Chuuya knew they wouldn't listen, he knew his attempts would be in vain.
In a situation like this, the shock and the fear you feel is much stronger than the words of a
stranger.
Still he tried.

The drive didn’t last for long. They were probably taking them to some isolated warehouse near
the port.
Maybe near Hiratsuka, the place where the river met the ocean. He could definitely smell the
salted water, so it was possible.
Once they had arrived at their destination, the doors of the back of the truck opened, revealing the
inside of a metallic container.
It didn’t take a genius to know what they had to do.
Just in a few seconds, all six of them were inside, Five of them clinging to the corners.
Chuuya stood there unbothered.

Stopping a ring requires patience and a good plan.

Had he only stopped the three men at the Hotel he would only have stalled the situation. If he
wanted to figure the whole thing out, he needed to be at their headquarters, at their place of
operation.
There was no faster way than being one of the victims.

The truck moved forwards, and the doors of the container closed.

They were stuck there, now.

But Chuuya knew it wouldn’t be for long.

Finishing his drink Dazai took out his phone to check the tracker.
Seeing Chuuya was on the move, he let down the glass and left the room

He waited to see where the car would stop before jumping to the first train he could find that
would take him there
There, apparently, being a stranded location, near the river and the sea.

If you didn’t know better you’d think it was an abandoned container terminal. A place shipments
used to be unloaded and loaded back.
And for the first part, you would be right, that was true. It used to be that.
Now that place was one of the biggest black markets in all of Japan.

It being near Yokohama was purely a convenient coincidence. Surely no one did that on purpose so
they could have profit.

Dazai stood up and walked towards the glass door on his side. He waited for the train to announce
its next stop, his eyes wandering to the view outside the window.
He reached the station and got off.
The place was accessible by foot, so he decided he’d walk there.

Upon reaching the gates he noticed a few men there, a few guards.
As if they would be a match for him.

He looked around to see what he could use to his advantage. The terrain, the people, the
constructions. His head was already planning his next moves before he could even think of doing
that.
He’d throw them off at first, making noise on the other side of the road by throwing some rocks
there.
The ones going to check that noise would probably be the guards.
Having them gone, he could get access to the men standing near them.
They were obviously the men from the hotel. Their pricey outfits and their movements gave that
away.
Being that they were those they called the ‘hunters’, they would probably have little to no
knowledge of martial arts or self-defense.
It would be a child’s play for Dazai to knock them out and secure the third for questioning.

The men were far away enough, and the guards were already on alert.
That was the perfect moment for Dazai to make his move.
He threw a few rocks he had found on the ground on the side opposite him.
As he had predicted, they went to investigate the strange sound that had startled them.

They were two armed guards.

Dazai could take them.

He went around the bushes and ambushed them, kicking the first guard on his leg so he would
double over. With his hand, he swiftly hit the other man on the nape of his neck.
They were both down before he could even count to 10.
He grabbed one of their firearms, a small hand pistol.
Then he went after the men.

He followed them soundlessly until they reached one of the containers. A big gray one, its location
the same as the one in his tracker.
There was no fault, Chuuya was inside.

He waited to see what the men would do.

They moved further away from the gray container, towards the warehouse in the middle of the
terminal.
There they met up with a few other men.
Dazai kept following them, keeping a mental note of everything and everyone he saw.
He had expected the whole place to be a lot more crowded. He had expected a lot more people and
a lot more guards.
Guess the Mafia had really fallen off ever since he had left them.

He couldn’t hear them that well due to the distance, but he was sure he had heard something about
a meeting taking place in a few minutes.
That was ideal.
While everyone would be occupied at the warehouse for the meeting, he would find Chuuya, they
would free all the innocent people and then they would come here to do a little meet and greet with
everyone.
Waiting for the meeting to start, he passed the time by taking a bunch of photos of the place and of
the people, and of the whole situation going around him.
Those would prove helpful later when Kunikida would ask him for all sorts of evidence.

That’s more like it,.Dazai found himself thinking, seeing more people entering the premises of the
warehouse.
Now that the crowd had gotten bigger, it was clear to see that the meeting was about to start.
Dazai left before they could officially announce it.

There were two more guards watching over the container Chuuya was in.
Dazai fixed the collar of his coat before going in to greet them.

He knocked three times on the door of the container.

He got three knocks back.

He didn’t bother to steal the keys from the unconscious guard laying at his feet.
He never did.
All he ever did was use the two bobby pins he always carried with him.
Container locks are supposed to be more difficult to break in. They are supposed to be more
secure.
They had this bulky exterior that didn’t allow your hands much space to work with.
It was a real challenge for everyone.
Well, for everyone but Dazai.

He opened the lock and caught it before it could hit the ground.
That much noise wouldn’t alert anyone, but better be safe than sorry.

He pulled one of the doors open.

Thankfully, Chuuya had already explained the situation to all the victims inside. So when Dazai
opened their door, they remained silent.
He entered the inside to give them the updated version of the plan.
All they had to do was wait there, just for a few more minutes.
To Dazai’s surprise, there wasn’t even one person that disagreed.
Chuuya was really good at crowd control, it would seem.
Better than he had though.

With some last reassuring words, Dazai and Chuuya left them to go and find the masterminds
behind that horror show.

‘’ I’m sorry, ‘’ Dazai said, with that fake apologetic tone of his, ‘’ Did we crush your little party?
‘’
Chuuya was stretching himself, standing beside him.
‘’ Why didn’t you invite us? ‘’ His partner asked the men seated in front of them.
One of them had the actual guts to look at them and ask them who they were.
Dazai had laughed.
‘’ We’re Port Mafia.’’ He’d lied.
Another man, the one seated at the head of the table, stood up and approached them.
‘’ Ougai’ Moris representatives? ‘’ He asked, confusion painted across his face. ‘’ I see.’’
He returned to his chair, laughing. ‘’ It’s okay, they are with us, ‘’ He reassured the rest of the
party, ’’ We’re in collusion with the mafia. They must have the date wrong, that’s all. ‘’
‘’ Is it? ’’
Dazai was enjoying this way more than he should have.
The way chills ran down their spines as he spoke. Knowing exactly what to say to make them feel
uneasy.
‘’ Mister Hinode,’’ using his name while it hasn’t been spoken. Chuuya really did admire Dazai’s
way of speaking in situations such as these.
‘’ Have you ever heard of Twin Dark? ’’ The man’s face paled.
‘’ But we’re working with the mafia.’’ The man tried to reason, panicking. ‘’ we’ve never broke
not one payment, we’ve always bee-
‘’ I didn’t ask you to describe to me why you’re a good partner to the mafia. I simply asked a
question. ‘’
The room was dead silent.
No one dared to move or breathe.
‘’ I have…’’ The man said, ‘’I have heard of them.’’ he whispered.
’’ Good.’’
The smile Dazai gave the man could only be described as terrifying.

That wasn’t Dazai Osamu of the Armed Detective Agency, standing before them.
No.
That was the Demon Prodigy of the Port Mafia, in flesh.

‘’ When Mori asks you, ‘’ He continued, his smile growing more wicked, ‘’ and I know that he
will,’’ more twisted. ‘’ tell him Dazai says hi’.’’

Chuuya had forgotten how it had felt back then.

Being teenagers and just decimating every place, every organization in their way. Being in the
front line, beating up every soldier, every guard, anyone who would dare to come at them.
There was no one that could put up a fight with them
and the underworld of Yokohama knew that all too well.

They were the Devastating Rivals.

Twin Dark.
Dazai and Chuuya.
And this? This was their forte.

Wiping out their little ring once they had found it, had been too easy.
Dazai hadn’t even needed to use his gun.

The man’s face when he realized just who he was up against, had said it all…He had been terrified,
scared out of his own mind, And for a good reason.

Don’t kill anyone.

That was the only instruction Dazai had given him before they entered the warehouse.
It didn’t take long for the room to fall silent.
Chuuya didn't need to kill anyone to accomplish that.

He turned to look at Dazai.

His partner was holding his pistol against the leader’s head.
He was saying something to him.
The man was shaking.
Chuuya neared them, in an attempt to hear better. He got close enough to be able to have a better
look at Dazai.

And maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the clothes they were wearing, but Chuuya knew he
had lived that moment before.
He knew what came after.
When Dazai’s eyes became like that, so dark, so fixated on the target in front of him-
No.
He wouldn’t let him do that.

This time, he kicked the gun out of his hand before he could fire.
This time, he hadn’t stopped Dazai.
He had prevented him.

Both the man on the ground and Dazai looked at Chuuya. Two completely different expressions on
their faces.
‘’ He doesn’t deserve this, ‘’’ Chuuya was quick to say, ‘’ He doesn’t deserve to die this easily.’’
Dazai considered him.
‘’ You’re right,’’ he said, his eyes never on Chuuya’s, ‘’ You’re absolutely right.’’ The lightness in
his voice made Chuuya get the chills. ‘’ God, you’re so right.’’ Dazai’s laughter was painful to
hear.
‘’ You hear that? ‘’ He turned to the old bastard on the ground. ‘’ You ain’t dying, ‘’ He
announced to him, his smile venomous, ‘’ But you’d wish I had pulled that trigger.’’

There was something wrong with Dazai. More so than usual.

This case had triggered something in him. Something Chuuya couldn’t yet grasp.
He needed to fix that as soon as possible.

‘’ When is-
‘’ On his way.’’ Dazai answered before Chuuya could even complete the question. ‘’ I’d give them
about five to ten minutes.’’ he added, pacing around the room.
Chuuya watched him as he walked out of the warehouse. As he sat on the ground outside, his head
lifted, looking up at the night sky.
Chuuya wondered what he could be thinking of.

‘’ He’s insane.‘’ The man on the ground hissed at him.’’ He’s that demon executive, isn’t he?’’ he
asked Chuuya, his voice trembling. Chuuya spared him a glance but he didn’t answer.
‘’ He is...’’ The man came to the conclusion.’’ That boy is even more deranged than-
Chuuya kicked him on his head to shut him up.

Could that have been a result o Dazai’s conscience?

Chuuya stood there and observed Dazai, a million thoughts flooding his mind.

Dazai had told him time and time again that he didn’t have one but maybe that had changed. Maybe
working for the ADA had awakened it. Maybe, just maybe, this was Dazai’s attempt to make up
for some of the wrongs he had done.

The man had called him crazy and deranged. Chuuya didn’t think that was true.
Dazai wasn’t crazy. He was a lot of things, but not crazy.

This wasn't something a crazy person would do.

This was personal.

‘’ Kunikida~’’
He heard Dazai’s fake laughter and his whole body recoiled.

Sometimes it scared even him, just how good Dazai was at switching up.
One moment he was having a psychotic episode or whatever that was, and the other, he was
smiling and making fun of his, oblivious to everything, co-worker.
It was like he could flip a switch at any given moment.

By the time of the sunrise, Chuuya and Dazai were both back at the hotel. Chuuya was sleeping on
the bed while Dazai was passed out on the floor.

The mission had been a success.

Kunikida, with the help of the police department, had arrested all the men accounted for, who had
been inside and out of the warehouse. With incriminating evidence provided by Dazai and Chuuya,
he was able to make a strong case against them.

The victims, those that had been found in different containers than the one Chuuya had been in,
had gone alongside the police. They had been returned to their legal guardians and their houses.
Their guardians had expressed their immense gratitude for the people that had found their lost kids.
Those that had been with Chuuya had returned with him and Dazai back to the Hotel they had been
staying in.
For teenagers, they had handled the whole affair a lot better than Dazai had expected. Sure they
had been scared and confused, but they hadn’t let those feelings affect their reactions. They had
listened and had obeyed to Chuuya’s every instruction without a word. They had made it a lot
easier for the detectives to do what needed to be done.
They hadn’t created more trouble for them.

When everything had been settled and after making sure that every kid had been returned to their
guardian with a detailed explanation of the events that had transpired, they could finally go to their
room.

Dazai hadn’t even tried to persuade Chuuya to let him in on the bed. He’d taken a bottle from the
mini bar inside the room and had let himself pass out on the floor while drinking it.

For two hours after they had arrived, Chuuya hadn’t been able to close his eyes.
There were still so many thoughts, so many questions plaguing his mind.

He was glad the case had been solved, and everyone was okay and back at their homes, but a big
part of him felt conflicted.
What they had done would surely have negative effects on the Port Mafia, and a part of him was
glad for that.
Another part felt shame and regret.
His loyalties didn’t lie with the Port Mafia anymore, yet there was still this tiny part of him that
didn’t want to see the organization being brought to its knees.

It was the same part that told him Dazai hadn’t changed.
It was a stupid little part, a faint whisper that haunted the back of his mind.

Unfortunately, today’s events had only made it louder.

The sun was a nuisance.

Dazai pushed the bottle away, and stood up, intending to walk towards the curtains on the side of
the window and close them.
The daylight was too bright and it made his eyes hurt.

He stood up, closed the curtains to shield the sunlight away from him, and let his body fall back to
the soft mattress. Now no longer occupied by Chuuya.
Dazai tried to return to his sleep.

After some seconds he realized that would not be happening.

Once he had woken up, Dazai couldn’t go back to sleep.
He did the second-best thing.

He moved himself to the bathroom to splash his face with some water.
He looked at the mirror.
A mistake, really.
The black coat and the white button-up shirt beneath it. His bandages dirty, stained with blood. His
hair a mess.
Simply throwing some water on his face wouldn’t be enough.

He took off his clothes and his coat and he stepped into the shower.
He turned the faucet on and got under the shower head, letting the hot water run down his body.

The mission had been a success but why didn’t it feel like it? he tried to ignore his reflection and
just focus on his thoughts.
They had captured everyone involved in the kidnappings, and with the clues and evidence, they
had gathered they could probably dig up some even deeper stuff, like the whereabouts of older
victims.
They had made a gigantic breakthrough with that mission that could help so many people in the
future but Dazai couldn't care less about that.
Why?
Why couldn’t he care? What was so wrong with him?
He slid his back on the wall, falling on the marble ground.
He sat there and watched the water as it spiraled before going down the drain.

The man behind the ring had recognized him.

It had taken him a bit longer to figure it out than Dazai had anticipated, but in the end, he had.

He watched the water slowly turning red as it washed over his bandages.
He’d forgotten to take them off.

The man hadn’t recognized him by his appearance.

He hadn’t recognized him by his voice.
Neither by his name.
It took Dazai holding him at gunpoint, staring at him with those soulless eyes of his, as he joked
about how easy it would be to just pull the trigger.

And even then, the man was still oblivious to who Dazai was.
He’d gotten that he had been the demon Executive of the Mafia, but nothing more.
No wonder.
He’d seen so many young adolescents in his life, what was one more?
Why would he remember Dazai?
But Dazai remembered him.

It wasn’t every day that someone had the guts to ask the boss if he would sell his prodigy to them.

Dazai stepped out of the shower, water leaking from his bandages to the floor. With his hand, he
took one end of the gauze and started to unwrap it, throwing every piece that came off in the bin.
Soon he was completely exposed.
He tied a towel around his waist and reached for the cabinet.

It was a hotel.
They didn’t have bandages stocked in their bathroom cabinets, and he hadn’t brought any with him.
He could find some, if he requested them, but to do that we would have to leave the bathroom and
go back to the main room.
And even if he rang the reception phone, a staff member would have to come to the room.

He observed his right hand, and all the scars on it, trying to dictate if they were visible enough.
They were.
His eyes shifted to his other hand, and the scars there.
His tattoo was way more distracting than any scar.

Chuuya
He could just call Chuuya and tell him to bring some bandages when he’d come up again.
Why hadn’t that been his first thought?
Chuuya was out. He could get him some bandages on his way back, and everything would be
solved.

Or not everything.

The reason he hadn’t thought of that first was that his mind was trying to avoid thinking about him.
Thinking about Chuuya he couldn’t help but remember the look on his face yesterday.
He had been so disappointed in him.
He’d probably be thinking he was having one of his crisis again, like the one he had the first day
they ever met, where Dazai had just shot a random person a couple more times than it had been
necessary.
He hadn’t been well that day, and he’d seen the man suffering on the ground and he just-
It had just hit him so hard.
He had been projecting his own suffering and how much he had wanted an end to it, and
everything just-
Like the water on the drain, he had spiraled.
One thought had led to another, and one shot had led to a second and a third, and before he knew it,
Chuuya had kicked the gun out of his hand.
Stopping that horrible little train of thoughts.
He must have thought he was doing the same thing yesterday.
Was he?
Dazai didn’t intend to pull the trigger on the man.
He just wanted him to remember.
He wouldn’t have killed him.
Or would he?
If Chuuya hadn’t stopped him, would he have been able to stop himself?
Or would he take it too far?

No, no.

It was exactly those thoughts Dazai had been trying so hard to avoid.

He would just call Chuuya and tell him to bring over some bandages because he had run out. When
Chuuya would be there, he would explain to him why he had held the man at gunpoint.
He couldn’t have Chuuya misunderstand his actions because what if Chuuya started doubting him?
What if Chuuya started doubting his change like he did?
No.
He hadn’t killed anyone in over three years.
That was a change.
Wasn’t it?
Maybe it wasn’t enough.
Maybe-

‘’ You up? ’’Dazai heard Chuuya’s voice from the main room.
‘’ Yeah, just taking a shower.’’ Dazai shouted loud enough for him to hear over the bathroom door.
He grabbed the bathrobe from the hanger and put it on.
Some of the scars on his neck and lower legs were still visible, but the ones on his torso and arms
weren’t.
He opened the door, enough to get his head out.
‘’ Hey, Chuuya,’’ He called.
Chuuya neared the door to hear him.
‘’ What? ’’ He sounded tired.
‘’ Can you do me a little favor? ‘’ Dazai asked, putting on an awkward smile.
Chuuya arched his eyebrow, giving Dazai the signal to go on with his request.
‘’ Would you be so kind as to go and get me some bandage rolls from the reception?’’ He asked
nicely, ‘’ I ran out.’’ He added.
‘’ Is that all? ’’ Chuuya looked so done with him.
Hadn’t he slept well?
Was that why he was so grumpy?
‘’ Well, yeah.’’ Dazai confirmed.
Chuuya walked away from him and towards his suitcase. He took something out and threw it to
Dazai.
Dazai caught it with his arm.
‘’ Had it in case anyone got injured. ‘’ Chuuya explained even though Dazai hadn’t asked. Dazai
looked at the roll now in his palm.
Oh
Dazai thought about all the things he could say to make Chuuya absolutely livid.
There were so many.
Oh, he could tease him about that for days.

‘’ Thanks.’’

‘’ Provoking Mori was taking it too far.’’ Chuuya said, a serious expression on his face. Dazai
shifted his body so he wouldn’t have to face him.
‘’ I know.’’ He admitted, uninterested in meeting Chuuya’s eyes.
‘’ Then why did you do it?’’
Cause he wanted Mori to know he was behind this.
Cause he wanted to have the credit for the Port Mafia’s inevitable fall.
‘’ I don’t know, ‘’ he lied, ‘’ that ring was one of my first responsibilities as a new fully-fledged
Executive. I guess I wanted it gone.’’
‘’ So what? You’re angry at Mori for giving you a disgusting first job? ‘’ Chuuya’s confusion was
understandable. It really sounded like was throwing a stupid tantrum.’’ We condoned a lot of bad
things as executives, Dazai. We also tortured and killed people but I thought that was behind us,
now.‘’
Here it comes.
Dazai could practically hear his next words before he even opened his mouth.
‘’ At least that’s what I thought up until you were ready to blow that bastard’s brains out.’’ He
wasn’t looking at him yet he knew Chuuya was smiling.
Not a happy smile, but rather a venomous one. One that tried to hide his disappointment.
‘’ I didn’t do that out of anger.’’ It was true.’’ Anger is such a childish emotion, it can’t drive to do
anything.’’ Dazai tried to explain himself. ‘’ And besides, I’m not angry at Mori. ’’
‘’ What.’’
‘’ I’m not angry with him? Why would I be?’’
Chuuya turned to look at him. To look at the way Dazai stared at the floor.
‘’ Wasn’t he the reason…your friend died? ‘’ He contemplated on saying the name.
Dazai didn’t answer right away.

The silence after that was too loud.

‘’ No.’’ He said, his eyes still on the floor.’’ He isn’t the one at fault. ‘’
There was something so earnest in his words.
‘’ Then who is to blame? ‘’ If he didn’t blame Mori then-
‘’ I am. ‘’ Sincerity leaked from his every word,‘’ I’m the reason Odasaku is dead.’’ It was as if he
believed that.
His voice remained controlled and leveled but something was off.
‘’ You can’t blame yourself for not having saved him.‘’ Was it true? Did Dazai truly believe that?
‘’ It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have-
Dazai turned to face him, his brown eyes finding Chuuya’s. ‘’ Did I ever tell you about the day I
met Odasaku? ’’

Chuuya had always known Odasaku had been important to him but he had never known just how
much.
Hearing Dazai go into detail about how they had met and how their friendship had started and
everything about how Oda treated him.
He had thought Oda was just a friend to Dazai, but he had been so much more.
He’d been like family to him.

When Dazai had told him he was the reason Oda had joined the Mafia so many dots connected in
his head.
Suddenly so many things made sense.
Listening to the story, Chuuya came to a conclusion.
Contrary to what he said, Dazai did blame Mori and Ango. He did loathe them both for what they
had done, but that blame, that hatred couldn’t hold a candle to what Dazai was feeling for himself.

Chuuya didn’t know what to say after Dazai had finished reciting the story.

‘’ I dragged him into the mafia, you see.’’ Dazai concluded, ‘’ So if anyone is to blame, that would
be me.’’
Chuuya had this sudden urge to get up and just wrap his arms around him. Tell him that it wasn’t
his fault.
He blamed the thought on his sympathy.
‘’ And who dragged you into the mafia? Mori.’’ Chuuya made a huge effort to sound rational, ‘’ so
in your logic, the one at fault isn’t you but rather Mori.’’
‘’ That’s not-
‘’ Okay, then. I’m at fault for the Flag’s deaths.’’
Dazai widened his eyes when he said that. His surprise was the same as the one Chuuya felt saying
it.
Dazai was showing him a vulnerable side of him.
He’d do the same.
‘’ That was-
‘’ No, no. In your logic, neither Varlaine nor N is to blame, right?’’ That was the only way Dazai
would get it.
Soft words and pretty lies wouldn’t work on him.
‘’ The flags were my friends, so it was my fault that Verlaine killed them. Right? ‘’
Dazai’s face, always so controlled and neutral, had changed a thousand expressions as Chuuya kept
talking. ‘’ The Flags chose to be my friends. It’s the same as Oda choosing to join the
[Link]?’’
Chuuya was not having it.
He wouldn’t leave the room unless Dazai spoke.
‘’ They were our friends and they paid for that. They-
‘’ Stop it.’’ Dazai finally snapped. ‘’ I get it, okay, now stop it.’’
‘’ Do you still believe that we were at fault? ‘’
Dazai contemplated his answer. Did he?
Odasaku had died because he was in the mafia and he had joined the mafia because of him, but
Dazai couldn’t have known what would happen when he made him the offer.
Could he?
In Chuuya’s case, he was a hundred percent sure Chuuya had played absolutely no role in the
Flag’s deaths.
If anything Dazai should be blamed for that as well.
He had known Varlaine was coming. He could have warned Chuuya in advance, and he could have
warned the Flags, and maybe then-
‘’ So I killed the Flags? ‘’ Chuuya would twist the knife as deep as it could go if it meant Dazai
would walk out of that room, feeling even the tiniest bit lighter.
‘’ No.’’ Dazai was quick to respond.
‘’ Then you didn’t kill Oda.’’ Chuuya was even quicker. ‘’ Simple as that.’’ He stood up from the
bed and stretched himself. ‘’ Now stop wallowing in self-pity, and get the fuck up. We have the
day off.’’

There weren’t many people who could make Dazai doubt himself.
He didn’t care for anyone’s opinion that much.
Two exceptions.
Odasaku and Chuuya.
They were the only two people whose words could affect his mind. Whose words could make him
rethink and re-evaluate circumstances and situations.

Chuuya’s words, although more aggressive than Odasaku’s, could always hit the mark.
The way he’d talked about the Flags, just so Dazai could see things from a different perspective…
He hadn’t voiced it, but it had meant a lot.

‘’ Do you understand how dangerous that was?‘’ Kunikida yelled, pacing around the small
crowded room, ’’ Using Nakahara as bait for people like them Dazai your plans can be so-
‘’ Are we finished yet? ‘’ Dazai yawned, leaning back on his chair. Chuuya, who was seated
beside him, let out a laugh. ‘’ You’ve been lecturing us for more than.’’He checked the clock on
the far end wall of the storage room, ‘’ an hour and a half, Can we go already~’’
Kunikida was at his limit.
‘’ Nakahara is newer to this job than you are, Dazai.’’ He wasn’t yelling at them because he didn’t
have anything better to do. He simply just wanted Dazai to understand a few things about how they
operated.
‘’ I was your partner for a while, okay, so I expect you to do things like that, but that was going too
far.’’ Kunikida pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to take a breath and calm himself down. ‘’
When the Agency and the President agreed to partner you two up, we didn’t expect you would-
‘’ Kunikida~’’ Dazai tried to disrupt him. ‘’ You forget that Chuuya and I know each other.’’ He
reminded him. ‘’ I would never put my roommate in danger,’’ he put his hand on his heart and
looked at Chuuya. ‘’ What would I do if he died?’’ He started his theatrics, earning an eye roll
from his partner. ‘’ I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt and the-
‘’ Oh, fuck off. ‘’Chuuya kicked his chair, but to his surprise instead of spinning around Dazai fell
to the ground.
Chuuya let out another laugh, this one louder.’’ Forgot you had a stale chair, now’’ He said,
looking down at him.
‘’ Kunikida hates me, that’s why.’’ Dazai whined, ‘’ He took away my office chair.’’ he pouted at
the blond man.
Kuniida looked at the both of them, the exasperation clear in his eyes.
‘’ Okay, fine,’’ Kunikida decided to let them go.
He had a lot of paperwork to do, he couldn’t sit there and deal with their children-like behavior.’’
Nakahara,’’ He turned his attention towards the redhead. ‘’ are you okay with being Dazai’s
partner and operating according to all his plans and tactics that would be considered dangerous and
immoral by most? ‘’
‘’ I’ve been his partner for half a year now, Kunikida. I’m honestly fine with that.’’
‘’ See, Kunikida, Chuuya trusts me.’’ Dazai smiled, still on the floor.’’ And to leave your mind at
peace,’’ He continued, ‘’ Even if we did end up in a dangerous situation, believe me, Chuuya is
more than capable to get us out.’’
Chuuya glared at him.
Kunikida regarded them both.
‘’ Have your reports ready by eight and you can leave.’’

It was funny just how oblivious Kunikida was.

Noth often wondered how he would react if they casually told them that they had been partners
before.
And in the Mafia.
Would he know about them? About the terror Twin Dark used to be?
He was a detective only for a few years now, so they doubt it.
If anyone would know, that would be Ranpo.

It was funny to think about it.

Funny in a sense that it made them both feel uncomfortable and light-headed.
How would the ADA react to them being from the Port Mafia?

Well, sooner or later they’d found out, it was inevitable.

Dazai knew that day was coming, and he knew it was coming rather soon.

TWO MONTHS LATER

" It's not every day a man turns 21, Chuuya. " Dazai reminded him in his nonchalant manner, "
Your present had to be special. It had to be-"
" Oh, just tell me already, you fucker. " Chuuya snapped. " You've been so annoying about this
present, I'm starting to believe it never even existed in the first place.’’
Dazai gasped, putting his hand on his heart. "You think I would lie to you?"
Chuuya's deafening silence and piercing gaze was an answer on its own.
" Okay, okay, fair. But not about something this important." he tried to reason.
Chuuya continued to stare at him, slowly arching his left eyebrow.
Dazai let out a sight. " Okay, point. But I didn't lie about your present."
" Where is it then? "
" We're getting there, have a little patience. "

Chuuya looked at the staircase they were descending.

The only possible place they could be going to would be the Agency's Garage. There were no other
rooms down there, at least not to his knowledge.

" Oh, you're gonna love it." Dazai remarked, obviously trying to make Chuuya boil in his
anticipation.

Chuuya had had enough of that.

Dazai had been teasing his birthday gift for a year now, and it was exhausting. He'd make one
stupid little comment about it and Chuuya's mind would be spinning for hours, dancing around all
the different possibilities.
" The garage? " Chuuya asked, coming to a logical conclusion. " What, you got me a car or
something? " He joked.
" Or something. " Dazai echoed, giving him a very vague answer.
" Dazai, I swear to god, if-
His words failed him as Dazai opened the garage door and they stepped inside.
" SURPRISE~ "
No.
" Happy Birthday, Chuuya~"
No
Chuuya tried blinking a couple of times but the image in front of him wouldn't fade.
He kept closing and opening his eyes, trying to convince himself that what he was seeing wasn't
the real one but rather a replica.
It had to be a replica. A perfect replica.

" It's my motorcycle." He finally said, admitting it to himself. "That's my motorcycle." The boy
repeated, looking at the bright fuchsia machine in awe.
" Dazai that's-
Fuck.
" You'd have to go to Headquarters to get this and even if you did that, how the fuck did you even
bring it here? "
There were so many questions swarming his mind.
" How-There must be trackers in it- The mafia-
" Jee, calm down." Dazai raised his hands to signal at him." I just slithered my way into
headquarters, guessed the password, got into the garage, found your bike, destroyed every tracker I
found on it, moved it to the exit, and brought it here." A smirk appeared on his lips then, " No big
deal."
" No big deal? That's- " Chuuya stopped himself in the middle of his sentence. ‘’ How did you
bring it here, exactly? ‘’ He asked, understanding that there weren’t a lot of ways he could have
pulled that off.
Dazai lowered his head, suddenly finding the floor pretty interesting. ‘’ I drove it here. ‘’ He said,
his voice as low as a whisper.
‘’ You drove it here. ‘’ It was the most logical approach yet the one most unbelievable.
Dazai drove. It sounded bad on its own, but add a motorcycle next to the verb and-
‘’ You drove this motorcycle here all the way from Headquarters? ‘’ Speaking the thought aloud
made it all the more impossible.
‘’ If you’re worried about me crushing into anything, or mistreating it, don’t be.’’ Dazai started,
moving towards the vehicle. ‘’ The bike isn’t damaged. it’s not even scratched. ‘’
Chuuya could see that.
The bike was in perfect condition.
‘’ Since when do you know how to drive motorbikes? ‘’
‘’ I don’t. ‘’ Dazai lied, smiling. ‘’ I just got up and wished for the best. ‘’
Chuuya was at a loss for words.
‘’ Okay, you win.’’ He finally said, trailing his hand on the bike’s leather seat. ‘’ It is the best
present. ‘’
Dazai pretended to be dusting off his hands, ‘’ Then my job here is done.’’ He said, clasping them
together. ‘’ Glad I could-
Chuuya reached his hand and grabbed his shirt. ‘’ Where are you running off to? ‘’
‘’ Uh, back to-
‘’ You can’t do this and just run off.’’ Chuuya lectured,
 There were so many thoughts running around inside his head.
Dazai had really fucking done that.
He’d gotten him his motorcycle back.
There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that could have made for a better present than that.
Dazai had really outdone himself this time.

There weren’t enough words in the world for Chuuya to voice his appreciation.
That hot pink bike meant so much to him.
Having it finally back…
He couldn’t even start to explain how valuable it was to him.

Dazai could really be such a real pain in the ass, but then he’d do things like this and-
Fuck.
He’d make him so fucking happy, any doubt and any second thought about them would just vanish.

If his fifteen-year-old self could see him now, he knew he would just laugh at his face.
Dazai? Making him happy?
What kind of tasteless anecdote was that?
But it wasn’t an anecdote at all.

‘’ Want it or not, you’re coming with me for a test drive. ‘’ he said, jumping on the seat of the
motorcycle.‘’ So sit your ass down and hold tight.’’

Chapter End Notes

As always, thank you so much for reading<3

I hope you liked this chapter as much as I liked writing it.

It was a big one, I know, but I couldn't split it on a good point, so it is what it is.

The story is slowly getting closer to my favorite parts and I'm honestly thrilled about
that.
 The Calm Before The Storm
Chapter Summary

As the title indicates, this is a more laid-back, calm chapter.

We get to see the friendships Dazai and Chuuya have made while working for the
ADA, and how they have affected them. We also get to see their friendship, and how it
has developed up until now.

If I hadn't named it that, I would have named the chapter: '' What it could have been.''
Take from that what you want.

Chapter Notes

Another 13k word chapter (13,9k to be exact) in just under 10 days?

Summer depression has me writing all day, so yeah, that's good, I guess.
And we hit 70k words in total???
That's just crazy...

Even tho this chapter isn't as action-packed or as intense as the previous one, I really
do hope you enjoy it<3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

6 MONTHS LATER

‘’ I’m tired~’’ Dazai groaned, letting his head fall into the table. ‘’ I need a break~’’ He turned his
head to the right so he could look at Chuuya and the rest of them.
Chuuya ignored him, focusing back on his conversation with Ranpo and Yosano.
When he was done with saying whatever he had been saying, he turned to Dazai. ‘’I’m sure you’ll
manage.’’ he said with a forced smile.
‘’ Easy for you to say.’’ Dazai fiddled with the straw of his cup. ‘’ You weren’t holed up inside the
office for three days now, writing reports.’’
‘’ I think that was your fault, Dazai.’’ Ranpo reminded him, ‘’ You were the one avoiding
paperwork like the plague for months. ‘’
‘’ Yeah, but that was different~.’’ Dazai tried to reason.
‘’ Oh, no,’’ Yosano spoke, ‘’ If it isn't the consequences of my actions.’’ She joked, earning a
snicker from Ranpo.
‘’ Come on guys,’’ Chuuya interrupted, ‘’ It’s not Dazai’s fault that he didn’t write a single report
for half a year now, even though everyone told him to do it because then they would pile up and
he’d be forced in a situation like this.’’ He smiled. ‘’Oh, wait.’’
Yosano laughed at that. ‘’ I see,’’ She said, continuing the joke.’’ Ranpo, why would you blame
Dazai for not doing his job? ‘’ She turned to accuse him.
Ranpo shrugged, letting his head fall on the table in the same manner as Dazai had.
‘’ I’m so sorry, Dazai, ‘’ He said, ‘’ It wasn’t your fault.’’ All three of them held in their laughter,
waiting to see who would contribute to the conversation next.
Their heads turned to Kunikida as he entered through the door of the cafe, yelling Dazai’s name.
Dazai turned his head so it would face the wall. ‘’ Pretend I’m sleeping.’’ He whispered loud
enough for them to hear.
Kunikida approached their table to see them all seated there, Dazai on the far left corner next to
Chuuya.
‘’ He’s there.’’ Ranpo said, pointing at him.
‘’ He isn’t sleeping,’’ Yosano added.
‘’ Wide awake.’’ Chuuya shook him to show Kunikida.

Dazai turned his head again, his disappointment in his co-workers, clearly visible.
Kunikida stood there, watching them.
‘’ You know you aren’t done right? ‘’ They all looked at Dazai. ‘’ So get your ass up, and go back
to work, you waste of bandages.’’’ Kunikida ordered.
‘’ But I already did so much~’’ Dazai groaned.
‘’ Didn’t I, Chuuya? ‘’ He turned to his partner for support.
Chuuya looked at Kunikida. ‘’ How many more papers does he have to write? ‘’ He asked, trying
to play the middle man.
‘’ 34.’’
Chuuya turned to Dazai.’’ And how many have you written? ‘’
‘’ 66. ‘’ Dazai said, ashamed of the number.
Chuuya nodded his head.
‘’Dazai.’’ Kunikida yelled again, ‘’ Stop lazing around, and get to work.’’
Dazai's eyes went back to his partner.
‘’ Oh, don’t look at me like that.’’ Chuuya said, standing up so he would clear the way for Dazai,
‘’ I’m not the one that let his reports pile up to a hundred before doing them.’’
‘’ Fine, fine.’’ Dazai got up, ‘’ Thanks a lot for covering me.’’ He said with a blank expression,
turning to Yosano and Ranpo.
‘’ No problem.’’
‘’ Any time.’’
Chuuya looked at his co-workers, before adding, ‘’ It’s my job as your partner.’’
Dazai glared at them before following Kunikida upstairs.

All the rest of the ADA members had the day off, but no, he had to stay inside with Kunikida over
his shoulder writing 30-plus reports.
It was exhausting.
If he was by himself, he’d just write them as quickly as he could, but since Kunikida was
supervising him he couldn’t. The man would find that behavior too odd.
So now he was stuck having to pretend to slack off while also doing what by Kunikida, was
considered his best.

He sat down and stared at the papers.

It was going to be a looong day.

‘’ And what did we learn today? ‘’ Chuuya prompted, walking beside him, as they passed through
the park.
Dazai grimaced, before replying.
‘’ We do our paperwork so it won’t pile up.’’ He said in a robotic and monotone voice.
Chuuya applauded him, his smile full of irony.

They sat there at the park for a while, sitting on top of a ramp, dangling their feet from the edge
whilst looking at the moon hidden behind the tall trees.
It was so serene.
The silence, disrupted only by the wind as it passed through the branches, the scenery, with the
moon casting its bluish light on the trees and the ramps and the paths.
If you focused, you could even hear the faint echo of the busy street at the end of the park.

It was such a calming place, that park.

Walking it at night, after a busy day at work always felt like a reward.

After a few minutes of walking, they reached their destination.

Their new apartment was a bit further away from the agency, right on the other side of the park. It
was a nicer, bigger apartment than the one Chief Taneda had given them to use.
The Chief hadn’t evicted them nor had he complained about them occupying his space. The
decision to move out had been entirely theirs.
They had packed everything up, handed the keys to the man, said their goodbyes, and left.

At first, they had rented the place.

Their salaries were good enough for that, so that’s what they did.
After a few months though, and after having been declared the best detective duo in Yokohama,
their salaries were more than enough, and they were able to buy the place.

So it was theirs, now.

Entirely their own.

Which was a good thing, sure, but it was also very…bad in a way.

Their apartment had a very…contradicting style.

On one hand, there were sides full of expensive and luxurious items, decorated and polished to
perfection, and on the other, there were sides so plain and boring, you’d think you’d stepped into
another world.
It was easy to see who had made what decision.

Chuuya had always had a more refined taste, a taste for finer things of high quality, meant for
people in the higher classes. He blamed that on Kouyou’s influence.
Growing up being raised by her, inside that luxury and aristocracy, he developed the same habits.
The same adoration for more elegant and more alluring things

Dazai couldn’t care less about stuff so trivial as these.

So a shared space between the two of them was bound to reflect that.

…
‘’ Would it kill you if we just put a painting there? ‘’ Chuuya asked, eyeing the empty wall in the
hallway that separated their bedrooms.
‘’ I wish it would.’’
‘’ Great, then we’re-
‘’ The wall is on my side.’’ Dazai was quick to cut in,’’ And I say it stays bare.’’
Chuuya threw his head back, his patience running thin. ‘’ I let you paint it that color. I ain’t letting
you decide anything else.’’
‘’ What's wrong with the color? ‘’ Dazai asked, observing the wall.
‘’ Are you kidding me?’’ Chuuya looked at Dazai.’’ That is the ugliest shade of green I’ve ever-
‘’ It’s sage.’’
‘’ It’s fucking atrocious.’’
‘’ But it blends so well with your walls.’’
He was lying. There was no way he actually believed that.
He was trying to make a fool of him again.
‘’ It really doesn’t.’’
Dazai walked away, ‘’ Just because your taste is tacky, doesn’t mean mine has to be as well.’’
Chuuya walked after him, ‘’ At least mine is tacky,’’ he pretended to agree, ‘’ yours is
nonexistent.’’
Dazai crossed the kitchen to get into the living room.
‘’ I’ll paint this wall sage as well, now that I’m thinking about it.’’
‘’ I’ll paint mine red if you dare do that.’’ Chuuya glared at him,
‘’ With my blood? ‘’ Dazai completed his thought, ‘’ Wow, very original, Chuuya. Bravo.’’
He would kill him.
One of these days, he would kill him.

‘’ Just put the movie on.’’ He tried to be the mature one and end their little dispute.
Dazai took the controller and sat on the couch. ‘’ Is it finally my turn to pick? ’’
Chuuya sat on the same couch, the furthest he could away from him.
‘’ Yes.’’ He said, defeated.
‘’ Ohhh,’’ Dazai went straight for the search bar, ‘’ I know what we’ll watch.’’

Chuuya hated it when Dazai picked the movie.

Thankfully that only happened once every twenty movies, so it wasn’t often.
That agreement had been a result of a bet he’d lost, about who could alter their appearance the
most before Ranpo commented on it.
It was one of the very few bets Chuuya had won.

‘’ Wait, shit, what time is it? ‘’ Chuuya took the controller and paused the god-awful movie that
had been playing for three hours now.
Dazai looked at the time on the bottom of the screen ‘’ Half-past seven.’’ He replied.
They both looked at each other then, their eyes widening.
‘’ The dinner.’’ They yelled in unison, getting up from the couch and rushing to their bedrooms.

In light of recent events, the Police Department was having a dinner party and five members of the
Agency had been invited.
Chuuya and Dazai were among them.

It was a very important dinner that could help the Agency’s image. A rare opportunity for the
Agency to be networking with people of the government and of the police.
The presence of all five of them wasn’t optional, it was mandatory, and as Kunikida had put it so
eloquently, tardiness would not be tolerated.
The dinner started at 8.
It was half-past seven, and they weren’t even dressed yet.
The drive to the restaurant alone would be twenty minutes.

Things weren’t looking too good for them.

They arrived at the appointed place, just a few seconds after the clock had struck 8, earning some
sharp looks from Kunikida. Yosano, who was already present, attempted to defend them, telling
the man that no one would be counting down the seconds.
Kunikida agreed to let it slide if their excuse was good enough. Ranpo turned his head to them, to
see what they would say.
Chuuya opened his mouth, ready to cover them by saying something urgent had come up having to
do with the piping system of the apartment. But before he could have the chance to talk first, Dazai
spoke.
‘’ We were watching a movie.’’ He said, so calmly and so proudly.
Kunikida’s forehead vein popped up right then. It hadn’t been visible before.
‘’ At least they're dressed appropriately.’’ Yosano was doing her best to help them. Ranpo just
stood there, calculating how long it would take before Kunikida would lose his patience with them.
Seeing Kunikida’s lack of reaction, he decided to throw some oil into the fire.
‘’ What movie? ‘’ He asked, his question addressed to Dazai.
Dazai’s eyes sparked, ‘’ A movie about the life of a bee that sued the human species.’’ He said,
excited to share that part.‘’ The four-hour director's cut, of course.’’
If disappointment could take the form of a person, it would be Kunikida at that moment.
‘’ I say we head inside, ‘’ Yosano proposed, changing the trajectory of the conversation.‘’ We
don’t want to be even more late, now, do we? ’’

Fukuzawa had been adamant about one thing and one thing only. Sure, tardiness and bad behavior
would be frowned upon and there would be consequences but inappropriate dressing?
Fukuzawa had made it abundantly clear. Anyone who would not arrive at the occasion looking
their best would lose their job.
Simple as that. He wanted the Agency to have a good image and leave a positive impression on all
the attendees.
If his employees couldn’t respect and carry out his wishes, then they would no longer be his
employees.
Fortunately, they all respected him enough to live up to his expectations.

Dazai and Chuuya were wearing matching black suits, with lilac button-ups on the inside. Dazai
had worn his suit buttoned up, the lilac only visible on the top and the bottom beneath the suit.
Chuuya had made the decision to wear his, open, exposing the shirt below in all its splendor.
Both of them were also wearing black ties, with the sole exception being, that Dazai’s had a golden
little detail on the spot where the knot ended, while Chuuya’s had a silver one.
His gloves and hat, together with Dazai's bandages, would be the only other distinguishing
elements of their attire. Although those didn’t count as accessories to them.

Ranpo had opted to dress in all black as well. His suit, however, although buttoned-up, was more
revealing, making it easy for the people to see the green vest between the suit and the white shirt
underneath. In Chuuya’s opinion, the way he had rolled up his sleeves and cuffed the bottoms of
his pants, had been a nice little personal touch.
The look, albeit a bit less formal, suited him the best.
Kunikida’s outfit was most similar to Ranpo’s. He wore a black suit with a green vest layered upon
a black shirt. However, hardly any of his vest was showing.
On his neck, instead of his signature red bolo tie, he was sporting a crimson cravat.

All four of them were dressed to the nines but Yosano was dressed to kill.

She was dressed in a stunning, long, red gown with a high split that reached her upper thigh. It was
a backless dress with a plunging neckline and no sleeves. A pearly necklace with a crimson gem on
the front, the shape of a little tear, accompanied it.
Her hair had been slicked back into a tight bun, with a few streaks left loose to frame her face.

To demonstrate the class the agency had been rumored to lack, they had all dressed their best.
If Fukuzawa could have seen them, they knew he would have approved.

Dazai, always the gentleman, pushed open the door for Yosano and the rest to pass through. She
gave him a smile, before going inside the restaurant. Ranpo and Kunikida followed her.
When it was Chuuya’s turn to pass, Dazai suddenly let go of the handle.
If he hadn’t been for the occasion, Chuuya would have thrown a whole fucking table at him.
Chairs included.
But he respected the venue enough not to do so.

Entering the room, they had expected to see a lot of familiar faces.
They knew Taneda was bound to be there, as head of the Special Division. The Vice-minister of
justice, Tonan, and his close associate Sakashita were also rumored to attend the gathering. The
chief of the police was the one behind the whole affair so he had to be present. Maybe they’d also
see a few people close to the department that they collaborated with?
It was a closed event for people of a higher caliber and status. All of those candidates made perfect
sense.
There was one person, however, who fit all that criteria, that both of them had failed to expect.
Well, Dazai was sure he’d make an appearance, he had just tried not to think about it.
That man was no other than Ango Sakaguchi, a close friend of the Chief’s and a valuable ally to
have.

Dazai tensed up the moment he spotted him sitting at their table but acted as if nothing had ever
happened. To his co-workers' knowledge, Ango was nothing but a stranger to him. Someone of a
high status whose friendship, should be earned, could be proven beneficial to the Agency. There
was no reason for Dazai to act all jittery around him.
Chuuya wasn’t just another coworker of Dazai’s, though.
He didn’t miss the micro-expressions on his face when he saw him. The way his eyes widened just
enough or the way his lip quivered ever so slightly.
Dazai didn't want to be around Ango, and Chuuya was well aware of that fact.
For personal reasons, he also did not want to be around the man.

Arriving last at a gathering such as that had one major con. You can only sit where there is an
opening, and unfortunately for them, the only opening, the only two seats available, just so
happened to be next to Ango.
Dazai, knowing about Chuuya’s feelings towards the man, had decided to take the empty seat
between them. Him enduring Ango’s presence wouldn’t be as hard as it would be for Chuuya.
Chuuya had always hated him, whereas Dazai had once been his friend.

He was heading towards the chair when he noticed Chuuya ahead of him.
His partner had already sat down before he could reach it.
Dazai took the chair next to him.
He looked at Chuuya, a question in his eyes.

Chuuya hated Ango.

He wanted nothing to do with that man. He remembered how he used to curse and call him names
every time he had to work with him back in the mafia. He deserved it, of course.
Ango had been responsible for the deaths of some of his friends during, what he had later called,
the Dragon Head Conflict.
Chuuya's rage had not subsided throughout the years. He still blamed him.
So why had he sat there?
Dazai would never hear the answer but the reason was quite simple.

Chuuya shrugged his shoulders at him before directing his attention to the person greeting them,
seated at the head of the table.

He cared for Dazai more than he hated Ango.

The dinner had been a disaster but it hadn’t been the Agency’s fault.

From the moment they arrived, till the moment the dinner had ended, both the Justice Minister
representatives had been at the Agency’s throat, constantly bugging them with questions about
their views on certain topics.
One of the topics mentioned had been their collusion and alliance with the Port Mafia, as part of
the Tripartite Framework.
From what Dazai had gathered, they had been trying to find a reason to start questioning the
Agency’s morals. He didn’t know why they were being so persistent but if he had to guess he’d say
they had some personal issues with their president, Fukuzawa.
Their questions were mostly directed at Ranpo, who they had called the President’s favorite. With
evasive and vague answers Ranpo had managed to satisfy them enough as to get the hint and drop
the subject. Their interrogation, however, had not stopped there.
After some minutes of letting the head of the police lead the conversation, they opened their
mouths again, this time to ask Taneda and Sakaguchi about their own opinion on the Tripartite
Framework, and if they thought it was working.
That’s when everything started to go south.

Taneda had proposed that Ango answer that question, since he had a more vast experience, having
been on two of the organizations in the Tripartite Framework. He had been a government worker, a
consultant to the Special Division for Unusual Powers for years now. He had also worked at the
Port Mafia, as that had been a part of his job as a spy there.
He was the only one on the table that had insights into two organizations…Well, the only one who
people knew of.
Hearing Ango talk about his time while infiltrating the mafia made Chuuya want to stand up and
punch him so hard that his face would be disfigured for the rest of his life.
He wondered what Dazai was thinking, as he heard Ango utter the same words over and over
again.

‘’ It was just another job I had to do.’’ Ango shrugged off some of the compliments people had
given him while reciting the story. ‘’ Another role I had to play to fulfill my duties. ‘’
Another role?
Chuuya made the mistake to gaze over at Dazai.
He looked so empty, sitting there with his eyes fixed on the man that was speaking.
There wasn’t a hint of emotion on his face.
Chuuya knew that look well. It was the most telling one.

‘’ How was it? ‘’ the Vice Minister asked, ‘’ working for the Port Mafia. A righteous young man
such as yourself must have found it difficult.’’
If Chuuya hadn’t been watching him, waiting for his answer, he could have missed the slight smile
that tugged on his lips. ‘’ It was definitely a challenge but at the end of the day, it hadn’t been that
horrendous.’’ Ango said and for a split second, he scouted the table, his eyes staying on Dazai just
for a tad more than they should have. ‘’ I got along with my then co-workers fairly decently,’’ he
continued, ‘’ and the work wasn’t that demanding. Except for a couple of all-nighters, I remember
pulling, it hadn’t been hard.’’
The vice-minister nodded his head. ‘’ Mister Sakaguchi, you are a government worker. With all
due respect, we know the paperwork wouldn’t have been hard for you.’’ he stated, letting his
associate continue for him, ‘’ We were asking about how it was working alongside those…people.
How were they like..’’ He said it with such disgust as if the people in the mafia were the plague.
‘’ Oh, ‘’ Ango seemed to realize what they had initially meant. ‘’ The people there, they lack a
moral compass.’’ He started, ‘’ They are paid handsomely to do awful and most often illegal
things. They torture and they kill and they feel nothing of it. And even those few that do feel things
as guilt and regret, they never lift a finger to help or fix anything. They stand idle while others kill
and exploit to no end.’’
'' Oh my, that's truly horrid.''
‘’ Do you feel guilty? ‘’ The question came from the redhead detective of the agency.
Ango turned to him without missing a beat. ‘’ Pardon?’’
‘’ You say that most Mafia members are nothing but cold-blooded murderers. You were in the
mafia yourself. So in which category do you fall under? ’’
By his expression, Chuuya would say Ango had not expected to be challenged in such a way.
‘’ Come on, you must surely have done bad things while working for them,’’ Chuuya pressed, ‘’ If
you hadn’t, that would have raised suspicions.’’
‘’ I did.’’ Ango admitted, factually. ‘’ It was requested of me, and I had to carry out my tasks.’’
‘’ You’re not answering my question, mister Sakaguchi.’’ Chuuya kept pressuring him, never
losing his composure.
The tension around the table grew thicker.
‘’ Who said I had to, mister Nakahara.’’ Ango countered.
Chuuya smiled at him, ‘’ I was just curious,’’ he said, ‘’ that’s all.’’
Before Ango could get another word in, the vice minister spoke. ‘’ The boy does raise a fair
question, don’t you gentlemen agree? ’’
The rest of the men all nodded their heads. ‘’ Mister Sakaguchi,’’ The man spoke again, ‘’ what
would you say was the worst thing you did, while a mafia member? ’’
‘’ Do I have to answer? ‘’ Ango was beginning to seem a little less composed.
‘’ Of course not, ‘’ Tonan reassured him, ‘’ Like the young boy there, I’m simply just intrigued on
how the experience shaped and, dare I say, changed your morality.’’ the man explained, ‘’
Knowing the extent you were willing to go would give me an idea on just how much certain
circumstances can affect you and your beliefs.’’
Ango considered the man, and then Chuuya, who was still wearing that smirk on his face.
‘’ Very well then,’’ he started, ‘’ The single worst thing I ever did was betray my friend’s trust.’’
he said with a sincerity his words didn’t have before.
‘’ And would you say, you feel guilty for that? ‘’ The man, just like Chuuya, kept on pressing him.
‘’ Well, I am human after all, ‘’ he emphasized the word human a bit too much for Chuuya’s
comfort. ‘’I did feel bad, but it was a task that had to be done.’’
‘’ I see.’’ His answer seemed to have satisfied the man.
‘’ Do you believe those in the Mafia are human? ’’ The Vice president opened his mouth again.
Chuuya felt stupid for thinking he was done talking.
‘’ You mentioned they felt nothing for what they did, so, would that, in your opinion, make
someone not human? ‘’
Ango took a moment to think about his answer.
Everyone on the table was looking at him, hanging from his lips.
Everyone except Dazai.
His head was turned in his direction, but his eyes seemed so vacant, so far away.
‘’ The absence of feelings doesn’t make you any less human.’’ Ango finally spoke, earning a few
questioning looks.’’ nothing you do or don’t do can change your human nature. ‘’ He concluded,
‘’ Now, if you were a robot or a clone that would-
All eyes shifted to the left, landing on Chuuya as he coughed.
‘’ Apologies,’’ the man said, raising his hand.’’ I must have choked on my water.’’ He tried his
best to remain calm. ( And not kill Ango right then and there.)
The men’s eyes returned back to Ango as he continued speaking.
‘’ Are you okay? ‘’ Yosano mouthed, her eyes on Chuuya’s hand, tightly clenched around his
glass. He nodded his head once. ‘’ Fine.’’ He mouthed back.
Chuuya felt something touching his thigh, then.
He looked down to discover Dazai had moved his leg closer to his. A lot closer.
Close enough that their knees were touching.
He lifted his head to face him.
Dazai’s eyes looked so intense, at that moment. If he didn’t know him any better he’d say he
looked angry. There was something more in his expression as well, that Chuuya couldn’t quite
figure out.
‘’ Excuse me, ‘’ He said, and got up.
Chuuya watched him as he headed to the restroom.

‘’ You’re the best detective here, are you not?’’ Finally, another question for Ranpo. Chuuya felt
relief as he saw everyone’s attention shift back to the green-eyed detective. He hoped that they
would find his cases much more amusing and interesting and that they would finally drop the talk
about the mafia.
As if his wishes had been heard, that’s exactly what happened.

Dazai came back just after a few minutes. To Chuuya’s surprise, he resumed his previous position,
keeping the same closeness between them.
In a way, it felt reassuring.
It was Dazai’s subtle way of saying I’m here.
Being that Dazai was hardly the physical type, the gesture meant even more to him.

‘’ You just revive people? ‘’ Yosano’s ability, once out, had amazed the entire table. And why
wouldn’t it? Thou shall not die, was one of the greatest abilities, in Chuuya’s mind.
The ability to save and restore lives. The ultimate miracle. It was beautiful.
‘’ I can’t revive people from the dead,’’’ Yosano specified, ‘’ but I can save them if their heart is
still beating.’’
‘’ Fascinating. ’’

Apart from the hostility between the Vice Ministers and the Armed Detective Agency which had
caused the most disturbances, the rest of the dinner had unfolded smoothly.
By the end of it, the members of the ADA had achieved their goal of becoming a more-well
networked organization, seeing as they had tightened their bonds with the heads of the various
groups gathered there. Although most of the ministry people still held them at bay, the rest of the
attendees had been completely enamored by their attitudes and their stories. Especially those
shared by Ranpo.

When the time came, each one of them said their goodbyes, respectfully shaking hands with the
rest of the assembly and exchanging wishes for a good future.
The dinner had ended on a good note.

The five of them all exited the restaurant’s doors together, talking about the dinner and how they
believed it had gone fairly well.
With the moon shining bright above them, its light fusing with that of the cars and of the buildings
around, they walked the street to where their meeting spot had been. Then they stopped.
‘’ Nakahara,‘’ Kunikida turned to address the shortest man in their group, ‘’ You’re joining us,
right? ‘’ He asked to make sure. Chuuya hadn’t thought he had been invited when they had
mentioned their plans for later in the night. Sure, he’d been in front of them when they had been
discussing it, but he didn’t consider that an invitation.
'’ Of course, he is,‘’ Dazai answered for him, putting his arm around his shoulders,‘’ right,
Chuuya? ‘’ He faced him, his eyes telling him that he didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.
‘’ Yeah, that’s right,’’ He answered, turning to the rest of them, not breaking away.
‘’ Great then.’’ Yosano said, putting her coat on.‘’ So what is it gonna be today? ‘’ She asked, her
eyes flying to Ranpo. ‘’ According to my notebook, Ranpo said we’d go out for a few drinks.’’
Kunikida reminded him, taking his notebook out, readying it in case he’d need it as evidence. ‘’
Hmm,‘’ The man pretended to be thinking, putting his finger on his chin.‘’ You must be right,
Kunkida.’’ He said, turning to him. ‘’ I guess we’ll go with that.’’ ‘’ So drinks? ‘’ Dazai asked, a
mischievous grin appearing on his lips as he looked over at the blond man. ‘’ Drinks.’’ Ranpo
confirmed.

‘’ Before we leave, ‘’ Chuuya turned to Dazai,‘’ I know for a fact you didn't go to the restroom, so
where did you go? ‘’

The bar they had agreed to go to was a small, low-profile, roof bar near the center of the town.
They had agreed to go there in the same way they had come to the dinner so as to not leave any
vehicle behind. This meant that Ranpo and Yosano would be in Kunikida’s car, while Dazai and
Chuuya would ride on Chuuya’s motorcycle. Since they had the faster vehicle, it was only logical
that they ought to leave a bit later, so as to not arrive first and have to wait for them. So now that
the two of them had been left alone, Chuuya figured it was the best time to ask him.

‘’ I did go to the restroom," Dazai replied, " The bandages on my arm had begun to unravel so I
went to fix them.‘’ he tried to throw him off. Chuuya simply shook his head. ‘’ What did you do
Dazai? ’’ He asked again, clear in his voice that he’d figured out he was lying. Dazai couldn’t hide
from him. " I was literally just fixing-
" Bullshit."
Dazai's eyes widened just enough.
Lying to Chuuya…it didn't seem to work like it used to. It didn't seem to be working for a long
while, now, actually. The fact kind of frightened him. He didn't know whether he had developed
some kind of unconscious tell Chuuya had caught up on or…
Whatever the case, withholding the truth from him wouldn't do it anymore.

Dazai let out a sigh before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small folding knife. Chuuya’s
eyes urged him to elaborate. ‘’ Ango pissed me off.’’ He said as if that was enough of an
explanation. ‘’ So I slashed his tires.’’ ‘’ Wait, what pissed you off? ‘’ Chuuya tried to remember
the discussion, searching to find where had Ango said anything that could have angered Dazai to
that extent.
Dazai looked at the ground and then at the wall beside Chuuya.’’ He took it too far.’’ He
whispered, ‘’ Saying what he did about you.’’ Oh.
" I was fine…" Chuuya lied, " you didn't have to go and-
" And you didn't have to provoke him." Dazai countered. " But you kept on doing it anyway."
Why… " Well, he was pissing me off." Chuuya used the same reasoning. " I respect the ADA and
the goal of today's gathering and all but he was being a jerk about, you-know-what, and I couldn't
let that slide." His words made you sad, goddamnit. You tried to hide it behind that blank
expression but I know they made you sad, and I couldn't have that.
" He wasn't being a jerk." Dazai corrected him. " He couldn't exactly reveal everything that went
down, so he stated the facts." " He knew you were there, Dazai." Chuuya didn't understand why
Dazai was trying so hard to defend him. " He could have worded things differently." 'Another role
I had to play to fulfill my duties'...You had been right there. Ango could have chosen better words.
" I really couldn't have cared less about that." Dazai stated. All I cared about was planting a bullet
in his head the moment he had made that comment about humanity.

It was weird how they were actually saying all those things.
In short, all they were doing was just having each other's backs against a common enemy. The
situation wasn't that unique. They always did that. The difference, however, was that they used to
lie about it.
They weren't being perfectly honest now either, but damn they were getting close.
A few years ago even if they had done the exact same thing, they would have never addressed it.
Never.
Chuuya would have rather died than have said anything along the lines of, " they were being a jerk
to you and that angered me." Because why, why the fuck would he ever let Dazai know of that? It
would have been embarrassing, admitting to him that he actually cared enough about him to get
angry on his behalf. Disgusting.
The same went for Dazai. He would have chosen a slow painful death over admitting he had
Chuuya's back, any day. ‘He got angry because of a comment Ango made about Chuuya?’ So
many things wrong with that sentence.

Several years ago, they would have preferred an agonizing demise rather than speak of it, but here
they are now, doing their best to explain to one another why they had gotten mad on the other's
behalf.
If fifteen-year-olds them could have seen that, they would have died out of pure embarrassment
and disgust

" Okay, let's just agree that Ango was being a jerk to the both of us and end the discussion there."
Chuuya gave emphasis on the word both, making it crystal clear to Dazai that he had thought Ango
had been a jackass even when he had made that comment about him playing a role. " Fine." Dazai
said, not agreeing with him completely. " I have to say tho, it was nice seeing him struggle like that
with your questions." He decided to admit. ‘’ It was, wasn’t it? ‘’ Chuuya snickered, feeling a bit
better about the situation." God, I would have loved to see the look on his face when he tried to
start that car." Dazai let out a laugh. " Yeah, me too."

‘’ Wait, is that wine? ‘’ Chuuya asked, observing Ranpo as he sat down next to him and Yosano. ‘’
Grape juice.’’ Ranpo corrected him, placing his glass on the table in front of them. He shifted his
body around, trying to get comfortable on the couch. ‘’ But it looks like wine, doesn’t it? ‘’
‘’ It does,’’ Chuuya agreed with him, ‘’ I almost believed you had finally become a decent human
being for a second.’’ Yosano laughed at that. ‘’ The day Ranpo joins us in drinking wine, is the
day we all die.’’ She said, the irony, of course, being that the day would never come. He gave
them both a sharp look.

Ranpo didn't drink.

Everyone who knew him knew that. Ranpo had voiced his aversion to alcohol on numerous
occasions. He saw no point in drinking or getting drunk, and besides, the taste of most alcohol-
based dinks was truly horrid in his opinion. Whenever he was out or in need of a drink, he always
preferred to have some juice or a smoothie or even a nice cup of chocolate. Unlike any alcoholic
drink he had ever tried, those were actually enjoyable. Such beverages had actual flavors, nice
flavors that satisfied your thirst. Alcohol had never given his tongue the same satisfaction, so he
had chosen to avoid it.

Still, getting made fun of for not drinking wasn’t something he liked. He wouldn’t let Chuuya get
away with it so easily.

‘’ Wait, Is that Dazai flirting with a girl? ‘’ Ranpo asked, his eyes deliberately searching the place
behind Chuuya. As he had expected, Chuuya’s head snapped to the direction he had pointed at.
Ranpo could see his eyes as they moved in all directions possible, scouting the perimeter.
He smiled at Yosano who was shaking her head disapprovingly at him. After a few seconds,
Chuuya turned his attention back to their table. Understanding what had just happened, he
remained quiet.
‘’ Question for you, Nakahara, ‘’ Ranpo grinned, breaking the silence that had befallen their table,
‘’ why did you turn your head just now? ‘’ He asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
‘’ Wanted to see the bastard getting slapped again. ‘’ Chuuya answered him, taking a sip from his
drink. ‘’ Eight out of ten times, the women slap him on his face.’’ It was as if he had had that
excuse on the ready. ‘’ It’s funny.’’
‘’ Yeah, okay.’’ Ranpo pretended to agree, rolling his eyes.‘’ And I drink grape juice to get
drunk.’’
At that, Yosano elbowed him discreetly.
‘’ Wait, why do you think I turned? ‘’ Chuuya didn’t like the way Ranpo was thinking. ‘’ Why
would-
‘’ Oh come on, it’s obvious.’’ Ranpo said, exasperated.
Chuuya arched his eyebrows at him, completely oblivious to what he was implying. ‘’ What is
obvious? ’’
Yosano signaled for Ranpo to stop talking.
He didn’t listen to her.
‘’ You got a thing for him.’’ he said. ‘’ And don’t you even try to deny it.’’
Yosano hit her head with the palm of her hand then, her eyes landing on Ranpo’s.
Chuuya stared at him, his face painted with horror.
‘’ You don’t know what you’re talking about.’’ Chuuya said, his eyes still wide from the
surprise.’’ Me? Having a thing for someone like him? ‘’ Chuuya burst out laughing because if he
didn’t he would be jumping off that roof. ‘’ Fuck, man, I didn’t know you could be so funny. ’’
Yosano continued downing her glass as she witnessed what she was pretty sure would be the
beginning of a very big fight.
‘’ Nakahara please,’’ Ranpo smiled at him, ‘‘ I don’t even need to use my ability to deduct that.’’
Chuuya’s face reddened all of a sudden. Ranpo didn’t know whether it was from anger or
embarrassment.’’ I don’t have a thing for Dazai.’’ Chuuya stated, ‘’ I would rather die than be with
someone like-
‘’ What are you guys talking about~’’
Chuuya could see the way Yosano was holding in her laughter, watching Dazai as he approached
them from behind the couch.
Shit. How long had he been there?
‘’ Dazai, ‘’ Ranpo greeted with a big smile, ‘’ We were just talking about you, actually.’’ Chuuya’s
eyes flew to the man beside him.
There was no way Ranpo would be so stupid as to actually tell him, right?
‘’ Oo? ‘’ He had the same dangerous glint in his eyes as Ranpo. ‘’ And what were you saying? ‘’
He asked, making Chuuya scout over so he could sit down beside him.
‘’ Chuuya was just telling us how much he loved that movie you made him watch.’’ Ranpo said,
and Chuuya could finally breathe again.
That know-it-all asshole. He cursed himself for ever becoming friends with him.
‘’ Is that true, Chuuya~’’ Dazai smiled, ‘’ I knew you’d love it.’’
It was either this discussion or the previous one.
One of the two Hells was much cooler.
‘’ I mean, it was alright.‘’ He said, providing his honest opinion. ‘’ The story made me want to
leave this country but the jokes were okay, most of the time.’’
‘’ Does that mean I get to pick the next movie as well? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
‘’ But Chuuya~’’ Dazai grabbed his arm and started shaking it, ‘’ Why can’t I-
‘’ You lose the bet, you live with the consequences.’’ Chuuya broke free from him.
‘’ Pfff, bets are stupid.’’ Dazai crossed his arms.
‘’ You are stupid. ‘’
‘’ You’re stupider.’’
‘’ Is that even a word? ’’
‘’ It’s grammatically correct so-
‘’ Oh, whatever.’’
Ranpo and Yosano exchanged a knowing look between them before the woman turned to face the
brunette.
‘’ Hey Dazai,’’ Yosano called for his attention, ‘’ I don’t mean to interrupt this,’’ she moved her
hands to indicate them, ‘’ but where is Kunikida? ‘’

When they had just arrived there, they had all remained in one group, with Kunikida acting like the
leader of said group, choosing and reserving the table he had thought would be the most suited for
them.
A big enough table for six, with couches surrounding it, near the periphery of the roof. It seemed to
be fastly accessible by the staff, should they need anything, and close enough to the open bar,
should they want to grab more drinks. It also had a very nice view.
In his mind, that spot had been the most ideal for them. The others didn’t even bother with all those
technicalities.
They simply ordered their drinks, sat there, and resumed their previous chat about Ranpo and
Dazai’s bets, and why they needed to stop.

They sat together for the first hour and a half, chatting the night away.
Then, they split up in two.

Dazai, being the awful person that he was, had convinced Kunikida to play a fun little game with
him. Because they were out and because they had been having so much fun all night, Kunikida had
made the mistake to agree with that.
The rules had been simple. Firstly, they’d have a contest to see who could down the most shots in
five minutes. Then, once they had determined the winner, the real fun would begin.

‘’ What did you say his objective was, again? ‘’ Chuuya asked Dazai, searching with his eyes for
their blond friend.
‘’ Uh, have two women give him their phone numbers?‘’ Dazai replied, moving his head around so
he could see better.
‘’ Is this another bet of yours, or just you being your awful self? ‘’
Dazai smirked at him, ‘’ Another bet with Ranpo but don’t tell Yosano.’’
Chuuya shook his head, ‘’ Whatever. How many shots did he have? ‘’
‘’ He lost with a jarring seven shots.’’

Chuuya found Kunikida passed out behind one of the couches.

He blamed Dazai for his unfortunate condition.
The man’s glasses had fallen just a few feet away from him while his vest, now showing, had been
stained with what appeared to be wine.
Chuuya picked up his glasses so that no one would step on them and together with Dazai they
lifted him up and took him back to their table.

Dazai tried to wake him up by slapping him a couple of times, softly on his cheek. After the fifth
slap, Kunikida finally opened his eyes.
The man sat up, his eyes looking around trying to figure out the situation.
‘’ So how many numbers did you pull? ‘’ Dazai asked, receiving a slap on the back of his head
from Chuuya.
‘’ Hey, Kunikida, ‘’ Ranpo lightly poked him to get him to focus on him. ‘’ Were you able to at
least get one number? ‘’ He asked, thinking of the money he would lose if the man answered no.
Yosano gazed at him sharply, her eyes shining with clear disappointment.
‘’ I did-’’ Kunikida paused, accepting the glass of water Chuuya was handing him. He took a
couple of sips.‘’ not.’’ he finished the sentence, and they all watched as Ranpo’s smile dropped.
‘’ Fufu,’’ Dazai laughed, turning to Ranpo.’’ now…’’
Ranpo reached in his pocket, his dissatisfaction evident in his eyes. ‘’ Here,’’ he said, handing
Dazai some paper bills.
‘’ Well, Kunikida, ‘’ he turned to the man sitting on the couch, ‘’ thank you very much.’’ He
smiled.
Kunikida looked at him lost.

‘’ About that, ‘’ Yosano started, fiddling with her glass, ‘’ Don’t take what he says seriously, ‘’
She said, ‘’ Ranpo has a very hard time understanding boundaries, ‘’ She twisted her head to glance
at their table,’’ He can be a bit overbearing some times.’’
Chuuya considered her words.
In the one year and some months, he had known Ranpo, that much had been obvious. Ranpo had
some serious problems with concepts such as boundaries and social cues. It was something that
really irritated Chuuya most of the time but still, he didn’t hold that against him.
He was sitting at the bar stools now, drinking some more wine with Yosano, while she was trying
to explain to him why he shouldn’t get mad at Ranpo or take what he said seriously.
‘’ I know all that,’’ Chuuya reminded her. ‘’ I’m not mad at him doc, don’t worry about that.’’ He
reassured her, taking a few sips from his own glass, ‘’ It’s just, sometimes he says things without
understanding just how heavy they can weigh on someone.’’ It would seem that the drinks had
loosened up his tongue.
‘’ Does it weigh so much on you? ‘’ Yosano asked carefully, not meaning to cross any line. Sure,
she and Chuuya had become good friends, but that didn’t mean she could tap into his inner psyche
like that. Especially now, that he seemed to be close to being drunk.
‘’ I mean,’’ Chuuya’s eyes wandered to their table, to the man that was trying to balance a handful
of glasses into Kunikida’s forehead as he slept. ‘’ Dazai is my friend, he’s always been that. ‘’ he
told her, ‘’ Hearing things like that, it makes me feel-
‘’ Uncomfortable? ‘’ Yosano tried.
‘’ No, no,’’ Chuuya dismissed her, ‘’ it’s something else.’’ He said, ‘’ Something…’’ He tried to
find the right words but he couldn’t.
Ranpo’s comment had made his heart beat faster. Had that been anger? Embarrassment? Maybe
frustration? he didn’t know.
‘’ I see.’’ Yosano looked at her drink, and then back at him ‘’ Now, what do you think of the
President's plan for August? ‘’ She asked, changing the trajectory of their discussion. ‘’ Do you
plan on tagging along? ‘’

‘’ DAZAI,’’ Chuuya yelled the name, finally waking up from his sleep. His head was throbbing and
his eyes were burning because of the sunlight coming through the open window in the room.
‘’ Dazai, where the fuck-
‘’ Chuuya~’’ Dazai greeted, entering through the door, ‘’ Good Morning to you too.’’ He smiled
wide. ‘’ Would you mind keeping it down? Some of us are trying to sleep. ‘’
It was a lie.
Dazai hadn’t been able to sleep all night. He had been trying for a long time, but just a few hours
ago he had decided to give up.
It would have to be one of those days. There was nothing he could do.

Chuuya looked around, the memories of last night still fuzzy in his head. He looked at Dazai and
the smile on his face. Forced and insincere.
He looked so tired.
‘’ How did we get back? ‘’ Chuuya asked, baffled by the question. There was no way he had
driven his motorcycle, for that he was sure. He’d been too drunk to even stand up straight. He
remembers walking out of the bar with Yosano, heading to the others who were a few feet in front
of them. After that, he remembers nothing.
‘’ I drove us here.’’ Dazai answered.
Chuuuya was suddenly wide awake.
‘’ You drove us here? ‘’ He remembered Dazai telling him that he’d ridden the motorcycle one
more time. But that had been to get it to the Agency’s garage, and Dazai himself had said he didn’t
know how to drive it, he just swung it.
‘’ I have a license, you know, ‘’ Dazai admitted, shame filling up his chest, ‘’ I got it a week before
your birthday, so I do know how to ride bikes.’’
What?
‘’ You hate driving.’’ Chuuya reminded him. Why would you go and take lessons?
‘’ Yeah, I do.’’ But I needed to learn in order to get you back that shiny fuchsia death-machine
you’re so fond of. ‘’ It’s a practical knowledge to have, however. Who knows, I may need it
someday.’’
‘’ As long as you didn’t scratch it, I guess it’s fine.’’ Chuuya said albeit a bit reluctantly. ‘’ What
time is it, anyway? ‘’
Dazai looked at the clock on the desk, ‘’ 9:50 ‘’ he said.
Chuuya threw his covers away, getting up on his feet and running to his closet.
Dazai laughed.
‘’ What? ‘’ Chuuya snapped, turning his head at him, still picking out what to wear, ‘’ We’re
already late, we should be hurrying.
‘’ It’s Sunday.’’

7 MONTHS LATER

Dazai didn’t use to have friends.

He’d gone all of his life living isolated, confined in his solitude.
He had preferred it that way.
Most people he had ever encountered had been too sallow, too dull for him, anyways. He saw no
point in idle, simple chat and no merit in forming any kind of passing relationship with anyone.
Yet he had gone out of his way to do just that.
When he was a kid, still attending school, he had made sure that every classmate of his had viewed
him as a friend. He had always taken the role of the funny kid, or the class clown who everyone
adored.
His parents had been pleased with that, and that’s all he had wanted.

In all his life, up until his eighteenth birthday, he had only ever had one true friend.
He had also had one very close acquaintance that he had once considered a friend and a partner,
that was so much more than a partner yet not a friend.
Oda Sakunosuke, Ango Sakaguchi and Chuuya Nakahara.
Those had been the only three people he had ever found interesting enough in his life to form a
connection with.

It didn't last long, however.

Ango had been revealed to be a traitor, just a few years after they had met him.
Odasaku had died the same week as Ango’s reveal. Primarily, because of that betrayal.
And Chuuya?
Chuuya was the only person that had stayed with him. Slowly growing from his partner to his
friend and eventually to his best friend in the whole world.

After that ordeal, Dazai had been very reluctant to the idea of forming new connections.
Something in the back of his mind kept telling him that he shouldn’t. Kept telling him that they’ll
meet the same fate as his previous friends.
Those thoughts had been so heavy and so loud, that for a long time, Dazai had been trying to push
even Chuuya away.
So overwhelmed by that constant dread in his mind, he had attempted to sabotage their relationship
countless of times, whether consciously or subconsciously.
Alas, all his efforts had been in vain.

It hadn’t worked.

Dazai was grateful it hadn’t worked because being Chuuya’s friend…

If he could have him in his life, that would be enough for him.

Dazai would have been content with Chuuya being his only friend.
But to his surprise, that hadn’t remained the case.

If he had joined the Agency by himself, he was certain he wouldn't have had the same attitude
towards its people. He’d still be their co-worker and sure, there’d be times where they’d hung out
and talk, but nothing would have been even remotely similar to his life now,
Because Chuuya was himself, Dazai had been able to form even more connections. Some of which
he considered friendships.

It was simple. Chuuya acted like a sort of glue between him and the rest of the Agency. If Dazai
had been alone there, he would just wait for work to be over so he could go and lay in his bed,
doing nothing.
He wasn’t a person with much motivation.
He didn’t care to ‘do’ things, or have ‘experiences’
Chuuya was different.
Because of his need to ‘do’ things and create memories, he’d always be planning something with
someone, always getting invited by people. Dazai always got invited as well.

At the start, he simply didn’t mind being around all his co-workers.
Eating with them, or just hanging out around the city at different cafes, having all sorts of
conversations. It had been nice, but he didn’t actively chase after it.

Now things were a lot different.

‘’ In Mars.’’ Chuuya mockingly replied, Yosano rolled her eyes at him from the other side of the
phone.
‘’ We’re already in Kanagawa, where are you guys? ‘’ He asked, turning around to look at Dazai
who was kneeling down, drawing weird shapes with a stick, on the ground. ‘’ Yeah, he’s with me
alright, now how long will it take you? ’’
‘’ Fifty minutes? ‘’ Chuuya echoed, ‘’ The show starts in an hour, doc. ‘’ he reminded her. ‘’ Okay,
okay, we’ll be waiting for you.’’ He said and hung up.
‘’ So Kunikida is running late,’’ He observed, a grin forming on his lips.
‘’ Really? I didn’t notice.’’ Chuuya walked over to him to have a better look at the ground. ‘’ The
fuck is this? ‘’ He asked, eyeing Dazai.
‘’ I’m calculating the possibilities of me dying by a firework getting off its rail. ‘’ Dazai smiled at
him.
‘’ How is it looking for us? ’’ Chuuya asked, matching his energy.
‘’ They’re much lower than I expected. ‘’ Dazai said, the disappointment clear in his voice.
‘’ That’s a shame.’’ Chuuya agreed, ‘’ Maybe if you wish it on the Tanzaku, then it could happen?
‘’ Chuuya offered him.
Dazai opened his mouth wide, his eyes glistening with excitement. ‘’ It could work, ‘’ He said,
getting up.
He extended his hand at the red-head. ‘’ Would Chuuya join me? ‘’ he said, ‘’ since we’re here
earlier, and we have an hour before the rest of us get here, maybe we could go to the festival as
well? ‘’
Chuuya had been meaning to tell him they should go. For some strange reason though, he had been
embarrassed to ask him. Which troubled him, because he had never been the kind of person to just
chicken out on something.
‘’ We have time, so, yeah, why not. ‘’

The seventh day of the seventh month.

Tanabata, one of the biggest festivals and celebrations in the entire country. A day filled with food
stands, carnival games, walks across the beach, and wishes and fireworks.
Colorful garlands and lanterns decorated every alley, their color brightening up the city, making it
look as if it had come alive.
It was a colorful and loud celebration. One deserving of the myth behind it.

‘’ Fuck off, you cheated.’’ Chuuya accused him as they walked to the next game they had decided
to play.
‘’ How? ‘’ Dazai asked innocently, ‘’ I just guessed the correct answer.’’
‘’ It was too precise, even for you,‘’ Chuuya said, munching on a big chunk of cotton candy. He
hated the taste and the texture, and everything about the snack, really but since he had lost, he
couldn’t do much about it. ‘’ Exactly 3,758. What are the odds you guessed that number? It’s too
much.’’
‘’ You’re just mad because Chuuya isn’t as clever as-
Magically, Dazai tripped and fell.
Chuuya bent down to help him up. ‘’ You were saying? ‘’ His smirk revealed everything. Dazai
dusted off his shirt and continued walking.

Playing carnival games with Dazai was fun.

Chuuya loved going around all the little stands, playing all the shooting games, all the guessing
games, all the games obviously there just to steal your money. The rigged games that are
impossible to win, but by some miracle ( Dazai’s plans) they always managed to win.
Watching the shocked expression of the stand owners always gave them the thrill.
The pure horror, the confusion, the anger.
In most stands such as these, they’d stay around just for a tad more, making sure to say things like,
‘’ it was too easy,’’, ‘’ A child could do that,’’ and other such phrases that made the owners mad.

Shooting and strength games were Chuuya’s favorites. Strength games, he always won, shooting
games, most of the time. Dazai was himself a very skilled marksman, so most of their games ended
in a tie.
The games where you had to guess were his worst. He couldn’t calculate for shit.
Dazai excelled in that. Always guessing the exact right number.
It was frustrating, yet amusing.
Dazai’s grin when he won was enough to make Chuuya want to continue playing them.

‘’ Takoyaki? ‘’ Chuuya questioned, seeing Dazai carrying two plates in his hands.’’ And what’s
that? Yakitori skewers? ‘’
‘’ Not a fan? ‘’ Dazai sat down on the bench handing Chuuya one of the two plates.
‘’ Didn’t say that.’’ Chuuya was quick to defend himself, ‘’ I’m just surprised you got us some
good food,’’ he sneered.
‘’ One time. I bought us pineapple pizza one time.’’ Dazai excused, ‘’ I was curious and I made a
mistake in the heat of the moment, okay?’’
It hadn’t been that awful but they loved to dramatize their opinions about it.
‘’ Suck mistakes can’t be forgiven, Dazai.’’ Chuuya shook his head, a sorrowful look on his face.
‘’ I know.’’ Dazai agreed. ‘’ No amount of repent will ever make that right.’’ He said, frowning.
‘’ Well, who cares, ‘’ He switched up, picking up his chopsticks.

They sat down at a little bench and ate, as they watched a screening, or rather, a puppet theater
play, some kids had decided to put up.
The execution had been horrible, but the overall thing had been enjoyable.
No, not enjoyable, laughable.
Their jokes had been so awful that one of them had managed to cause Chuuya to choke on his
takoyaki. Dazai had laughed before going to get him some water from a nearby stand.

The play they had performed had been based on an ancient Japanese story.
‘’ Why didn’t they just play the story of Tanabata? ‘’ Chuuya turned to complain to Dazai. ‘’ Since
we’re literally celebrating, it would have made so much more sense.’’
Dazai squinted his eyes, his lips tugging into another annoying smirk, ‘’ Did Chuuya want to see a
love story? ‘’ He asked, ‘’ I’m pretty sure there is a screening of the tita-
As if by magic, a small branch flew right into the back of Dazai’s head.
‘’ Oh, would you look at that,’’ Chuuya got up from the bench. ‘’ that was unfortunate.’’ He said,
picking up the branch, ‘’ It didn’t hit you hard enough.’’ He threw it away.
Dazai stood up. ‘’ It’s always violence and objects magically hitting me, with you, ‘’ he said,
widening his eyes and waving his hands to emphasize a point.’’ And I thought I was the shitty
magician.’’
That made Chuuya giggle.
‘’ Hey, what’s the time? ‘’
Chuuya ignored his previous statement and answered him. ‘’ We have ten more minutes before
they arrive.’’ he said, looking at his phone.
‘’ We have to hurry then.’’

They had just finished writing down their wishes on the colorful tenzukus. Chuuya was now trying
to hang his blue one from the bamboo tree.
He was struggling a bit.

‘’ Do you need help with-

‘’ I’ll murder you in your sleep, Dazai.’’
‘’ A simple no, would have sufficed, jeez.’’

Because all the kids had already made their wishes, there was little to no room left on the shorter
part of the bamboo plant, for any more papers to be hung at. Since he couldn’t use his ability
publicly, Chuuya had chosen to tiptoe.
Dazai was trying his best to hold his laughter in.

‘’ What did you wish for? ‘’ He started, his voice getting higher on the last word. Chuuya knew
what that subtle inflection meant. ‘’ For you to grow taller? ‘’
‘’ I should have wished for you to die. ‘’ Chuuya mumbled under his breath, retreating away from
the bamboo plant, so Dazai could go near it.
Dazai took his paper and reached for the highest spot he could.
‘’ There. Now you’ll never see it.’’ He smiled, walking to Chuuya.
‘’ And you’ll never see the sun again if you continue.’’
‘’ You’re so morbid, Chuuya.’’
‘’ Says the one that was calculating his chances of dying by a firework.’’

Leaving the festival, they headed down to the docks, hurryingly descending the big and tall
staircase that led to the beach.
When they arrived at the viewing spot, they finally spotted them.

Like them, they all wore their yukatas, a small fan nestled in their hands. They could see Ranpo
and Yosano laughing about something they had said while Kunikida was making sure that the
place they were in was the one Dazai and Chuuya had described to him.
‘’ Here.’’ Chuuya waved his hand to get their attention.
When they saw them, they smiled.

Dazai didn’t use to have friends.

But now, things were a lot different.

Because of everything that had changed in his life, he’d come to find just how important it is to
have friends.
People who want to spend time with you, who appreciate and seek your presence in their lives.

He wasn’t friends with everyone in the Agency, but he was with those three.
Kunikida Doppo, his ex-partner for a small while.
Edogawa Ranpo, one of the few people that actually understood his way of thinking.
And Akiko Yosano.
Although they spent a lot of time together, his relationship with Yosano was still pretty rocky. He
really liked her as a person. She was a very interesting woman. But something about her.
Maybe the way she held her scalpel, or maybe the way she talked about medicine.
She reminded him too much of Mori to be completely comfortable around her.
Still, he considered her a friend.

‘’ Oi, Dazai.’’ Chuuya called for him, ‘’ Please tell Ranpo that I won most matches. He doesn’t
believe me.’’
‘’ But you lost.’’ Dazai lied, butting an innocent front.’’ Why would I lie and say that you won?‘’
Ranpo let out a giggle, looking at Chuuya.
‘’ You bastard-

And the one person he didn’t consider a ‘friend from the Agency’
Nakahara Chuuya, the one constant in his life.

Because of him, because of his impact, Dazai was there right now.
Enjoying the fireworks with people he considered friends.
People who had gone with him to the Shrine on New Year's, people who had organized a surprise
party on his birthday, people who had celebrated with him Chuuya’s birthday.

He stood there in silence and watched as the sky changed a million colors.
Listening to all the different conversations happening around him, to his friends laughing and
joking.

Was his wish too much to ask for?

‘’ Since when are you so much into myths and legends? ‘’ Dazai asked, his curiosity getting the
best of him.
Chuuya arched his eyebrow slightly, ‘’ Contrary to what you may believe, I too can read. ‘’ he
said, sarcastically.
‘’ I know that,’’ Dazai rolled his eyes.’’ I meant since when do you read books? ‘’
‘’ You got a big ass stack in your room, so whenever I’m bored I go there and take whatever piques
my interest.’’
‘’ So this is why one of my books has a wine stain.’’ Dazai figured, connecting the dots with the
new piece of information he had just received.
Chuuya looked elsewhere, ‘’ Yeah, I tried to write a small note on the top of the page, cause I
hadn’t meant for that to happen.’’
‘’ Ah, that’s what the smudge was supposed to be.’’
‘’ Kinda smeared it all over. ‘’ It had been a series of stupid accidents. Chuuya hoped Dazai had yet
to notice the one page that had been ripped.
‘’ I see.’’ Dazai squinted his eyes at him, ‘’ So page 102-
‘’ Okay, okay. Look,’’ Chuuya tried,’’ Some accidents happened, I tried to make it better, I only
worsened it.’’ He explained. ‘’
‘’ So you decided not to say anything.’’
‘’ Pretty much.’’’
‘’ Huh.’’
‘’Although, I did consider throwing the book away so as you’d think you just lost it.’’ Chuuya
added.
‘’ Right…’’

It was 4 am In the morning and they were still sitting near the beach, watching as the sea waves
crashed into the docks.
Kunikida, Yosano and Ranpo had left just a few hours ago, after they had taken a stroll around the
festival.
In their initial plan, Chuuya and Dazai would have left with them, but somehow, they managed to
get held back as volunteers in the cleaning of the festival grounds.
Apparently, while still at the Festival, Ranpo and Yosano had decided to pull a little prank on
them, signing their names up for the after-cleaning.

‘’ Oi, Chuuya, I think you missed a spot.’’ Dazai said, letting go of a small yellow piece of paper.
Chuuya watched it as it fell to the ground, just a few feet away from the broom he was holding.
He turned to Dazai, his eyes, the eyes of a killer ready to add one more victim to his list.
Two hours of swiping confetti off the ground can really change a man.

After that ordeal, they had decided to grab some more food, a few cans, and head back to the shore.
Then, they sat there, eating, drinking, and talking.

‘’ To answer your question,’’ Chuuya changed the subject back to their first topic, ‘’ I do enjoy
reading and learning about various myths.’’ he said. ‘’ I find most of them interesting.’’
‘’ Like the story of Hikoboshi and Orihime? ‘’ Dazai asked, grinning.
Chuuya let out a sigh.‘’ Ranpo asked what we were celebrating. I knew the story.’’ Chuuya said, ‘’
Not sharing the story with him would have been rude.’’
‘’ So you read love stories~
‘’ That’s your takeaway from this? ‘’
‘’ About princesses and-
‘’ Oh, fuck off-It’s not even my favorite story,’’ Chuuya tried to reason. ‘’ I just happened to come
across it, and read it.‘’
‘’ Okay then, what’s your favourite? ‘’ Dazai asked, leaning closer.
‘’ Story? ‘’
‘’ Yeah. Or legend or myth, whatever.’’
Chuuya thought about his answer.
‘’ It’s a Welsh Legend, ‘’ Chuuya said, ‘’ The Legend of King Arthur.’’
‘’ What is it about? ‘’
‘’ It’s one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever read.’’ Chuuya admitted, ‘’ Arthur starts off by
being kind of a big dick. He is this arrogant and stuck up Prince that you want to punch in the face.
No one dares to disobey or challenge him, until he meets the new guy in town, Merlin.’’
‘’ Isn’t that the wizard? ‘’
‘’ Yes,’’ Chuuya replies excitedly, ‘’ But Arthur doesn’t know that.’’
‘’ How come?’’
‘’ Well, Merlin hides it from him. He hides a lot of stuff actually, from his magic, to knowledge
about situations, to the prophecy that says Arthur will die. Then there is Morgana and her betrayal.
There are dragons that talk, evil sorcerers. The Excalibur, this magic sword that-’’ Chuuya’s voice
trailed off as he realized he had let himself be carried away.
‘’ It’s a fantastic story.’’ He concludes, shamefully.
‘’ Does he live at the end? Arthur? ‘’ Dazai asked, showing him that he was paying attention to
what he had been saying and that he actually cared about it.
‘’ No.’’ Chuuya answered, ‘’ Which I would argue makes the story even better.’’
‘’ Really? ’’
‘’ You see, at that point, Merlin has tried everything to get away from the future the prophecy had
described. He’s done more than Arthur could ever know. Yet all that have only brought him closer
to that exact future.’’
‘’ It’s a tragedy, then.’’ Dazai observed.’’ A story where the character’s struggles have all been in
vain.’’
‘’ No,’’ Chuuya disagreed.’’ Arthur did die, yes, but that doesn’t mean everything had been in
vain. Because of all he did, he helped Camelot rise to the great Kingdom it became. He helped and
saved so many people. And of course, he got to be Arthur’s servant.’’
‘’ I see.’’ Dazai truly did see the point he was making.
‘’ Anyways, what’s yours? ‘’ Chuuya countered the question.
He really liked moments like these, where they would ask each other questions with no ulterior
motive, just to get to know the other better.
He was always looking forward to hearing what Dazai had to say. Because of his detachment from
things, he used to have little to no answers. Always thinking thoroughly, responding with calculated
phrases and words.
That wasn’t the case anymore.
Chuuya knew Dazai wouldn't admit to it, but he wasn’t as detached as he used to be.

‘’ Have you ever heard of the Legend of Atlantis? ‘’ his answer surprised him.
Chuuya wasn’t all that familiar with the myth. He’d only heard random bits and pieces and all
from various and different sources. The information had all been jumbled up inside his head.
‘’ What, like, the lost underwater-mermaid-city or whatever? ‘’ He asked, not knowing how to
describe it any better.
Dazai let out a laugh. ‘’ Close, but not quite.’’ he said.
‘’ Tell me then,’’ Chuuya urged him, ‘’ It must be truly fascinating since it’s your favorite.’’ he
remarked, his eyes falling on Dazai’s.
‘’ Very well,’’
Dazai turned around so his body would face the water.
’’ The Legend of Atlantis is the beautiful and tragic story of an ancient civilization,’’ He began, his
eyes drifting to the ocean in front of them.’’ It was said that Atlantis was massive, a gigantic island
filled with mountains, and structures that the like of them no one had ever seen before. It was a city
far ahead of its times. A city so advanced even the gods had envied. ‘’
Chuuya’s eyes stayed glued to him as he continued with the story. Never wavering away, not even
for a second.
‘’ The people there, they all lived in harmony, happy and free. It was the perfect city with the
perfect citizens. A utopia, if you must.’’
‘’ The men, the women, and the children, they all behaved flawlessly. They cared, and they loved
and they sympathized. They were the perfect humans, capable enough to build a city so worthy as
to grant them the favor of the gods. Everything had stayed perfect for a long time.
But all things carry an expiration date.
The people. They became greedy, became obsessed with money, became petty little creatures that
threw away even the tiniest bit of morality. They became thieves of their friends, murderers of their
families. It was a carnage.’’

Chuuya bashed Dazai’s theatrics all the time, but in reality, he actually found them to be very
entertaining.
The way he made his voice lower or higher to fit the story, the gestures he made with his hands,
and his expressions.
Chuuya could watch him tell stories for hours.

‘’ They denied their gods, pursuing immoral behaviors, letting themselves be corrupted, be
consumed by pride and arrogance. Their hubris made the gods punish them.’’ Dazai’s eyes
darkened then. The only light inside of them, the reflection of the stars and the moon, disappeared.
‘’ One day.’’ He continued,
‘’ It took one day of fires and earthquakes to bring their entire civilization down. One day, for
everything they had worked so hard for, to crumble. To burn. To flood. It took one day for
everything to become nothing but a distant memory. ‘’
Chuuya watched as Dazai continued to stare off at the ocean, his eyes far away.
‘’ I only see the Tragedy.’’ Chuuya remarked,’’ Where do you find the beauty in that? ‘’ He asked,
genuinely curious to know Dazai’s thoughts.
His partner didn’t answer him right away.
‘’ You see,’’ he started again, ‘’ In the end, everything they had worked so hard for, got destroyed.
Their entire city got submerged. You would think they all died, wouldn’t you? That they all
vanished, leaving nothing behind but stories of their greatness.’’
That was the logical thing to assume, Chuuya thought but didn’t say.
‘’ But what if they survived, somehow? ’’ There it was again, that dangerous glint in his eyes.
‘’ What if they found a way to evolve and live even under those circumstances, under the surface?
‘’
Chuuya had never considered that possibility.
‘’ They were said to be advanced, right? So what if they suffered because of that. Suffered more
than the stories described.’’
Chuuya was staring.
He knew he was staring at him but he couldn’t stop it.
There was something so frightening yet so charming about the way Dazai was speaking.
‘’ What if that was their divine punishment. A life where they’d be isolated from all the other
cities, from all the other people. A life where being alive would be no better than being cursed.
Where their breathing would cause them excruciating pain since it would never be the normal for
their lungs.
Where their food would cause them poisoning since it was never meant to be for them.
Where every movement would be impossible since their legs weren’t made for the currents of the
sea.
What if the gods let them live?
In a place under the ocean, far away from everything they’ve ever known, destined to suffer in
silence. Their fate, so much worse than death.
Don’t you find it beautiful, the thought of what could have happened? ‘’

The way Dazai had recited the story had deeply unnerved Chuuya. So much fondness in his voice,
but why?

‘’ I think they all just died,’’ Chuuya tried to offer his own opinion. ‘’ They either died by burning
alive or drowned. I don’t think anyone could have survived a whole day of fires and earthquakes.’’
Dazai turned to him, a strange glow in his eyes. ‘’ You could be right,’’ he offered, ‘’ or you could
be wrong.’’ he opposed himself.’’ no one knows and no one will ever know. Isn’t the mystery of
that alluring to you? ‘’
‘’ I…guess so?’’ Chuuya was sure he didn’t see the same appeal for the story.
Still, the cogs in his mind were spinning like crazy, trying to find the reason why Dazai had been
so enamored by it.
‘’ So what do you like so much about this story? ‘’ He decided to ask.’’ You said you think it’s
beautiful and tragic, but you didn’t say why you like it, in the first place.’’
Dazai twisted his head so he would face him.
‘’ I don’t know,’’ He said, ‘’ I read about it once when I was a kid and it stuck with me.’’

Dazai hadn’t understood it when he had first read about the city.
He’d thought it had been a very straightforward story, with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Yet,
later on, he discovered he couldn’t get it out of his mind.
He was a very clever kid, and because of that, most stories never stuck with him. Not in the way
this one had.

Chuuya was searching for an answer in his face,‘’ Is that all? ‘’ he asked, his voice genuine. Dazai
didn’t have an answer he could give him.
‘’ I used to blame the gods,’’ he said, ‘’ used to think that they were at fault for punishing the
humans. Sure, the people made mistakes and they drifted off, but the gods never gave them not one
chance to repent.’’ he explained.
‘’ Then, I kept imagining the city crumbling down and everyone that had lived there trying their
best to save it. Trying to salvage whatever they could before it was too late.
How did they feel? The same city that had once made them so happy, had fallen. ‘’
Chuuya could hear the intensity in his words. Dazai’s questions felt personal.
‘’ After a while, I started to think that the ones at fault had always been the people.’’ he
concluded.’’ They were the ones that had built the city upon unstable grounds. And they had been
the ones to chase after change, pushing their luck.’’
‘’ So you like the different perspectives of the story and the mystery surrounding the future, if it
existed, of the city.’’ Chuuya deduced.
‘’ I guess so.’’ Dazai simply replied, lowering his torso so as to lay on the sand. Chuuya laid down
as well.
‘’ It doesn’t have dragons and magic, but I can see the appeal.’’
Dazai laughed, ‘’ You can be so childish at times, chibi.’’
Chuuya revolted at the sound of that old nickname.‘’ If you don’t wake up tomorrow, blame
yourself, not me.’’ he said, sharply.
‘’ Whatever you say…’’
Chuuya waited for his sentence, and by extension, his life, to end.
‘’...chibi.’’
‘’ You’re staying outside tonight.’’
Dazai gaped at him, ‘’ The apartment is mine too, you know.’’ he reminded him.
‘’ Don’t give a shit.’’ Chuuya answered.’’ Try to sneak in and I’ll tell Kunikida about the-
‘’ Okay, okay, fine.’’ Blackmailing? Him? Who did he think he was.
‘’ Glad we understand each other.’’

Chuuya got out of the shower and moved to the closet, the fatigue of the day finally getting to him.
He put on some comfortable clothes and moved to his bed. Since his body wasn’t itching anymore
because of sand stuck on his clothes he thought he could finally retire for the day and close his
eyes.
He couldn’t.
The phone on his nightstand was still ringing and buzzing. It didn’t surprise him.
He picked it up.
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ The bench is cold,’’ Dazai said, trying to make his voice sound as factual as he could.
‘’ and I’m pretty sure there is a rabid dog that’s been watching me.’’
Chuuya let out a breath but didn’t respond
‘’ It’s still looking at me,’’ Dazai continued, focusing on the threat, ‘’ I don’t think I’ll make it
through the night.’’
He couldn’t be serious…
‘’ It’s five a.m. I can literally see the sun rising right now.’’ He said, not even bothering to go to his
window to check.
‘’ I think it can smell my fear.’’
‘’ What fear? ’’ God, he was being so unreasonably annoying.’’ I’m hanging up-
‘’ No p-
Chuuya hung up on him.

‘’ Where is the dog? ‘’

Dazai looked up, towards where the voice was coming from.
‘’ Uh, it left.’’ He lied, looking at Chuuya.
Chuuya nodded his head, looking down at him.
He was dangling upside down from one of the cables connected to the utility pole that stood near
the bench Dazai was sitting on. He looked so done with him.

‘’ Locking me out of my own apartment and blackmailing me isn’t a good thing to do, you know.’’
‘’ Okay? ‘’ Chuuya couldn’t care less, ‘’ It’s not a good thing but it sure is amusing.’’
‘’ Watching me survive out in the wilderness? ‘’ Dazai twisted his words, ‘’ In a Yukata full of
sand, my body itching like crazy? And with the hot summer air burning-
‘’ Fine, come back inside,’’ Chuuya began walking along the wire, heading to the apartment. ’’
You can so fucking dramatic, I swear.’’
Dazai followed him, skipping happily on the road beneath, a stupid smile on his face. ‘’ I want to
do that too.’’ He said, looking at Chuuya walking the cable so completely unaffected by gravity.
‘’ You’d fall and die.’’
‘’ I know.’’ he continued looking at him.’’ It seems like fun tho.’’
A grin tugged on his lips, ‘’ It is.’’
Chuuya would have loved to help Dazai experience the feeling that comes with defying gravity,
unfortunately for him, that was impossible.
If Dazai had any other ability it wouldn’t have been a problem, but with No Longer Human, the
only result they could have would be both of them plummeting into the street the moment Dazai
touched him.
‘’ By the way, ‘’ Dazai spoke again, ‘’ What did you wish on the Tanzaku? ‘’
‘’ Yeah, like I’d tell you.’’
Chuuya had never been much of a believer. He knew gods existed, same way he knew they didn’t
give a crap about his wishes or prayers. Still, you can’t go to Tanabata and not make a wish, it’s
the custom.
So once he had arrived at the wishing tree, he made up his mind to make one, this year,
He hadn't thought much of it.
‘’ Oh, come on, tell me~’’
‘’ Not a chance.’’
‘’ Fine.’’ Dazai crossed his arms, ‘’ I won’t tell you either.
‘’ Didn’t even ask.’’

Having been looking at Dazai writing his own wish down on the small, red paper, and having had
his phone ready on his hand expecting a call from Yosano and the others, he had figured there was
only one thing he truly wanted.

‘’ You’re being mean.’’ Dazai said, taking his keys out and unlocking the door.
‘’ And you’re being annoying.’’ Chuuya countered, walking from the cable into the window of his
room.
He entered the room and headed towards his door, just in time to hear Dazai entering the
apartment.
‘’ Night.’’
‘’ Night.’’

He wouldn’t speak his wish aloud, because for the first time in his life he actually believed it could
come true.
It wasn’t something impossible and it wasn’t something out of reach, so even for a joke, he
wouldn’t risk losing that chance.

He laid on his bed, set up his alarm clock, and closed his eyes.
Thinking back to the day, he couldn’t help but smile.
It had been so great, getting to enjoy the festival with Dazai and then watching the fireworks with
everyone.
He wished they could have more days like that one.
He wished Dazai and him would remain friends like that forever.
He wished…

All those thoughts had come to him the moment he had been ready to write his wish down on that
blue paper.
He knew he could only write one thing, so to honor the rules, he had found the perfect way to word
it. The perfect way to encapsulate it all.

His wish had been for nothing to change.

3 MONTHS LATER

Ever since Chuuya had told him that story about the wizard that had known the future but had kept
it a secret, he couldn’t help but relate it to himself.
He was in a very similar situation.
He knew what was about to happen this year, yet he felt like he couldn’t share it with anyone.
Not even Chuuya.

It was such a burden.

The ability to predict and calculate the future. It made living so much more unsurprising, so much
more predictable.

The thought of meeting that Demon again, and having to defeat him weighed heavily on him.
The thought of the upcoming war.

He wondered if that wizard had felt the same as him.

If he had felt the same hopelessness.
If he had felt the same sense of responsibility.

Dazai knew only a few minutes remained before he would find the catalyst.
And then only a few more months before Fyodor Dostoyevski would finally make his move and
wage war on their city.
On their world.

‘’ What are you thinking? ‘’ Chuuya asked him, seeing the way he was staring off at the horizon,
his hands gripping the bars of the bridge.
‘’ I’m going for a swim. ‘’ Dazai said, smiling, looking at the river beneath them.
Chuuya stared at him.
‘’ Be at the bank near the bridge in about half an hour, kay? ‘’ He added.
Chuuya had this really bad feeling that Dazai was plotting something.
‘’ What’s this about? ‘’ He asked, crossing his arms.
‘’ Oh, you’ll see.’’
Chuuya wasn’t convinced.
‘’ I’m not drowning, okay?’’ Dazai tried to reassure him. ‘’ I promise, I’ll meet you there.’’
When Dazai used that word…
‘’ Is this one of your schemes? ‘’ Chuuya tried, ‘’ At least tell me that much.’’
 Dazai smiled wide,’’ My biggest yet,‘’ He said, his voice off.
‘’ You’re insufferable.’’ Chuuya mumbled.
‘’ Yeah, but you’ll be there, right? ’’
‘’ Fine, whatever,’’ There was no reasoning with his partner, Chuuya knew that. ‘’ Just remember
that if you do drown and die, I ain’t paying shit for your funeral.’’
Dazai smiled before saluting him and falling back to the water.

Whatever Dazai was doing, he knew nothing of it.

All that he knew was that it was important.

If it hadn’t been, Dazai wouldn’t have had that serious look on his face.

He only glanced at the river once, to make sure Dazai’s plan was working.
He saw him floating, getting carried away by the downstream current.
Well, that’s good enough.

He placed his hands on the handles of his motorcycle, continuing to drive alongside the River,
watching as the sun slowly fell, sinking behind Yokohama’s tallest of buildings.

To his surprise, when Chuuya saw Dazai again, on the banks of that river, he wasn’t alone.

Next to him stood a boy.

A boy with white uneven hair.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you for reading<3

I hope you enjoyed Chapter nine!!
( And just to be clear, BBC merlin is the canon legend of Arthur for me. It's the
superior version, in my opinion.)

Next Chapter, a lot of things are gonna happen, that's for sure, so stay tuned<3
( It's probably gonna come out somewhere around 20-something of July. I don't think
it's gonna take longer, but in case it does, you have been warned.)
 This Wasn't The Storm. This Was A Breeze.
Chapter Summary

Atsushi has entered the story, and well, things have escalated because of that.

This is basically the Atsushi joins the ADA arc and the Guild arc all in one massive
chapter.

We have a few mentions of things yet to come, we have Kouyou and Dazai and
Kouyou and Chuuya interactions, the meeting with Mori and his two ex-executives,
the Guild, Akutagawa, Atsushi, Dazai and Chuuya's thoughts about everything.

There is so much stuff here, honestly.

Chapter Notes

Okay, okay. Another chapter in the span of ten days and it's 17k words...

So yeah, at first, I planned for it to be like, 10k and then 13k words but yeah... I blame
it on my summer depression and the fact I'm stuck in an amazing hotel just a few
meters away from the sea, yet I can't go swimming because my stomach hurts.
I also got hit by a car last week, which was pretty mild, just a few scratches and
bruises from when I hit the ground, but I found it funny enough so why not share it in
my author notes.

I really hope you like this chapter. I think it's gonna be the biggest in the story.
If I write something even bigger, god help me, cause I know for a fact I won't survive
HTMLing and editing it.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ You know the risks, Chuuya. If my support is delayed even by little…you’ll be dead.’’ Dazai
said, looking at his partner. ‘’ So it’s your choice to make.’’
‘’ It’s up to me?’’ Chuuya mused, looking back at him, ‘’ Whenever you say that you already
know what my answer is gonna be..’’

TWO MONTHS AGO

‘’ How did you know he’d be there? ‘’ Chuuya asked, pacing around the room.
‘’ Lucky guess.’’
‘’ You knew exactly where he’d be.’’ Chuuya pointed out. ‘’ And you knew he would be desperate
enough to pull you out- How?.’’
Dazai’s plans had always been intricate and confusing, that wasn’t something new. What was new
was that Chuuya still had questions, even after it had been completed.

‘’ That was a gut feeling. ‘’ He couldn’t tell him the truth, no matter how much he wanted to.
‘’ A gut feeling? ‘’ Chuuya said, eyeing him warily, doubt clouding his every word. ‘’ You,
knowing the kid was the tiger that had been rampaging around Yokohama. A gut feeling? You,
knowing exactly where to find him and what to-
‘’ I followed some leads I found about the case and they led me to his orphanage.’’ Dazai
explained, cutting him off, already exhausted by Chuuya’s questions. ‘’ Connecting the orphanage
to the kid that had just been ‘kicked out’ and then him to the rumors wasn’t that difficult. He got
kicked out, boom, the tiger appeared.’’ Dazai rolled his eyes, not understanding why Chuuya was
so shocked about that whole plan.’’ It doesn’t take a genius to realize the two events are
connected.’’
‘’ I can understand that part fine,’’ Chuuya said. ‘’What I can’t understand is how you knew the
boy was gonna be there. ‘’ Well, that was the only part he couldn’t reveal. ‘’ Did you stalk him or
something? ‘’
‘’ Do I look like the kind that stalks people? ‘’ Chuuya’s silence was an answer on its own.
Dazai slouched back on the couch, letting his body be absorbed by the cushions.
‘’ I saw him heading towards the banks when we were still driving around and so I figured, if I
jumped on the river, I would reach the banks just a few minutes after he would.’’
Chuuya wasn’t convinced but he decided not to further pursue the matter.
‘’ Okay.’’ he said, accepting the fact that Dazai had most probably a reason as to why he was been
so secretive.‘’ Will the kid be joining us? ‘’
‘’ Since you weren’t there to see his entrance exam unfolding, I’ll describe it to you. Then you can
tell me whether you think he passed or didn’t pass.’’
‘’ Was Fukuzawa the one in charge of the decision? Or did the boy get a supervisor?’’
Dazai grinned.
‘’ He got the best there is.’’ He said, showing off himself by doing various ridiculous poses.
‘’ Poor kid…’’
‘’ Hey.’’

The previous day had been pretty normal up until the point Dazai had decided to go for a swim by
jumping off the bridge and into the river.
Chuuya had known that action of his would be a part of some bigger plan but he hadn’t imagined it
would be something this big.

When he went to check on him after half an hour had passed, he found him conversing with a boy.
At first, he didn’t know what to make of the situation, but after he heard both of them speak, he
was able to figure out most things.
The boy, Atsushi, had saved him.
He hadn't done it out of the goodness of his heart, precisely, but for whatever reason, he had
dragged Dazai out of the water thus, saving his life from drowning.
According to Atsushi, Dazai had been very disappointed by the fact he hadn’t died. Going so far as
to blame the kid for messing up his perfect suicide.
However, Dazai had stopped complaining the moment he had heard Atsushi’s stomach growl.
Seeing that the kid had been hungry, he proposed they eat out at some restaurant.
That’s when Chuuya had found them.

‘’ Wait, you mean the barrel I shoved you in? ‘’ Chuuya asked, thinking back to that morning.
‘’ Yeah, that one. I stayed there for a bit, before calling Atsushi and telling him to come and help
me.’’
‘’ He didn’t question you about why you were stuck there in the first place? ‘’
‘’ Told him it was a new suicide method I had been wanting to try.’’
‘’ And he went along with that? ‘’
Dazai shrugged his shoulders.

After Chuuya had come into the scene, the three of them had introduced themselves to each other
before heading to a nearby restaurant Dazai knew to be close.
When asked what he wanted, the boy had replied with only one word.
Chazuke.
Dazai had ordered him more than ten bowls of the soup, in an attempt to get on his good side and
to also satisfy his hunger.
The boy had looked like he hadn’t eaten in days.

From what he had shared with them, Dazai would have been right on the money. Ever since he got
booted out of the orphanage, Atsushi hadn’t eaten anything.
If he hadn’t seen Dazai right then if he hadn’t gotten up to save him. He could have been dead for
all he knew.

After Dazai had made a passing joke earlier about how the river had absconded with his wallet,
Chuuya had wondered how they would pay for the meal, knowing he himself had forgotten his
wallet back at their apartment.
He had been thinking of letting Dazai know when Kunikida had entered the venue.
He couldn’t help but look at Dazai disapprovingly.

‘’ So Tanizaki played the bomber? ‘’ Chuuya asked to make sure he had understood correctly.
‘’ Yes. ‘’ Dazai replied to him, ‘’ Naomi played the helpless victim, held hostage, and Atsushi
played the
Innocent passerby, somehow caught up in the mess.’’
‘’ So how did he approach it? ‘’ Chuuya was curious to know how the kid had handled such a
delicate situation. What had been his first instinct? Had he acted upon it?
Such an anxiety-inducing test could reveal a lot about one’s personality.
‘’ At first, he was shaking out of fear.’’ Dazai admitted, ‘’ To make the situation more believable, I
had Kunikida try to approach the bomber first. Our bomber recognized him as part of the agency,
so he wouldn’t listen to him and or his pleas.’’
‘’ Let me guess, that made having Atsushi play the middle man the only other option since he
wouldn’t know him? ‘’
‘’ Exactly.’’ Dazai confirmed, ‘’ As I already told you, at first he was terrified, but even so, he was
very quick to jump out and try his best to reason with our bomber.’’ Dazai clasped his hands
together. ‘’ To convince him not to blow everything up, he made a speech. He started going off
about how he had no family left, and how he had been kicked out of his orphanage. He basically
told him that his life was so utterly disappointing and awful, yet he wanted to live.’’ Something
flashed inside Dazai’s eyes then.
‘’ He tried to convince him that he should try to live as well, making himself the example.’’
‘’ How did the bomber react to that? ‘’
‘’ You should have seen Tanizaki’s expression. He was so uncomfortable, listening to Atsushi
telling him about his life. Even that wasn’t enough to break him out of character. He would make
for a decent actor.’’ Dazai reached for his glass, taking a few more sips of his water. ‘’ Us not
being able to handle the threat would have raised suspicions, so I had Kunikida attack the bomber
using a wire gun, provided by his ability. Once the detonator was out of Tanizaki’s hands, he
tackled him to the ground. And thus another threat had been resolved,’’ he grinned, ‘’ Or so he
thought.’’
‘’ From the ground, Naomi pushed Atshushi forward. Resulting in him falling down, and his hand
accidentally pressing the button on the detonator.’’
‘’ Poor kid must have been frightened out of his life when the bomb started ticking again.’’
Atsushi’s behavior hadn’t surprised him. He hadn’t done something remarkable yet. All he had
done was buy them some time by having a very depressing speech.
‘’ He was mortified.’’ Dazai recalled, ‘’ you could see him stressing about what to do, looking
around for something to cover the bomb with so as to minimize the damage.’’
Chuuya saw it then. The look on Dazai’s face. He was proud of what the boy had done next yet
troubled.
‘’ He threw himself on top of it, didn’t he? ‘’
‘’ Panic was written all over his face, yet he jumped on that thing and held it as tight as he could. I
wonder what went through his mind. He really must have thought he was about to die.’’
‘’ He jumped on a bomb to protect people he didn’t know for longer than a day.’’ That was enough
to impress him. ‘’ That kid got guts.’’
‘’ I hadn’t thought he would have gone that far.’’
Chuuya looked at him doubtfully, ‘’ Really? ‘’
‘’ No, I’m just kidding. I was counting on that.’’ Chuuya was sure that had been Dazai’s plan from
the very beginning. Every part of that entire ploy screamed his name.
‘’ I had planned it all, that much is true. Yet I was still taken aback by how easy it was for him. He
didn’t hesitate, not even for a second.’’

Kunikida hadn’t been too delighted when he found out the emergency, he had been summoned
there to deal with, had been to pay for the entire dinner.
Chuuya had assured him that he would pay him back the next chance he got. Dazai thanked him
for treating them.
After Kunikida had joined them, and once Atsushi was done eating all the Chazuke in the world,
the kid began to share with them his story. How he had ended up on the street and why his
orphanage had kicked him out. Chuuya had asked him what kind of an orphanage would do that to
a kid. Atsushi had only shrugged his shoulders, telling him it had to do with finances.
Kunikida waited for Atsushi to finish talking before reminding his two co-workers that they had a
job, and a case they had to tend to. Hearing him talk about a case, Atsushi couldn’t help but
wonder aloud, what their profession was.
Dazai had been happy to answer him. Telling him that they were detectives, wearing a smug look
on his face as he did.
Kunikida had been quick to add that they didn’t do normal detective things like, searching for lost
pets or investigating affairs and wandering spouses. Rather, they belonged to the organization
known as The Armed Detective Agency.
Chuuya jumped in on the conversation as well, specifying to Atsushi that their job entailed more
dangerous work, almost always having to do with ability users.
Atsushi had heard of the organization before.

‘’ So you passed him.’’ Chuuya came to the most logical conclusion there was.
‘’ No. ‘’ Dazai corrected him, looking at him with a blank expression. ‘’ After such a blatant
display of bravery and self-sacrifice, I failed him.’’
Chuuya stared at him.
He hated it when Dazai was being difficult like that.
‘’ Atsushi had been so confused at first. Looking around him, trying to figure out what exactly had
happened. Kunikida told him to blame me. I simply told the boy that this was a kind of Entrance
Exam he had to go through, then the President came to further explain things to him. However,
when Kunikida asked him for his verdict, the President said I should be the one to make the
decision.’’Dazai smiled, ‘’ I turned and welcomed him into the Agency.’’
‘’ Yeah, there is no way he just accepted it. ‘’ From the things he saw yesterday, and what Dazai
had described to him, he didn’t think Atsushi would be that willing to join an organization like the
ADA at the get-go.
The boy should naturally have some reservations at first, especially after that gimmick they pulled
on him.
‘’ He didn’t…at first.’’
That was all he needed to hear.
‘’ So which card did you play? The ‘we need your ability to save and help people’ or the ‘look
what your salary is gonna be’, one? ’’
Dazai laughed at how well his partner knew him. ‘’ He is a starved, homeless kid, Chuuya.’’ he
reminded him.
‘’ The salary one it is, then .’’
‘’ Ah, my heart.’’ He clenched the fabric off his shirt. ‘’ You make me sound like such a horrible
person.’’ Dazai said, laying down on the couch.
Chuuya just ignored him, heading towards the kitchen to grab something to eat.

Atsushi’s reaction to hearing about the case they were working on had been interesting, to say the
least. He had tried to flee the scene, falling off his chair and crawling on the floor, but to his bad
luck, Kunikida had caught him from the collar of his shirt before he could escape.
As it turned out, the boy’s fear of the tiger was based on an attack the animal had made on his
orphanage. Because of that attack, the orphanage lost resources and thus ended up tossing Atsushi
out. According to the boy, the tiger hadn’t stopped there. It continued to hunt him down even the
past two weeks, where he had been living on the streets.
Kunikida was quick to point out that the facts matched the boy’s allegations since the attacks had
indeed started two weeks ago.

Without wasting time, Dazai asked the boy if he would lend them a hand in tracking down the
tiger. LIke Chuuya had expected, the boy had voiced his initial refusal immediately, before being
persuaded by Dazai and the power of money.
After hearing that he would be paid for his services, Atsushi had agreed to go along with them.
Dazai had written down a note, then he had passed it to Kunikida. Then, he had asked Chuuya if he
would be his backup.

‘’ Oi, Dazai,’’ Chuuya called from inside the kitchen. ‘’ I’ve been meaning to ask, ‘’
‘’ Yeah? ’’
‘’ Did you eat my dumplings this morning? ’’ Chuuya’s head popped up from the kitchen frame.
Dazai looked at him.
‘’ I know not what you are referring to.’’
‘’ Dazai…’’
‘’ You mean those on the counter?‘’ Chuuya nodded. ‘’Hmm, reconsidering the matter, I may
know a thing or two.’’
Chuuya continued to stare at him.
‘’ Fine, I may have eaten them because I was too bored to cook anything, okay? ‘’ Dazai admitted.
‘’ I’m a simple man, I err. Is that so-
‘’ They had fallen on the floor.’’
Dazai’s eyes widened. ‘’ So it was an assassination attempt.’’ he gasped. ‘’ Et tu, brute? ‘’ He fell
down on his knees, looking at Chuuya, the betrayal heavy on his soul.
‘’ If I was trying to kill you, I would have used poison.’’
‘’ Aha.’’ Dazai loudly exclaimed. ‘’ So you admit you have been having thoughts about killing
me.’’
Chuuya focused back on boiling the noodles in the pot, completely ignoring him and his childish
behavior.
Something was troubling him.
Whenever Dazai acted so over the top, and for so long…There was always something in his mind
he was trying to escape from.
‘’ Your silence is only incriminating you more. ‘’
Chuuya wondered what it could be.

The plan had been simple. Dazai and Atsushi would wait inside the warehouse until the tiger
would show up. Chuuya would be guarding the perimeter of the building so as to not let it escape
from them.
It had been a quiet night, with Dazai sitting on a little corner reading his book, and Atsushi sitting
near him all curled up. After Atsushi had voiced his concerns, and after Dazai had made a certain
comment to reassure him, the boy had begun telling him about his life in the orphanage and how
he had no clue what he was meant to do now. Dazai sat there and listened to his rumble about how
he didn’t know where he would live or what he would be eating, how he thought that no one would
have cared if he had died on that street.
Dazai stayed quiet, talking to Atsushi only to update him on when he thought the tiger would be
arriving.

By the end of the night, Atsushi had learned two things.

The first one was that he possessed an ability.
The second was that he was the tiger who was terrorizing the city.

‘’ So what did all of you do before you joined the Agency? ‘’ Atsushi asked, looking around at his
new co-workers. He figured it would be better to get to know them a bit, since he would be
working with them from now on.
Dazai chuckled, looking at Chuuya and then at Kunikida. ‘’ What do you think we did? ‘’ He
countered, his eyes landing on the boy. ‘’ Let us make a game of it. Try and guess what we all
were before, lad.’’
Atsushi seemed to have found the proposition interesting enough to try it.
‘’ Hm, let's see,’’ The boy's eyes drifted to the only girl at their table and her ‘brother’. ‘’ Tanizaki,
sir, were you and your sister students? ‘’
Naomi was surprised he guessed it, even though it was clear as day. ‘’How did you know that? ‘’
‘’ Well, you are wearing a school uniform, Naomi, miss, and mister Tanizaki doesn’t seem to be
that much older than you, so-you know, I just figured. ‘
‘’ Nice work, boy,’’ Dazai said, ‘’ What about Kunikida, then? ‘’ he pointed at the man seated on
his left.
Kunikida didn’t seem too happy to be talking about the possibility of his previous job.
‘’ A government official…maybe? ‘’
‘’ Close.’’Dazai answered him, ‘’ He used to teach mathematics at a school.’’
‘’ Wow.’’ Atsushi had managed to find the fact far more interesting than it was.
‘’ It’s in the past,’’ Kunikida clarified, ashamed of his profession.’’ I hate to even recall it.’’
Dazai grinned then, before putting on an innocent face. ‘’ What about me and Chuuya, then? ‘’ He
asked, waiting for the kid to answer.
Chuuya was curious to see what the boy would say, as well.
Atsushi looked at them both, his face growing more frustrated as the seconds passed.
‘’ It can’t be done, boy.’’ Kunikida took him out of his thinking. ‘’ Dazai had told us they used to
work on tech support, but that was a lie. ‘’ he glared at them, ‘’ their previous profession, since
they say they worked together, is one of the great mysteries of the Agency.’’
‘’ I think there used to be a price for the person that would figure it out.’’ Tanizaki added.
Kunikida made some comments about how he didn’t think there was actually a job out there that
could employ both Chuuya and Dazai at the same time. Saying that their personalities and work
ethics were too different to have the same occupation.
Dazai ignored his comments, focusing on the boy. ‘’ Tanizaki is quite right, no one has claimed the
prize as of now. And dare I say, it’s a hefty prize.’’
‘’ How much is it? ‘’ The boy asked, eager to hear the price.
‘’ 700,000 yen.’’ Chuuya replied before Dazai could. The boy’s eyes widened, his jaw hit the
floor.
‘’ And if I guess correctly,’’ he grew serious, ‘’ I get it all, right? ‘’
‘’ A suicidal man never lies.’’ Dazai’s expression remained natural, but Chuuya could tell he was
getting excited.
Did he think the boy would figure them out? No, certainly not. Maybe he was just intrigued to see
what Atsushi would think of them.
‘’ Police officers.’’
‘’No.’’
‘’ Office workers.’’
‘’No.’’
‘’ Diplomats.’’
‘’No.’’
‘’ Firefighters.’’
‘’No.’’
‘’Actors,’’
‘’ No, but you flatter me, Atsushi.’’
‘’ I mostly said it because of mister Nakahara. He looks like he could have a rich job like that. ’’
‘’ I like that kid.’’ Chuuya said, smiling at Dazai.’
‘’So you don’t think I would make for a good actor? ‘’ Dazai asked, as dramatically as he could. ‘’
Your words pain me, lad.’’
‘’No, no- I didn’t mean it like-
‘’ He is just messing with you,’’ Kunikida reassured the boy. ‘’ If he was alone, I would say he
was either homeless or a scoundrel, or even both. But Chuuya there, he complicates the equation. ‘’
‘’You couldn’t be furthest from the truth, my good man.’’ Dazai replied. ‘’ When it comes to this, I
promise I won’t lie.’’
‘’ Again,’’ Chuuya whispered to him.
‘’ Again.’’ Dazai added to his previous statement.
‘’ Okay then, maybe you were-
Atsushi was ready to suggest some more jobs when Tanizaki’s phone rang.
‘’ Oi, Dazai, come over here for a little.’’ Chuuya signaled for him to join him outside the room.
Dazai obliged.
‘’ What is it? ‘’ He asked, his voice a whisper.
‘’ I know her,’’ Chuuya whispered back, ‘’ She is Higuchi, the woman I told you tried to attack me
at the museum on my first ever case.’’
‘’ The blonde Hirotsu sent after you? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’I figured she was hiding something.’’ Dazai turned his head to look back at the room.
She was still sitting on the armchair opposite Tanizaki and the rest, telling them her concerns for
the city. Tanizaki was still writing in his notes whatever piece of information he thought was
interesting enough.
Without a word more they went back inside the room.

‘‘ You are stunning,’’ Dazai voiced, falling on his knees in front of her, taking her hand into his. ‘’
Such a fleeting beauty, like the petals of a water lily…And such touching sweetness.’’
He brought his body even closer to hers, ‘’ Would you like to join me in a Lover’s Suicide-
He could barely say the last word before he was hit by Kunikida.
The woman’s face had turned red. She looked so confused and uncomfortable.
‘’ I’m so sorry about him,’’ Kunikida tried his best to bow while simultaneously breaking Dazai
away from her
Chuuya’s eyes followed them as Kunikida dragged him inside the storage room to lecture him as
he often did.
As Chuuya had predicted, the woman continued talking to them as if nothing had ever happened.
As if not a weirdo had just asked her to die with him.
Her acting was still not that great.

‘’ So a stakeout and evidence run, then? ‘’ Kunikda concluded, having listened to everything the
woman had said.
‘’ Here, lad,’’ He turned to Atsushi. ‘’ you handle this.’’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’…smugglers might be outlaws, but they’re mostly harmless. Provoke them and they scurry like
mice. A fine case for your first job.’’ Kunikida’s way of thinking made perfect sense. Indeed,
smugglers were the most easy to deal with, lawbreakers.
‘’ But-but-
‘’ Just stand watch. That’s all we need, and ’’ Kunikida turned to the ‘siblings’ then. ‘’ Tanizaki,
you join him.’’ he said, and then his eyes found Chuuya.’’ As for you, Nakahara, I have another
case I need you here for.’’
Chuuya nodded.

‘’ Quite the show you put out there, ‘’ Chuuya commented, pushing Dazai’s legs off the couch so
he could sit there. ‘’ Trying to prove to Atsushi that you’re a better actor than me or something?‘
’He teased.
‘’ I was just trying to find the perfect person for me to die with.’’ Dazai said innocently, ‘’ I was
being genuine,’’ he said,’’ I wasn’t putting on an act.’’
‘’ Yeah, you’re right. You weren’t putting on an act. You were putting a tracker on her pocket.’’
Dazai ceased his fake innocent smile. ’’ So observant.’’ He said it like a cuss.
Chuuya got up, ‘’ I learned from the best,’’ he said, waiting for Dazai to smile before adding,
‘’From Ranpo.’’
‘’ Touché, my friend. ‘’ Dazai stood up as well, heading back to his office.’’ Touché.’’
‘’ Listen, lad, ‘’ They both heard Kunikida talking to the boy as they sat down near Dazai’s desk.
‘’ I have at least a small shred of sympathy for your short unhappy life, so,’’ he said, taking out his
notebook, and showing Atsushi a picture. ‘’ I’ll give you a tip on surviving in this city.’’ His voice
grew colder, more instructing, ‘’ Don’t run into this person. If you do, flee.’’
Chuuya and Dazai both looked at each other before Dazai approached the boy.
‘’ Who is this? ‘’ The boy asked, looking at the picture of the man.
‘’ The Mafia.’’ Dazai replied, startling him, pointing at the picture with his finger. ’’ There is no
other name applicable.’’
‘’ He’s one of the Port Mafia’s attack dogs, prowling around the harbors.’’ Kunikda said, sharing
what little information he had with their newest recruit. ‘’ He’s name is Akutagawa.’’
Both Dazai and Chuuya acted as if they knew nothing of him.
‘’ The Mafia itself is a dangerous group-’’ Kunikida continued, ‘’ A shadowy organization
shrouded in the underbelly of Dark society…But this man? The only person in our Agency who
could have maybe a chance would be Nakahara.’’
‘’ Why is he considered dangerous? ‘’
‘’ He has an ability fitted for murder, and his cruelty knows no bounds.’’ The man fixed his
glasses, putting the photo back in his notebook. ‘’ I know my skills like I know my limits.’’ he
said, looking at Atsushi, ‘’ I wouldn’t try to fight him, and you shouldn’t either.’’
Atsushi nodded his head to show him he agreed.

‘’ Now Nakahara,’’ Kunikida took a folder from the top of his desk and handed it to Chuuya, ‘’ I’m
gonna need your assistance with something.’’ He said, opening the file and taking out a few of the
papers that had been inside. ‘’ Remember the Konoyaka case? ‘’
‘’ The guy that abducted women and killed them by cutting-
Kunikida nodded, ‘’ Yes, that one. ‘’
‘’ It went cold, didn’t it? After a month had passed and it had been determined that the man had
escaped. Neither Dazai nor Ranpo could find clues of his whereabouts. It was as if all the evidence
had been erased, somehow.’’
‘’ A most frustrating case, I know, but I may have found a lead.’’
Chuuya’s eyes widened. ‘’ Really? ‘’ After their two best detectives couldn’t solve it, the case had
been deemed unsolvable. He remembered Dazai and Ranpo having been so confused by the whole
ordeal. So agitated.
‘’ It’s a small lead, and if we follow it we may hit a dead end, but I want to try it.’’ It had been
Kunikida’s case. The only one he had managed not to resolve.
It would seem he still felt shame about that.
‘’ Let’s see what you have, then.’’

‘’ Oi, Dazai, stop slacking around,’’ Kunikida yelled at the figure laying on the couch, ‘’ Don’t
you have anything better to do? ‘’ Chuuya looked at Dazai, laying on his stomach with his
headphones on his ears, completely ignoring the rest of the world.
‘’ Damn it, Dazai,’’ Kunikida yelled snatching his headphones from his head,’’ what about your
work? ‘’
Dazai turned to him and smiled, taking his headphones back without him even noticing. ‘’ I await
divine revelation.’’ He said.
Kunikida looked at Chuuya, ‘’ What does he even mean? ‘’ He tried, his expression tired from
dealing with him. ‘’ Do you know? ‘’
Chuuya shook his head, ‘’ He’s just saying nonsense.’’
He wasn’t saying nonsense.
‘ I await divine revelation’, ‘I can hear an angel’, all those phrases were codes, and like Dazai,
Chuuya knew what they meant.
‘’ Let’s just get back to the office.’’ Kunikida said, passing the hallway to get to the main office.

Five minutes later, when he passed through the same hallway again to retrieve a paper he had
misplaced, he noticed that the couch was empty. Dazai wasn’t there anymore.
Huh, maybe that excuse of a person, finally decided to get some work done.
It was a naive thought on Kunikida’s part.

‘’ Do you want me to go and see if I can find anything? ‘’ Chuuya asked, already memorizing the
address written on the paper in front of him. Kunikida took the paper away.
‘’ It’s a high-security villa,’’ he informed him, ‘’ you won’t have a warrant. You’ll basically be
infiltrating private property. If you’re caught- ’’
‘’ Oh, come on, Kunikida. We both know I won’t be caught.’’ Kunikida had always thought
Chuuya’s confidence in himself and his ability had been admirable.
‘’ Fine. But let me run the plan through the President first.’’ he said, tidying up the papers into a
neat stack.’’ I know he won’t have a problem agreeing, but it is still a violation of rules, and that’s
why we need his approval.’’
Chuuya didn’t bother with all the technicalities. He just agreed with the man.

Then he waited for him to get back from the President’s office with his seal of approval, before
leaving the Office.

Breaking and entering, pff, it was child’s play.

The last time Chuuya had seen that mansion was about 9 months ago when he had gone there with
Kunikida to ask the maids of the house if they knew anything about their Master’s whereabouts.
The maids had known nothing.
It had been a fruitless visit.
Like everything else, in that case, it was like their memories had been wiped off.
The memories involving their master and the case, that was.

So why was he there again?

With his words, Kunikida had convinced him that there was something bigger going on in the case.
According to all the information they had at the time, the evidence had once been there. There were
countless witnesses that swore they had seen various kinds of evidence with their own eyes.
Yet the fact remained when Chuuya and Kunikida had gone to investigate the place and the staff
themselves, all evidence had vanished.
Nothing was there. No physical evidence, no blood spots, no DNA, nothing.
The weirdest part was that all the servants of the house had claimed they had nothing to do with
that. On the contrary, when they had been asked by the police while reporting what they had
found, they had insisted that they would keep the house unclean for the rest of the day so that it
would be easier for the police to gather samples and evidence when they would arrive the next
morning,
When the morning had come, however, all the bodies, all the blood, everything had disappeared.
Their initial theory had been that someone had stolen them, but unfortunately there was no base for
it other than their speculation.
The gaps in the servants’ memory and the sudden disappearance of all evidence had been enough
to make the case go cold.
Chuuya entered through the top of the Chimney, slowly elevating himself downwards. If he
remembered the house correctly, he would have no problem accessing the main living room
through the fireplace’s front.
He advanced forward, only when he was certain no one was inside that room.
He exited the fireplace, and immediately rushed to where he thought the master bedroom was.
To his surprise, the bedroom had been left completely untempered. Maybe they had kept it that
way as a keepsake of their old master?
Chuuya couldn’t say he cared all that much.

Entering the room carefully and silently, he proceeded by searching the whole place with a fine-
tooth comb.

After half an hour, he finally had something worthy to report.

‘’ I think I found it. ‘’ He said, finally hearing the little beep that indicated the person on the other
end had picked up his call.

Dazai came back to an empty house. He figured Chuuya would be out, working on some case still.
It was typical of him, working more than he should and in absurd hours. He couldn’t relate. If the
case wasn’t an emergency, there was no reason for him to stay and continue working on it. Simple
as that. When the clock struck at the end of the workday, he left.

Entering the apartment, he took off his shoes and his coat and headed to the kitchen.
He opened the bag he was holding and took out two cups of noodles. He placed one of the two on
top of the table. It was for Chuuya to find, once he’d be back.
He poured some boiled water on the other one, grabbed his chopsticks, and walked through the
living room towards the balcony.
Their balcony was a small space surrounded by a smooth, thick railing. Dazai was quite fond of
that railing. He liked to sit on top of it and just stare off, trying to gather and organize his thoughts
before they could swallow him whole.
Seeing Akutagawa and Atsushi fight each other had solidified it for him.
There was no doubt in his mind that they would make for a good team.
Still, it would take some time before that could happen.
He only hoped it wouldn’t take longer than he had preconceived.

The view of the city at night, and the wind hitting his face. It reminded him of when he used to sit
with Chuuya on the roof of that old apartment for hours and hours on end. Watching the sun
slowly rise as they talked about whatever matter was on their heads.
They still did that, but they preferred to go to the park nowadays.
It was a nice place to just sit with someone and wait for the morning birds to start chirping. For the
first rays of the sun to touch your faces.

Looking at Yokohama, Dazai couldn’t help but think,

Was he doing the right thing?

He shook his head immediately, trying to get the thought out.

God, when had he started thinking like that?
The right thing? He was doing what had to be done. There was no right or wrong in that.
Maybe some alcohol would help silence his brain.
It was a stupid temporary solution and he knew it, still, he went to the kitchen, threw the empty cup
on the trashcan, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and returned to his spot.

He raised his glass to the moon as if making a toast, before downing it.
Then his hand wandered around the bandages covering his wrist, He took them off slowly, just for
a few seconds.
The only thing he had wanted was to see if that silly, little tattoo was still there.
It was.

The realization, albeit quite foolish, made him smile.

Who knows? Maybe things will work out in the end.

‘’ He was a politician, right?’’ Chuuya recalled, giving Kunikida the papers he had found at the
manor.
‘’ One of the 245 of the House of Councilors.’’ Kunikida specified, taking the papers in his hands
to examine them further.
He fixed his glasses, blinking a few times before turning to Chuuya. ‘’ Nakahara…These are-
‘’ Yep.’’ Chuuya cut him, ‘’ They are proof of the existence of what you told me about.’’
Kunikida nodded his head, trying to comprehend what was happening.
‘’ This is indeed a lot bigger than we had originally thought.’’ Chuuya said, ‘’ So how do you want
to proceed now? ’’
‘’ I don’t think we can do anything about it. If this really is what we think it is…It’s a matter way
beyond our reach.’’
‘’ People hiding politician’s crimes so as to not tarnish their good names. It’s a whole new level of
political corruption.’’ Chuuya sat down, slowly collecting the papers scattered around on his desk.
‘’ I had heard rumors about them, but this,’’ Kunikida showed him the paper,’’ this is concrete. We
now know what really happened with Konoyaka.’’
‘’ But we can’t share it with the public, nor can we close the case.’’
Kunikida let out a sight. ‘’ Nine months later and it's still as frustrating.’’ He helped Chuuya gather
the rest of his papers. Before getting the key from his own desk.
‘’ Night.’’ He saw him walking out before locking the doors.
‘’ Night.’’

On his way to the apartment Chuuya kept on thinking about the whole situation.
He came to a single conclusion.

He entered the apartment, took his coat and shoes off, and moved towards the living room.
He found Dazai sitting on the couch, reading one of his various books.
‘’ The Konoyaka case. You knew, didn’t you? ’’
Dazai lifted his finger, signaling for him to wait.
Chuuya rolled his eyes and leaned forward, his hand on the couch. He waited for Dazai to be done
with the paragraph.
‘’ The case with the 7 murdered women that were never found, right? ‘’ Dazai’s eyes remained on
the page.
‘’ You knew all that time, didn’t you? ‘’
‘’ Why are you so interested in that case again, all of a sudden? ‘’
‘’ Kunikida found a lead and I followed it.’’ He gave him the simplest explanation he could.
’’ Let’s just say, we learned a thing or two.’’ Chuuya squinted his eyes, ‘’ or seven.’’
Dazai considered him,
‘’ So you are aware of the existence of the 7th Agency now.’’ Dazai concluded, ‘’ And let me
guess, you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you earlier.’’
‘’ Pretty much, yeah.’’
Dazai’s eyes moved from the book to his partner, ‘’ Who do you think erased all of our past
crimes? ‘’
Chuuya furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. ‘’ Ango…’’
‘’ Great,’’ Dazai smiled, ‘’ And how do you think he did that? ‘’
Until then, Chuuya hadn’t put much thought into the whole affair. He knew Ango had been behind
it, but other than that, Dazai hadn’t shared the details of the procedure. Not had he asked him.
‘’ He cooperated with them.’’
Dazai grinned wider, ‘’ He had to go through four separate attachments to get an audience with a
representative.’’ Twice, he almost added. ‘’ The 7th Agency…not even I know much about them,’’
and it was the truth. Dazai did know a couple of things but for the biggest part, the Agency was
still a mystery. ‘’ I figured they were behind the case, since all evidence had disappeared in such a
manner, but I couldn’t exactly come out and say it.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ It’s massive, Chuuya. Ango is the most linked person I’ve ever known, and not even he knows a
thing about the organization.’’
Chuuya nodded his head.
‘’ No need to bother with it then, ‘’ Chuuya said, brushing off the subject. ‘’ Want to order
anything? Unless you went shopping while I was out, which is highly unlikely, the fridge is still
empty. ‘’
Dazai turned to him, offended. ‘’ First of all, how dare you. Second, there is a cup of noodles on
the table, waiting for you.’’
Chuuya hadn’t expected the gesture.
‘’ You’ve eaten, then? ‘’
‘’ Yeah, an hour ago or so.’’
‘’ Okay then, ‘’ he turned to go to the kitchen, ‘’ thanks.’’ it was a faint whisper, but Dazai
managed to hear it.

‘’ Chuuya, Chuuya, Chuuya, ‘’ Dazai continued to chant his name, poking him with his finger. ‘’
Chuuya, Chuuya, Chuuya.’’
‘’ What’’ His partner finally snapped, turning to him.
Dazai tried not to laugh as he saw his eye twitching from the annoyance.
‘’ Nothing.’’ he said and he started o whistle, acting like he hadn’t been calling his name for the
last minute, now.
Chuuya took a deep breath and continued walking, unfazed.
‘’ Chuuya, Chuuya, Chu-
‘’What the fuck do you want? ‘’ It was early in the morning and they were getting to work. Why
couldn’t he just wake up and be silent for once?
‘’ Nothing.’’
Chuuya took an even deeper breath than before and resumed walking across the bridge, definitely
not thinking about throwing someone off it.
‘’ Chuu-
He threw someone off it.

‘’ Why, Atsushi my boy, hard at work as always I see,’’

Atsushi looked at him with a mix of confusion and disgust. ‘’ …Another drowning attempt? ’’
Dazai laughed at him, ‘’ Dying alone is so old-fashioned, Atsushi,’’ Our beautiful visitor yesterday
convinced me. When I finally leave this dark and hopeless world, I won’t be alone. Dying with the
company of myself is rather a mournful thought, thus I seek a lovely woman to perish with me.’’
‘’ Oh, ‘’Atsuhsi observed the net Dazai was dangling upside down from, noticing how Dazai was
struggling to get off it in a most discreet way. ‘’ And your current condition…?’’
‘’ This? Chuuya kicked me off the bridge cause he got annoyed.’’
‘’ Mister Nakahara? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ I see.’’ Atsushi didn’t see but having known Dazai for two days now, he could understand why
Chuuya had done it.

Without wasting another second on Atsushi, Dazai jumped off the net and ran in the direction of
the body, passing Ranpo on his way there.
As he had expected, Ranpo would be the one solving the case, and after the whole fiasco today
with Atsushi trying to leave the Agency and all that, of course Kunikida had sent him there as well.
Dazai got word of the Black Lizard incident, and then of the new case. Thus why he was there.

It had been a long time since he had last seen Ranpo in action, using his ‘ability’ to solve a crime.
His deduction skills surpassed even his. It was incredible.
There was no doubt that Ranpo was the best detective in the world.
He could solve a case in seconds, knowing everything about it with only a glance.
Dazai had always been genuinely impressed by him.

‘’ If you ever need my skill, do not hesitate to call! ‘’ Ranpo called back to the officers, his grin
reaching his ears, ‘’ We’ll even throw in a discount from now on.’’
Atsushi and Dazai walked behind him, leaving the crime scene with yet another mystery case
solved by the greatest detective himself.
Ranpo had solved it in under a minute, getting even the smallest of details right. Atsushi had been
amazed by his ‘ability’.

‘’ I’d say I’ve figured out about half of it.’’ Dazai said, his mind still trying to figure out the other
half.
Atsushi turned to face him,’’ Figured out, what do you mean? ‘’
‘’ What you just said, about how Ranpo was able to fully deduce the case.’’ Atsushi had been
saying how amazing Ranpo and his ability had been.
‘’ Huh?’’ He looked confused yet again, ‘’ Well, he used his skill to-
‘’ You still don’t know yet, do you? ‘’ From the look on the boy’s face, Dazai was certain he
hadn't caught up on it yet.
‘’ The truth is, Ranpo is not a skill user.’’
His big purple-yellow eyes widened in surprise. ‘’ HUH?’’

Dazai then explained to him of Ranpo’s uniqueness and why what he was able to do was so the
more impressive.
Ranpo didn’t rely on any ability, but rather on his talent for deduction and observation. He wasn’t
like the rest of the ADA. He wasn’t a skill user, yet he was on par with them.
He was their best detective, the one keeping the Agency on the top, and he didn’t even have an
ability.
It was truly remarkable.

‘’ Is it all clear to you now, Atsushi? ‘’

‘’ About what?’’
‘’ About Ranpo’s attitude and why not a soul at the Agency ever rebukes him for it.’’

‘’ Say, Chuuya,’’
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ If you were still in the mafia and I was a traitor, would you curb-stomp my head?’’
Chuuya’s head snapped to him.‘’ Huh?’’

They were walking home after another day filled with cases, paperwork, and thinking.
So much thinking.
Different kinds of thought occupying their heads, as it was natural, but both heavy in their own
way.
Dazai had tried to drown his with alcohol the previous night, but that had only led to a mild,
uncomfortable headache.
Chuuya had tried to ignore his by focusing solely on his work, but that of course had no actual
result.
It was difficult for the both of them.

‘’ Ou-The Mafia’s Modus Operandi for dealing with traitors.’’ Dazai specified, ‘’ Would you
perform it on me?’’
‘’ The fuck kind of question is that? ‘’
‘’ Just answer, ‘’ Dazai poked him, ‘’ Would you? ‘’
‘’ You wouldn’t be caught by the Mafia.’’ Chuuya stated, his voice factual.
‘’ Yes but If I were, ‘’
‘’ You wouldn’t.’’ He repeated himself.
‘’ Pfff,’’ Dazai pouted, ‘’ You’re no fun.’’
‘’ Well, you’re no ray of sunshine either.’’

Those two stupid little remarks had been enough to release the tension.
It was stupid, just how much they could affect each other’s mood.

‘’ Say I-
‘’ Yes, I would curb-stomp you.’’ Chuuya changed his answer, ‘’ Now will you die, or do I need to
shoot you three times as well? ‘’
‘’ You hurt me Chuuya.’’
‘’ uh…that’s the point? ‘’

Playing hypotheticals with Chuuya had always been like talking to a wall.
The man did not get the idea of a hypothesis. Of a possibility. He only talked in facts and sarcasm.
Trying to get another answer out of him was always a nice challenge.
‘’ If I were-
‘’ Dead, you would at least be silent. ‘’ The morning headache Dazai had caused him was a reason
enough for him to be cold now.
‘’ Did something happen Chuuya? ‘’ Dazai asked, trying his best not to sound too concerned or too
polite, ‘’ you look more annoyed than usual.’’
‘’ Fitting, since you’ve been more annoying than usual.’’ Chuuya countered, ‘’ Something on your
mind, Dazai?’ ‘

And even though they cared and they were asking out of actual concern for the other, they
somehow managed to sound like assholes.

‘’ Nothing, absolutely nothing,’’ Dazai gave him a forced smile, ‘’ this here,’’ He pointed to his
head, ‘’ completely empty.’’
‘’ Well, ‘’ Chuuya sneakered ‘’ That explains a lot.’’

They walked the rest of the park in silence, both dying on the inside.
It was stupid.
It was like an invisible wall had been built in between them, making it impossible to see the other.
Really see him.
The worst thing was, they didn’t know who had built it.

‘’ Come on, something has been bothering you,’’ Dazai tried again, as they were nearing the end of
the park. Their apartment, practically visible from there.’’ Just tell, me.’’
‘’ Something has been bothering you as well,’’ Chuuya opposed him again, ‘’ So why aren’t you
telling me?’’

He thought most of the walls between them had already been torn.

‘’ You know I’m not good at that kind of stuff.’’ Dazai admitted, shame in his voice.
‘’ And you know that I don’t care.’’ Chuuya walked to a nearby bench and sat there.’’ So talk.’’ he
patted the place next to his, signaling for Dazai to sit.

Most of their walls had indeed crumbled down. He wasn’t wrong to have thought that.
Still, some of them remained.

Dazai declined his invitation, staying where he was.

‘’ I can’t talk about it,’’ he said, his voice lowering,’’ yet.’’ he added in an attempt to make things
better.
Chuuya nodded his head in a disappointed manner.
‘’ Okay then,’’ he stood up. ‘’ I guess there is nothing to say.’’

Two sentences.
It took two sentences for every negative thought they had ever had to come back and hurt them.
Two sentences.
It was stupid, just how much they could affect each other.

‘’ Dazai went missing again? ‘’ Chuuya heard Kunikida ask Atsushi.

‘’ He’s not answering his phone and he’s not at the boarding house either.’’ The boy looked
actually concerned for him.
Kunikida waved him off,’’ He’s probably at some river again.’’ He said, enjoying his morning
coffee in quiet.
‘’ Did he bury himself again? ‘’ Kenji suggested.
‘’ Back in prison, no doubt.’’ Ranpo added, laying on the couch with his legs crossed on the
armchair.
‘’ But after the other day's events…’’ Atsushi continued to worry,’’ could it be that the Mafia
caught him, or-
‘’ What do you think, Nakahara? ‘’ Ranpo turned to ask him.
‘’ He could be falling off a building for all I care.’’ Chuuya said, visibly not wanting to participate
in the discussion.
‘’ Is that so…’’
Kunikida spoke, before Chuuya could answer him. ‘’ Atsushi, you needn’t worry yourself for
him.’’ he took another sip of his coffee.’’ This man’s survival instinct is out of this world.’’ he put
his cup down and looked at the boy. ‘’ Let me remind you, he’s attempted suicide dozens of times
yet is still alive. If he can’t even kill himself, then I doubt that the Mafia could ever manage it.’’

Chuuya wanted to laugh at the irony of their words.

Only if they knew…

‘’ But…
‘’ I’ll look into it.’’ Tanizaki said, coming out of the infirmary.

Chuuya took that as his cue to leave.

He had no interest in Atsushi and Tanizaki volunteering to look into it.
Dazai had disappeared, wow, big fucking deal.
He stood up, crossed the room, and exited through the door.

If anyone came to his desk to ask him why he had gotten up and left, he’d simply say he had more
work to do than he had originally thought when he had joined them at the break room.

Dazai started humming as he waited for the boy to finally come and pay him a visit.
It didn’t take long.

Even when Akutagawa drove Rashomon to the wall right next to his head, Dazai continued
humming. The greeting, not even making him flinch.
For only a second, Rashomon was able to wrap itself around Dazai’s neck.
The moment he touched his skin though, Rashomon was no longer.
‘’ Oh, ‘’ Dazai acted surprised, ‘’ you were here? ‘’ he grinned looking down at the boy.
‘’ A certain fate awaits those who are chained here. But you of all people should know that well.’’
Akutagawa’s voice was as cold and as distant as ever. His gaze could slice you just like his ability.
‘’ Ah, this takes me back,’’ Dazai said, averting his eyes, ‘’ I remember back when you were still
the rookie.’’
Akutagawa didn’t care for his sudden flashbacks or deja vus.
‘‘ You bear a heavy sin.’’ The boy said before starting to list all the things the Mafia would accuse
him for. ‘’ Dereliction of duty, dissertation of your post, and now, daring to defy the Mafia as an
enemy.’’ Akutagawa let his words falter the tiniest bit, ‘’ I cannot believe a former Executive could
commit such acts.’’
‘’ Indeed.’’ Dazai’s grin grew bigger, ‘’ Your former superior, no less? ’’
Abilities didn’t work on Dazai but punches surely did.
‘’ Not even you are invincible.’’ Akutagawa remarked, cracking his knuckles, ‘’ As long as I don’t
use my ability, I can hurt you.’’ Resentment leaked from his every word, ‘’I could kill you anytime
I so desire.’’
‘’ Is that so? ‘’ Dazai brushed his threats off like they were nothing. ‘’ My, look at how far you’ve
come.’’

Since he was there he couldn’t avoid it.

If he wanted his plan to succeed, resentment wouldn’t be enough.
No.
He needed Akutagawa to hate him.

‘’ If you don’t mind my saying, it was quite an ordeal, training you.’’ He looked away from him
again, as if to say, you’re not worth my gaze.
‘’ You were a slow learner, and you were too quick, too eager to take action. Always disobeying
instructions.’’ he looked at him then,
He had to drive the knife even deeper.
‘’ Not to mention that useless ability of yours.’’
Akutagawa clenched his fist tightly before turning his back on him. ‘’ Your bluff will not last
much longer. In a few days we’ll destroy your Agency and seize the were-tiger. We’ll dispose of
you after that. You’ll be gnashing your teeth when I inform you of the demise of your Agency and
those under you.’’
‘’ Do you have it in you tho? ‘’
He had to twist the knife.
‘’ Because my new apprentice is far more talented than you ever were.’’

‘’ YOU ARE ALL TO TRACK DOWN OUR NEW HIRE! ‘’ The president yelled, coming in from
the door, grabbing everyone’s attention. ‘’ Until he’s brought back here safely, all current work is
hereby frozen.’’

Tanizaki had brought the news of Atsushi’s disappearance only a few minutes prior. To Chuuya’s
surprise, the first instinct of his co-workers hadn’t been to give up everything and search for the
boy. Their first instinct had been to do nothing about it and resume their work.
Ranpo’s cold logic had caught him off guard.
He knew he could be a real prick most of the time but going as far as to say it wasn’t their job to
find him and that he had been taken for personal reasons, was just too much.
Technically, yes, it wasn’t their job to find him. They weren’t bound by any law or contract but it
was morally wrong.
They were supposed to be the good guys yet they wouldn’t even give up a case to search for one of
their own.
Atsushi was still very new, but that didn’t make him any less of a member.

Kunikida had sided with Ranpo while he and Tanizaki had been trying to reason with them and
explain to them why it was more important to find Atsushi first.
Without anyone noticing her, Naomi had slipped off the room to go and tell the President of the
commotion.
Fukuzawa’s word was absolute.
So when he told them to drop everything and have the boy back in under three hours they did that.
He even questioned Ranpo and his cold logic and priorities.
He hadn’t thought his respect for Fukuzawa could grow even bigger but he had been wrong.
His respect for Naomi also grew.

From the meeting they conducted to gather clues and follow leads to find Atsushi, Chuuya was
able to learn two new things about the Agency.
Ranpo was an even bigger dick than he had thought.
He would also jump off a moving train if it meant the President would praise him.
He didn’t know their exact relationship, but he could tell Ranpo viewed the President as a father
figure.
And maybe he was jealous of that.
He never had a father figure in his life, Hirotsu would be the closest thing to that.
But he did have someone he considered an elder sister to him.
He hadn’t talked to her in a long while though.

In the end. Ranpo had used his ‘ability’ to tell them where Atsushi was.
The President had appointed Kunikida to the mission.

As he escaped his handcuffs, and they fell to the ground he let himself wonder.
What if Chuuya had been the next to descend those stairs?
If he had still been in the Mafia, would he come to see Dazai as a prisoner? To scrutinize and mock
him?
Would he rejoice or would he be angry?
Probably the latter.
He would hate him, wouldn’t he? If he had left the Mafia without him?

He shook the scene away from his head and climbed up the stairs.
There was no reason for him to think of stuff like that.
Chuuya was in the Agency.
He was with him.
Dazai was pretty confident Chuuya didn’t hate him now, so why would it matter in a conjectural
scenario?

It was stupid to think of hypotheticals.

Chuuya had been right once more.

He knew the Port Mafia headquarters like the palm of his hand. Sneaking in and finding the
information he had been wanting, had been too easy for him.
The computer systems still operated the same way. Same keywords, same passwords, same filing
system.
The Archive Storage Room was still on the second floor, in the same room.
Nothing had really changed.
Except for the feeling that came now, whenever he wandered those halls.

It was a strange feeling.

One could say it was disgust.
He didn’t like to be in that dark and gloomy place any longer. There was nothing interesting about
it, nothing that could make him want to ever come back.
The halls, whereas nostalgic, gave him nothing to work with anymore.

He was content with that feeling.

He left the building, knowing everything he had wanted to.

‘’ You…went to Headquarters.’’ Chuuya stared at him, ‘’ why?’’

‘’ I needed to find some information.’’
Dazai sat down on the couch with a towel in his hand, pressing into his bruised and bloodied
cheek.
‘’ On what? ‘’
‘’ Oh, I don’t know, maybe the seven billion yen bounty on Atsushi’s head? ’’ He said. ‘’ I went
there, learned what I wanted, and left. No big deal. ‘’
‘’ Is that all?’’ Chuuya asked, knowing damn well that was not the only reason Dazai had gone
there.
‘’ Uh, yeah? ‘’
‘’ Okay.’’ Chuuya decided to take another approach. ‘’ Atsushi almost died today.’’ He said, his
eyes on him, waiting to see his reaction.’’ Went with Tanizaki to look for you, ran into some
trouble.’’
‘’ What kind of trouble? ’’
‘’ The one that answers to the name Akutagawa.’’
‘’ Oh.’’ Dazai had definitely not seen that coming.
‘’ From what I understood, there was this girl involved, Kyoka. She was under Akutagawa’s
orders, another Port Mafia assassin with an ability fit to kill.’’
‘’ What happened to her? ‘’
‘’ Atsushi saved her. He risked his life to take her back from Akutagawa.’’ Chuuya explained.
Dazai had this strange look on his face. Something between surprise and pride?
‘’ Did he now? ‘’
Atsushi had saved someone’s life.
‘’ Yes.’’ Chuuya confirmed, ‘’ You should have seen how impressed Kunikida was when the boy
managed not only to beat Akutagawa but also come back with the girl.’’
‘’ Oh, and if you want to know,’’ He added, ‘’ while you were taking your ‘leave’ today, the
President called for her to come to the Agency to meet him.’’
No.
Dazai could already see where this was going.
‘’ She was able to pursue him into letting her join us.’’ Chuuya finished his sentence.
Dazai stared at him for a second, still processing his words.
Atsushi hadn’t just saved someone's life.
He had saved someone from the Mafia…
‘’ So, do we have a new member? ‘’
That boy was already exceeding his expectations.
‘’ I saw her all dolled up, dressed in a maid dress surrounded by everyone, eating colorful candy
with Ranpo while joking with Yosano and Kenji.’’ Chuuya shared with him the first thing he had
seen when he had walked inside the Agency that morning. ‘’ I think that answers your question.’’
‘’ They don’t care that she is an assassin from the Mafia? ‘’
‘’ You know these people, Dazai…’’ a strange melancholy in Chuuya’s words. He turned his head
to the turned off screen. ‘’ Do you want to know what Kunikida said to Atsushi about her? ‘’
Dazai continued to look at him, patiently waiting for the answer.
‘’ ‘Your Mafia ties aren’t an issue.’ Those were the exact words he used.’’

Would he say the same for them as well?

The question tortured both their minds.
Would the Agency be so civil, so welcoming even to them, if their secret came out?

‘’ Is that so…’’ His words weren’t a question but rather a realization.

Dazai knew their secret wouldn’t remain for much longer.

It was just a matter of time.

Dazai saw Chuuya turning around, ready to leave the room and probably head to his own. He
wanted to reach out and say something, anything that would make the conversation last longer.
Anything that would cut that stupid tension between them./
‘’ Hey, about yesterday,’’ What even was he going to say?
Chuuya turned to face him again, ‘’ yeah?’’
I’m sorry
‘’ I had a nightmare the other night, and I was just trying to, you know, silence it.’’
A nightmare? I can’t even sleep at night, Chuuya.
Chuuya looked actually concerned, ‘’ You’ve been having those again? ‘’ He asked, referring to a
time when Dazai’s nightmares would leave him in an episode for days even.
‘’ Not with the same intensity.’’
No, not at all. I can’t even close my eyes anymore, let alone sleep.
‘’ So that’s what’s been bothering you for the past week? ‘’
‘’ I guess so.’’’
No.
Chuuya sat down beside him, his heart suddenly skipping faster than it had before.
‘’ Is that all? ‘’ He asked, making sure his voice was coming out the way he wanted it to,
‘’ You don’t owe me to say anything, but I’m your friend, Dazai,’’ he reminded him because even
he forgot sometimes.‘’ and I do want to know when something is troubling your head.’’

Dazai was taken aback by the sudden emotion he felt.

Chuuya wasn’t like that.
He didn’t go out of his way to talk to you like that. He didn’t say that kind of stuff. He didn’t-

He must have really worried him, this time.

‘’ I was just having some sleep-related issues,‘’ Dazai said, ‘’ It really wasn’t anything that
serious.’’
I want to tell you, Chuuya. I want to tell you everything but I can’t burden you like that. I can’t do
that to you.
He wanted to scream. He hated lying to Chuuya. Really lying at Chuuya.

He could still do it.

He was an expert in lying. Not even Chuuya could see through him if he hadn’t intended for him to
do so.
Nowadays, whenever he lied to him, he always held back. He always did it in such a manner that
Chuuya, and only him, would be able to see through.
He had created in that way, this illusion, this reality where Chuuya could always tell when he was
lying.
He had shaped in that way, a certain idea, a certain rule for the both of them.

‘’ Now that you know about my troubles,’’ Dazai hadn't forgotten, ‘’ What was yours? ‘’
‘’ Nothing serious either.’’ he brushed him off with his hand, ‘’ I suppose I was just, frustrated with
you and work, that’s all.’’

Chuuya wasn’t an expert in lying.

Francis Fitzgerald.

He was the man that had taken Yokohama by storm, in a single day.

A filthy rich businessman from North America, leading a group of people with dangerous and
unusual abilities, called the "Guild"
A ridiculous man that had made his entrance by landing his helicopter on the street outside the
Agency and then saying he had hoped they wouldn't mind since they were the ones lacking
accommodation.

Vanishing buildings, and threatening to abduct the Agency's members should their President not
give in to his wishes.
Honestly, who did he think he was?

He had waltzed right inside their office with a suitcase filled to the brim with cash, and an offer any
sane person would refuse.

To buy the Agency.

That had been his only objective.

He was insane.
Thinking they would be giving up their license? So easily?
When it was one, if not the most, difficult thing for an organization to obtain?
His snobbish attitude and complete lack of self-awareness were enough to make him an enemy of
everyone.

The saddest part was that he had actually believed the Agency would have taken up his offer. He
had actually believed that money could have bought their whole organization.

His offer had been a hard pass for Fukuzawa.

The man hadn't wasted not a single second thinking about it.
And even when Fitzgerald had turned to threaten his employees, he hadn't hesitated to tell him out
of their Agency.

Fitzgerald's face had changed a million colors and expressions as he had realized he wouldn't be
getting what he wanted.
But it was fine.
He had walked away with the same entitlement and the same high and mighty air as when he had
entered.
Kindness only took you so far.

On that same day, Kenji disappeared.

Following that incident, Kunikida had ordered everyone to be with their pair.
Atsushi and Tanizaki had gone to search for him, while the rest (except Naomi who had followed
them) had stayed at the Agency.

When they had returned, Kenji had been with them.

The ability that had captured him had been the red-headed girl's who had been standing on
Fitzgerald's left side the entire time of their visit.
She had the ability to trap people in her 'playroom'. Aka, a space no one could either enter or leave
by their own will.
Dazai had thought her ability could be quite useful.

After that ordeal, the Agency got another job. This one had specifically been assigned to Atsushi
and Kyoka.
Their mission had been to deliver some evidence to a judge in his courtroom.
It was a fairly quick and easy job, fitted to be Kyoka's first.

From Kunikida's phone call with the boy, they had gathered that Kyoka and he had managed to
complete the mission with just one small mishap.
Seeing as they had been successful with it, they were granted permission to return to the Agency.

That's when things started to derail from the plan.

Well, everyone else's plan.
Not Dazai's.

" They ran into trouble, " Dazai said, getting up from his office, and removing his headphones. "
Both the Mafia and the guild ambushed them." He gave them a vague explanation as he headed to
the infirmary to get Yosano.
" We have to make haste."

...

" Well, hello there, ane-san."

Dazai greeted, looking at Kouyou who was restrained in one of the infirmary's beds.
" It's been quite a while."

When they had arrived at the scene, Dazai, Yosano, and Chuuya had found everyone unconscious
on the ground. People from both the Agency and the Port Mafia.
With Kunikida, Kenji and Atsushi, they hs also taken Kouyou with them as something between a
hostage, and leverage.
Kouyou looked at him confused, " You think these restraints will be enough to hold me? " she
asked, looking down at the stripes tying her to the bed.
" Of course, not," Dazai smiled, " that's why I'm watching you."
Kouyou smiled back at him, " It's been a while, yes..you traitor."
He wasn't sure of the sentiment behind her words. And he couldn't make sense of her expression
either.
" You realize every single one of us wants your heads, right? " she said, her eyes searching the
room for the person that had caused her to use the plural.
" Better tell them to get in line then," Dazai joked, " Chuuya takes priority."
At the mention of his name, her face calmed.
Then it stiffened again. " Is Kyoka safe? " She asked, eyeing Dazai.
" The girl's gone missing." He answered her." But don't worry about that, I have it under control."
Kouyou knew better than to question him.
" Not to be blunt, but war is about to break out.’’ His tone switched, ‘’ As you understand, time is
precious right now, so, ane-san, do you want me to call him in, first, or do you wish to see him later
after we have had our little talk? "
The woman seemed surprised by his words.
" That's...unlikely of you." She observed with caution, " But since you made the offer, I suppose
we can have our little chat later, then?"
Dazai smiled, '' That’s fine by me.''

It hadn’t been hard for Dazai to figure out Kyoka had been under Kouyou’s tutelage.
Her composure, the way she carried herself, the intensity in her eyes that could tear you apart.
The evidence was all there.
He had known who had trained her, the moment he had laid eyes on her.

Dazai wasn’t a stranger to Kouyou.

He knew all too well who she was. How she thought. How she operated.
The Agency had stolen Kyoka away from the Mafia.
Kouyou coming after her had only ever been a matter of time.

Unlike Mori, Kouyou actually cared for the people she took under her wing. Dazai knew that she
was only after Kyoka because she wanted the best for her.
In her twisted own way, she was only trying to protect the girl. Shield her from what she thought
would corrupt her.
She was doing the same thing she had done for Chuuya.

‘’ She’s inside. ‘’ Dazai stated, looking at Chuuya who had been standing outside the door the
entire time. ‘’ Go and talk to her.’’ he gave him a slight smile.

Dazai wondered why Chuuya hadn’t reached out to her sooner.

He knew they had been in contact the first few weeks after he had fled, but something happened
after.
He hadn’t discussed it with Chuuya because he knew he would brush it off, but he knew he was
missing her.
So yeah, maybe taking her as a hostage, when he could have very well contacted her elsewhere,
had something to do with that.
Of course, no one would ever know that.
…

‘’ Ane-san,’’ Chuuya called as a greeting,’’ It’s been so long.’’

Kouyou considered him as he approached her.

It would seem he had grown quite a bit since the last time they had seen each other.
His hair, now reaching beyond his shoulder blades, had darkened. And even his face had changed.
It looked more defined, now, more mature. Same with his body.
He wasn’t a kid anymore, that much was visible.

‘’ I knew you’d break out of those,’’ He said, looking at the ripped straps on the bed, and then at
her hands, ‘’ So I thought we could have some tea?’’
That’s when she noticed the two cups in his hands.

Still she remained silent.

Chuuya didn’t blame her.

‘’ I hear you’re the second in command, now, right after the Boss.’’ Chuuya started, doing his best
to not let his desperation show.‘’ That must be a handful.’’ he tried to break the tension in the
room..
The woman only glared at him. ‘’ It is.’’ She said, her voice colder than ice.

The whole interaction was just painful.

The tension was too thick, and Kouyou was too prideful.

That was exactly what Chuuya had been trying to avoid all these years.
It wasn’t his pride that had kept him from reaching out to her, but rather the possibility of her
looking at him the way she did now.

If anyone else had been in her place, Chuuya wouldn’t even have entertained the thought of doing
something like that. It wasn’t in his character. Exposing himself and his feelings like that…He
knew better.
However, the person seated in front of him wasn’t ‘anyone else’.
It was Kouyou.

If he didn't make the first move, she never would.

Thus nothing would change.
Chuuya didn’t want that.

‘’ I’m sorry,’’ he blurted out, so suddenly even Kouyou had to do a double take to be sure she had
heard him right. ‘’ Telling you it would be best to leave my life if you don’t support my choices,
was way out of line.’’ he admitted, remembering the last time they had spoken.’’ I shouldn’t have
said that.’’

It was true. Kouyou hadn’t been as supportive in his decision to leave the Mafia as he had expected
her to be.
He could understand her anger and her frustration, her doubts, but she had taken it too far, telling
him that he would come to regret it.

Kouyou raised her head. ‘’ I was the one out of line," She said," not you, Chuuya. " reaching for
the cup he was offering.
She took it in her hands before taking a sip.
‘’ I see you work here, now? ’’

It was an attempt to start a conversation.

An honest attempt.
There were no words to describe the relief Chuuya had felt.

‘’ I’m a detective here, yes.’’ He said, offering a faint smile.

Kouyou returned it.
She patted the bed sheet next to her, signaling for him to sit there.
To sit beside her.

For a second, it felt like he was fifteen again.

A confused, troubled kid with too many thoughts in his head who had just become a Port Mafia
member and didn't know what to do. Akid that had no one in that world that could help him.
Not until Kouyou stepped in to be his mentor.

The same thing she was doing now, she had done back then.

‘’ How has it been? ‘’

Without thinking it twice, Chuuya sat down at the spot the woman had suggested.
He took a sip of his own drink, before turning to her.
" It's been nice for the most part," he answered," but the job does require a lot of thinking and a lot
of patience."
Everyone knew those weren't his best qualities.
" Oh come on, now. You're a smart kid, I'm sure you've figured it out."

He had missed this.

He had missed this a lot.

" I take it, you like it here, then?"

" I do." It was an easy answer. One he didn't have to think about. " I really do, ane-san. It's been
nothing but great so far."
" I'm glad to hear that."

And she really was glad.

Kouyou hadn’t been supportive of his decision, she was well aware of that. It wasn’t that she didn’t
want Chuuya to find his place, or that she didn’t want to see him being well.
It had more to do with Dazai and her distrust of that boy.
All she had tried to do was warn him, in a way. She hadn’t meant to be so mean or dismissive of
his feelings.
She had only ever wanted the best for him.

Her eyes found the wall, as she asked her next question.
" How has he been? "

He, referring to Dazai.

Speaking about him with Kouyou had always felt like walking on a tightrope.
Defending him had been the reason why he and Kouyou hadn't spoken in over two years.
He didn’t regret sticking up for him, but still…

" I know you won't believe this, but he really has changed." Chuuya started." And sure, we have
had a few ups and downs, but when it comes down to it, he has become a great friend."
Kouyou nodded her head, taking his words in.
She and Dazai had never been close.
For Kouyou, Dazai would forever be the Demon Prodigy. The boss's right hand. The most twisted
person she had known.

But even to her, Dazai did have seemed like he had changed.

The Dazai she had known, Executive Dazai, would have never prioritized sentiment over a
mission. More or less a war.
For whatever reason, he had chosen to have her reconcile with Chuuya.
He had given them time to talk while a war was waging on them.

It had seemed genuine enough…

" That's good to hear." She said, putting down her cup.

She wasn’t fully convinced, but she would take his word for now.

There was one more question that had been burning the back of her throat.
One more question that would determine whether Chuuya was being honest or if he was hiding
something.

" Tell me, Chuuya. How do you feel now, in your current life? "
She could have sworn she had never seen his eyes shine so bright before.
" I'm happy." He said, unapologetically because he meant it. He didn’t scream it and he didn’t say
it with any smile. He spoke it as he would any other fact. "I'm truly happy, Kouyou," he repeated
himself. " but I do have one regret."
She arched her eyebrow ever so slightly.
" I hadn't been able to tell you that."

Tears were forming in her eyes but they both knew they'd never fall.
" Oh, Chuuya." Kouyou smiled as she placed her hand on his cheek.
" If you're happy, I'm happy as well." She said.

And even if she had her doubts about his partner, and whether he was suitable to be his friend, she
kept them to herself this time.

….

‘’ Are you in agreement with the plan? " Dazai asked, his eyes on her.
Kouyou nodded her head. ‘’ I am.’’
‘’ I knew you’d be.’’
‘’ Yet you had to play the remorseless torturer first,’’ She remarked, showing her disappointment in
the way he had decided to reveal the plan and gather some of the information he had needed.
‘’ You wouldn’t have taken me seriously if I hadn’t done that.’’ He reasoned. ‘’ You’d think I’ve
softened up or something.’’
Kouyou let out a laugh.
‘’ We both know I’m smarter than underestimating you.’’
‘’ Indeed.’’ Dazai moved away from the bed, nearing the door. ‘’ If you want the plan to succeed
you have to stay here. If you were to leave, I can’t guarantee you anything.’’
‘’ You needn’t worry about that, boy,’’ she said, pouring some more tea into her cup, watching
him leave. ‘’ I’m not going anywhere.’’

They were severely outnumbered by both organizations, and their finances weren't enough to
support any kind of war, yet they didn’t let that affect them.
Sure, the Mafia had countless of subordinates at its disposal that were ready to fight and kill, but
that didn’t necessarily mean they would win. The same applied to the Guild and its agents. They
had money, loads of it.
That didn’t mean they couldn’t be outsmarted.

The war between their Agency, the Guild, and the Mafia had caused them to split into four teams,
to make up for their shortcomings,
The first team was the Agency’s defense, made up of its leader, Fukuzawa, their healer, Yosano,
Ranpo, and Kenji. It was the team that would hold up the fort.

The second and third teams were the offense, consisting of Kunikida and Tanizaki, and Dazai and
Atsushi, respectively. Their abilities were the most suitable for fighting, so it made sense that they
would be on the offense.

Their fourth 'team' was Chuuya.

He was their attacker.

They made their teams, held their briefing, led by Dazai, and went on with their plan, unbothered.
They were the Armed Detective Agency. They wouldn’t let a few Mafiosi and a dozen or so
Americans throw them off their game.

Dazai had thought of the enemy's attack as rather predictable.

The Port Mafia, leaking information to the Guild. Using their eagerness to trap the ADA, and
having them be baited instead. It was such a Mafia move to make.
Dazai didn’t mind that move.
As long as they could turn the situation around and have the Mafia’s plan benefit them instead, it
shouldn’t pose as a problem but rather as an opportunity.

The two people they had chosen to go after were the ADA’s clerks. Tanizaki Naomi and Kirako
Haruno. Two simple pawns in the greater scheme of the game.
Their play wasn’t just predictable. To Dazai, it was almost stupid.
Their lack of information was something the Agency could totally use to their advantage.
They had chosen to go after Naomi.
There was only one person you could send after them to guarantee victory.

While Tanizaki and Kunikida were off, chasing Naomi and Haruno's attackers, Dazai and Atsushi
were already by the train station, waiting for the train, Kunikida would board the girls in.
The plan was to take them, and drive them back to their headquarters, as soon as possible, so the
girls could be in a safer place than their house.
The whole time they were waiting, Dazai was just taking his time, messing with the kid while also
explaining to him some of the Agency's thought process concerning the three-way war.
Atsushi had been rather pessimistic about the situation.
Dazai had wanted to laugh at him.

There were more than 600 ways to turn the tides and be the ones favored by the situation.
Dazai made sure to let him know that. Having the kid being so stressed wasn't helping anyone.
After hearing that, the boy had actually felt better. More hopeful.

" But you have to understand, Atsushi," he began explaining," War is a living creature. The tiniest
mistake, the tiniest change could make the whole plan spiral. It could destroy everything. That's
why information is key."
The boy's eyes stayed on him as he talked.
" Our opponent, the Port Mafia’s Boss, Mori, is the embodiment of rationality. He stays cool and
commands the situation, no matter how severe or vital it is. He isn't afraid to strike when you least
expect it."

That was what Dazai was waiting for.

Haruno and Naomi would arrive, but so would Mori's counterattack.
He wanted to see what he had in store for them.

He felt it then.
That looming presence.

" What's wrong, Dazai, sir? " Atsushi asked, looking at the older man accompanying him. His eyes
searching his face for clues as to what had happened.
" I must have eaten too much of these." He took out the dog treats he had used to mock the dog that
had been tormenting them earlier." My stomach has taken me to task, suddenly." He grabbed his
stomach and pretended to feel uncomfortable.
" Oh?" Atsushi looked both concerned but also distraught by his words.
" My body and I are at our limits," Dazai proclaimed, extending his hand to stop Atsushi from
reaching for him. " Take care of the Agency for me."

He knew his theatrics always left Atsushi unable to speak, but he couldn't afford to turn and look at
his face to see his reaction, now.
He had to run.

It was so foolish of them.

Having Gin spy on him?
Trail him?
As if he hadn't been the one that had taught her how to do that.

Higuchi had also been there.

Dazai had yet to form an opinion on that woman.
She didn't strike him as the kind of person that would be in the Mafia. Her eyes were too bright and
there was no bloodlust in them.
She was definitely not an assassin.
Dazai had wanted to brush her aside, and just focus on Gin, but there was something in the way she
spoke that deemed her rather interesting.
He wondered how long she had been working for the organization.
By her obliviousness to certain elements, he figured it wasn’t that long.

" I have a message for you from the Boss."

" Oh?" Dazai wasn't the least surprised. ‘’ From Mori? What can it be, I wonder.’’ He placed his
finger on his chin as he paced around the woman. ‘’ Threats, or lectures, or warnings about my
life,’’ he grinned, growing excited,‘’ so many directions it could go.’’
Higuchi didn’t seem to share his excitement.
‘’ This is the message.’’ She said, before reciting the Boss’s words, word for word. ‘’Dazai, do
you have any interest in returning to your position as an executive? Nakahara is welcomed as
well.’’
The woman recoiled as she watched his reaction.
‘’ Oh my, what an auspicious invitation. ‘’ he laughed, ‘’ I’m so happy I can hardly contain
myself,’’ He said, still laughing loudly.
Again, Higuchi wasn’t laughing with him.
‘’ I’ve looked at your records.’’ She said.
Dazai hadn’t expected her to speak after that.
‘’ Your ability, your cruelty, as if plucking the hearts out of your foes.’’
She seemed to have done some research.
‘’ Your blood is as dark as the Mafia itself.’’ She continued but something had changed in her eyes.
‘’ More so than anyone in this country.’’
Was she afraid of him?
From her posture and the way she was looking at him, he’d say she was.

‘’ Cruelty? Come, now.’’ He grinned, making his voice sound as disinterested and as unbothered as
he could. ‘’ Just part of the procedure. It bores me, really.’’
‘’ Plus, we all change over time,’’ he looked at the other girl in the room. The one that had
remained silent throughout the whole conversation. ‘’ I mean, look at little Gin over there,’’ He
indicated to her. ‘’ She used to be a sweet little girl, no taller than this,’’ He made a gesture with his
hand, showing that way how short she used to be.
Gin seemed to have been embarrassed by his comment. ‘’ Would you please not change the
subject,’’ she spoke shyly, in a low voice.

‘’ This doesn’t make much sense, ‘’ He said, observing the two girls and thinking of the situation.
‘’ Why would Mori, a paragon of rational logic, assign personnel to a farce like this?’’
Higuchi considered him. ‘’ This is not a farce.’’ She said This is for your own safety.’’
He yawned.
‘’ My safety?’’
‘’ The Boss has released ‘Q’ from his cell.’’
No.
No.
No.
Mori wasn’t that desperate, was he?
‘’ Don’t be stupid. Q can’t discern between friend and foe. He destroys everything that lives. A
uniquely deprived skill user.’’
‘’ If it means winning this war, the Mafia will exercise all available options.’’
As fierce and determined her eyes were, as stupid she sounded.
‘’ Do you have any idea what you have just released.’’
Dazai didn't joke when it concerned Q. He knew better than to be naive about the subject.
‘’ He is a breathing calamity. Why do you think he was imprisoned in the first place? ‘’
From her face, Dazai figured she didn’t know.
‘ Q is in possession of one of the most detestable of skills.’’ Dazai made sure to look at her eyes.
Maybe then she could realize the granture of the situation.’’ It’s the ability to control people’s
minds.’’

Dazai gave them a more in-depth explanation of Q’s ability. They were the enemy, but their severe
lack of knowledge even in things concerning them was alarming.
As he explained it to them, something in his head clicked.

‘’ When you came here, you said this was for ‘my safety’?’’
They stayed staring at him.
‘’ DAMN IT. ’’

‘’ Oi, Atsushi,’’ Chuuya called, opening the door in an attempt to find him. ‘‘ I heard that-
His words failed him as his attention shifted from the boy to Kouyou, who would seem was still
occupying their infirmary.
‘’ Why are you still here? ‘’ He had thought Dazai would have let her go by now.
Atsushi looked between the two of them.
‘’ How can I leave when I’m confined inside this room?.’’
It wasn’t hard for Chuuya to understand what she had meant.
‘’ She means mentally.’’ Atsushi specified..
‘’ Yeah, I figured, ‘’ Chuuya hadn’t meant to sound condescending, but his addition had really
been unnecessary.
‘’ Speaking of that scheming bastard,’’ He couldn't help but notice his absence.’’ Why isn’t he with
you?’’
Kouyou looked at Chuuya, surprised he didn’t know when the were-tiger did.
‘’ He’s gone to negotiate with a Government agent.’’
‘’ A government agent? ’’ He had an idea of what he meant but he really didn’t want that to be the
case.
‘’ Someone from the Special Division of Unusual Powers.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ Could you give us a minute?’’
Atsushi looked surprised. He couldn’t tell what Chuuya would want with their hostage. Still, it
wasn’t his place to ask.
‘’ Sure.’’

‘’ What kind of deal did you two make? ‘’ Chuuya asked, once he was certain the door was closed
and the boy was out of earshot.
Kouyou’s eyebrows furrowed, ‘’ A deal concerning Kyoka…’’ she answered and then paused. ‘’
Didn’t Dazai tell you that? ‘’
Chuuya felt stupid.
‘’ He didn’t have the chance.’’ It was true, enough. Dazai had been needed elsewhere and they
hadn’t had the time to talk. But even if they had, Chuuya had a feeling Dazai wouldn’t have shared
his plan with him.
‘’ You say you are his friend, yet I see he still keeps things from you.’’
It was a mere observation, but it still struck its point.
‘’ We all keep things from others,’’ he tried to reason. ‘’ Dazai does the same. He never speaks of
his plans, not until they have come into play.’’
‘’ He did learn from the Boss, so it’s no surprise.’’
‘’ Don’t do this.’’ Chuuya pleaded.’’ Don’t compare him to Mori.’’
‘’ Is it not true? ‘’ Kouyou wasn’t looking forward to having another argument with Chuuya about
that boy, but she couldn’t help it. ‘’ He was under his tutelage for years.’’
‘’ He has changed, ane-san.’’ it was a pathetic attempt, but he couldn’t have Kouyou’s opinion of
him stay that way. ‘’ If you only knew half the things he has done for me.’’
‘’ Tell me, then. ’’ Kouyou urged him. ‘’ We have plenty of time, so I see no reason why you
shouldn’t. ‘’
She was right.
They did have time.
And he did want to tell her.

And Kouyou did want to listen.

‘’ Fine,’’ He smiled, ‘’ I'll tell you.’’

Everything was going according to his plan even if it didn’t feel like that to the others.

As he had expected, the Guild had acted first, capturing both Atsushi and Kyoka in a single move.

To his understanding, the Guild had planned things in such a way, so that Kyoka could have been
taken away by the military police while Atsushi had been completely unable to help her, seeing as
he, himself, was getting dragged to their base by none other than their leader.

It had been a week since that happened.

In the meantime, Dazai had done his best to assure the Agency that Atsushi and Kyoka would both
be fine and that they needn’t send people to find and retrieve either of them.
His excuse had been vague at best, but the Agency had taken his word for it.

The only person who had figured out what his play was going to be, would be Ranpo. And not
even he knew most of the details.
He knew only what Dazai wanted him to know.

His plans had always worked in that way.

He didn’t share them with others.
Even in the Mafia, most of his plans were never explained to the Boss.
The Boss had simply trusted that they were good enough and approved of them, most of the time,
he didn’t even know what he was approving of until it had come to fruition.

It was for the best.

That was what he kept telling himself.

No one knowing, was for the best.

His plans had always been intricate and much too confusing for most, but that wasn’t why he didn’t
share them.
The reason was one and it was simple.
His plans had always been immoral.

Basing them on people’s behaviors and their feelings. Allowing people to go through stuff first,
before they could be saved. Not telling them that they would be so that their reactions could be
genuine.
It was all so immoral, so manipulative.
He didn’t need anyone pointing that out for him.

He knew.

He had been watching the sky when Kunikida found him.

‘’ Hey, DazaI. Tell me what this means.’’ he had said, showing him his neck.

Kunikda bore the bruise.

That meant that once the Guild had decided it was time to set off their plan, Kunikida, like half of
Yokohama, would go crazy and start attacking everyone he saw.
If that happened to him, and he actually hurt someone, Dazai knew he wouldn’t forgive himself.
So before the Guild could activate the trigger, he took him back to the Agency to tie him up.
If he stayed tied up on a chair, and Yosano and Kenji were there supervising him, he figured he
would be fine.
Soon after that, it started.

If he was Mori’s right hand still, he would have never let him go on with that plan. Using Q, and
then allowing him to get abducted by the Guild? How could he ever have approved of something
like that.
Because of his failure of a plan, Yokohama was now burning.
There were people fighting each other in every corner you turned to. Fires, guns, everything was
out of control.

Dazai was running through the battlefield, already having calculated where the boy was to land.
As he ran, he saw the blurred figures of the Port Mafia members, fighting, trying to keep up the
trenches.
Chuuya was also doing the same with Tanizaki, just in another location.
Even so, it wasn’t enough.
Q’s ability was much too strong, much too devious to be countered in such a manner.

There was only one way to stop him.

‘’ You won, Atsushi ‘’ Dazai said, finally finding the boy.

He was bleeding, and he looked pretty beaten up, yet he was still trying to crawl his way to the
doll, fallen only a few meters away from him.
‘’ Dazai, sir.’’ He could see the relief in his face, the way it was finally able to relax even for just a
few seconds.
‘’ The city is safe now,’’
‘’ Dazai, sir, look out,’’ His face grew worried again, ‘’ I’m being fired from above.’’
‘’ Are you? ‘’ Dazai got his detonator out. He pushed the button and allowed the thick cloud of
smoke to cover them.

>He knew where Atsushi would land. And he knew the Guild would try to fire at him.
He had taken his precautions.

Once they were covered, he took the doll and ripped it in half.

‘’ How did you know I was here? ‘’ It was a logical question for the boy to ask.
‘’ I had been watching the direction of your fall, Atsushi.’’ It was all he said about that.’’ You did
well. Yokohama is all clear now.’’
‘’ Or it would be nice to say so.’’ He didn’t want to further worry the kid, but he couldn’t have him
thinking it was all over.
Atsushi looked at him, ‘’ Is there still another problem?’’
‘’ Well, as long as Q is in enemy hands, they can stage chaos like this anytime they want. The
Special Division would be able to fight them, but they are in limbo. With things as they are, we
have only one course of action that we can take, but we still have another enemy that will try to
sabotage that plan.’’
‘’I had a thought up there,’’ Atsushi spoke, ‘’ Maybe it would be unthinkable to all of you, but to
me, my blood and my soul tell me it's the only correct way.’’
‘’ And that is? ’’
‘’ We need allies. The strongest in all of Yokohama, people who want to protect this town more
than anyone else. In the war against the Guild, the Agency could have no better ally than them.’’
Dazai knew exactly what the boy was implying.
‘’ If we get the Port Mafia to work with us, maybe they wouldn’t sabotage your plan.’’

Atsushi’s idea wasn’t a shot in the dark.

It was a logical idea that made a lot of sense. If they could get the Port Mafia to have a ceasefire
with them, then Dazai could go on with his plan without having to worry about their interference.
However, To do that, to collaborate with the Port Mafia, they needed to have a meeting.
Fukuzawa had given the job of arranging said meeting to him.

Dazai had been talking with Kunikida when the President had come to check on his progress.
Kunikida had been completely unaware.
‘’ Hey, Dazai, explain.’’ He had waited for the President to leave, before turning to him to ask. ‘’
There is going to be a secret meeting with the Mafia?’’
‘’ That’s right,’’ Dazai confirmed. ‘’ It was Atsushi’s idea, but it has blown up quite a bit. I know
the Guild is the biggest threat to us right now but-
‘’ Wait, wait, wait, I don’t get this.’’ Kunikida looked surprised, confused, and worried all at the
same time. ‘’ First and foremost, why are you, of all people tasked to organize that? ‘’
Here goes nothing.
‘’ Cause I’m ex-mafia.’’ Dazai said with a smile.
Kunikida froze.’’ huh?’’
‘’ Chuuya is too.’’
Kunikida remained frozen, his eyes wide.’’ HUH? ’’
‘’ Everyone except you knows, by now, Kunikida.’’
Dazai was pretty sure he had broken him.
‘’ Kunikida? ‘’ He poked him, and then the man fell.

Well, that was definitely a reaction.

‘’ Oi, Chuuya,’’ Dazai called, entering his workspace. ‘’ Are you coming or not? ‘’

Chuuya hadn’t had much time to think whether he wanted to be there or not. When Dazai told him
about Atsushi’s idea and how it was being seriously discussed with the President, he had been
confused.
After a few minutes, he had understood why such a thing was on the table.
He wasn’t looking forward to seeing the Boss again, but he couldn’t let Dazai go there alone.

‘’ I’m coming, give me a sec.’’

Dazai was sitting cross-legged on top of a low wall, waiting for the Mafia to arrive. Chuuya was
standing with his leg pushed against that wall, just a few meters away from him.
He wouldn’t say it, but having him tag along made things a lot better, in a way.

‘’ Welcome, Boss. ‘’ He greeted, standing up.

The boss of the Port Mafia walked closer to them. ‘’ It’s been four years.’’ he said, waving at them
with a smile on his lips.
‘’ Are you still using the coat I bought for you? ‘’ he asked, addressing Dazai.
Dazai returned his smile, ‘’ Burnt it ages ago.’’ He replied.
Mori ignored his comment to address the shorter man, instead. ‘’ At least you’re still wearing your
hat, Chuuya.’’
Before Chuuya could answer him, the President spoke.

The meeting had proceeded very much as predicted, with Fukuzawa seeking to persuade Mori into
forming an alliance, trying to convince him that it would be beneficial to both of them, and Mori
keeping refusing his offer, using his cold rationale.
Dazai knew exactly why Mori was so against it.
He had learned his methods, his tactics, and his thought patterns a long time ago. Nothing he said
in that encounter could have taken him by surprise.

Fukuzawa’s attempts had all been in vain.

Mori was already turning away from them, finally leaving their sight.

‘’ Till next time,’’ he said, looking at Dazai and Chuuya, ‘’ Your invitations back to the Mafia
leadership are still on the table, even if your loyalties are…ambiguous. ’’
Dazai smiled again, ‘’ Oh come now, You were the one who drove me out of the Mafia.’’ He
reminded him.
‘’ I thought you quit of your own volition? ‘’ Mori tried to correct him, ‘’ Nakahara as well? ’’
Dazai wanted to laugh. ‘’ You were afraid, weren’t you, Mori, sir? ‘’ he said with a sardonic smile,
‘’ Afraid I’d murder you and assume your seat as the Mafia Boss. Just like you had done to the last
one.’’
Chuuya wanted to slap him out of that state.
Why was it so hard for him to ignore the man?
Why did he always have to provoke him?

Dazai was still looking at Mori, his eyes completely blank, his smile etched on his face.
It was painful to look at him when he was like that.
‘’ The devil sees its own in the shadows of others.‘’
Chuuya hated himself for thinking it, but at that moment, Dazai had reminded him so much of
Mori.

The only thing that had come out of that meeting was a rather risky ‘promise’.
Fukuzawa had told Mori that today would be the day they recovered Q from the Guild.
Since he hadn’t agreed to an alliance, Fukuzawa had only asked him to not interfere.
From his stance in the conversation and his overall approach, the ADA had figured Mori would
have the decency to at least do that.

Their plan was simple.

For yet another night, Double Black would be allowed to wreak havoc.
Should Mori keep his end of the bargain’ and not interfere with their mission, recovering Q,
shouldn’t pose a problem.

By the time the moon had appeared in the sky, Dazai and Chuuya were already inside the forest, on
their way to crush the Guild and show them just with who they had decided to mess with.

After ‘falling’ into the Guild’s trap, Dazai decided to nullify their main agent’s ability and then
stand back, and indulge in his favorite hobby.
Watching Chuuya as he fought.
He was like a storm, moving from agent to agent, making them soar through the sky and then
crush on the ground. His agility, the way he attacked them with his hands in his pocket, making it
seem so easy.
The stupid grin on his face as he used his ability. The way he showed it off with every kick and
every punch.
Dazai could watch him fight for the rest of his life and he would still notice new things every
single time.
It was mesmerizing.

They ended up finding Q in the basement of the shack, unconscious and tied up to a tree.
The idea of killing him and getting rid of him and his ability struck them both.
If they were asked why they did it, they could very well argue that it was the best solution.
His existence was nothing but a problem.
Yet when it came down to it, neither dared to raise the knife and slit his throat.
Dazai’s excuse was that Q being alive made him valuable to the Mafia. So as long as Q was well,
it wouldn’t be smart of them to kill him, since he was the only one who could stop the boy if he
were ever to go on a rampage again.
Chuuya hadn’t had an excuse. He had simply left it up for Dazai to decide.

In the end, Chuuya carried the kid on his back and climbed up the stairs. Dazai followed behind
him.

It had been a very quick and very easy mission.

Honestly, knowing their world, they should have seen it coming.
 Dazai had been intrigued by their new foe. Chuuya had been annoyed.
The Guild member that had attacked them was a tall man with long black hair and tentacles for
hands.
They had both assumed that had been his ability.
They had been wrong.
That was no ability, and that became apparent the moment Dazai had tried to nullify him but failed.

Well, if his ability didn’t work then they would have to do things the old way.
With their clever tactics and perfect timing, Chuuya was able to get close to him and land a critical
hit.
Activating his ability, he made sure the man hit the ground and stayed there.

Things stayed like that only for a few seconds, before the man rose from the ground and
transformed into a giant nightmare fuel monster.

‘’Dazai ’’ Chuuya yelled, watching as his partner flew through the air only to land on the trunk of
a faraway tree.
Chuuya stayed staring at the monster only for a second before running towards him.
‘’ Dazai your arm…’’
Fuck, it looked bad.
The lower half of his arm was completely missing.
It couldn’t possibly be THAT bad, right?
‘‘ Chuuya,’’ Dazai grimaced from the pain. ‘’ Before I die I need to tell you something…’’
Chuuya grew worried, ‘’ What-What the hell are you talking about? You can’t die in a place like-
‘’ TA-DA,’’ Dazai exclaimed, making his arm re-appear.
Chuuya grabbed him by his collar. ‘’ You fucker,’’
‘’ Oh, it was funny, no? ‘’
‘’ If you have time for your shitty–ass magician show, then you can also figure out how the hell
we’re going to deal with this monstrosity.’’
He said, pointing at the gigantic monster they had to fight.
Dazai laughed, ‘’ Oh, that’s not happening,’’ He said, ‘’Let’s just give up and die.’’ Chuuya let go
of him. ‘’ There is only one trick we could pull now.’’
The moment he said it, his face dropped. He was laughing no more.
‘’ One trick…You mean to pull off Corruption? ’’

They hadn’t needed to use Corruption in over four years now.

Chuuya had been so naive as to believe they wouldn’t have to use it ever again.
No, this was different.
This was an emergency.
This was to save the city.

‘’ You know the risks, Chuuya. If my support is delayed even by little…you’ll be dead.’’ Dazai
said, looking at his partner. ‘’ So it’s your choice to make.’’
‘’ It’s up to me?’’ Chuuya mused, looking back at him, ‘’ Whenever you say that you already
know what my answer is gonna be..’’

Chapter End Notes

Thank you so much for reading, this was a long one, so I really appreciate everyone
that managed to read all that!!!
Things have finally started and honestly, I'm so excited.

I really hope you liked it!!

 Do You Not Trust Me Enough?
Chapter Summary

The continuation of the Guild arc, including the aftermath of Chuuya using corruption.
Atsushi and Akutagawa having to cooperate to save the city. Kyoka's entrance exam,
and her welcome to the Agency party.

And of course, soukoku being their incredibly guarded and afraid-of-opening-up

selves!!!!
Also them kind of realising that they are pining for each other but also being in
~denial~.

ENJOYYY

Chapter Notes

Me thinking that any chapter under 10k words is not worth being a lone chapter, is
definitely a cry for help.
I still remember when I thought 6-7k words were too much. Ah, those were the good
times.

I really do hope you like this chapter cause I think it's one of the most important for
their development, and there is a scene that I absolutely ADORED writing.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Corruption was a last resort.

Dazai and Chuuya had only ever used Corruption a handful of times. Four to be exact.
Corruption wasn’t something pleasant for Chuuya, and Dazai understood that well. He never had
him use it, not unless it was the only possible solution available.
Unlike anyone else in the entire world, Chuuya had a say in Dazai’s plans, even though he didn’t
believe that to be true.
If Chuuya ever refused to use Corruption then they wouldn’t use Corruption. It was as simple as
that.
Dazai would never force or manipulate him into using it.
Never and under no circumstance.

Corruption was torture.

If Dazai wasn’t there to touch Chuuya and nullify his ability in time, the power of Corruption
would grow so strong it would engulf him whole.
It was much too painful and much too draining for any human being to withstand.
Once called upon, Corruption consumed his mind and body. It made him unable to think clearly or
register what was happening. It also made him bleed from every possible pore and opening in his
body.
Blood oozed from wounds all over him, and it felt like he was being torn apart and stitched back
together at the same time. Gravity pulling and pushing him, making his internal organs combust
and his bones fracture from the pressure.
The pain Corruption caused him could only ever be described as excruciating.

Corruption was something that made Chuuya feel inhuman.

It wasn’t a secret that Chuuya had once struggled to come to terms with his humanity.
Waking up one day as an eight-year-old and having no memories was scary enough on its own. But
learning just a few years later that you were basically a lab rat, an experiment of a crazy scientist,
and maybe even a clone, was so much worse.
Having your clone, or the original you, die in your arms. Having to confront a man that called
himself your brother yet had gone out of his way to kill everyone you had cared about using that
very power you had.
Chuuya hadn’t had an easy life, and Corruption, the manifestation of Arahabaki, was the main
reason why.

Corruption wasn’t a joke.

And Dazai didn’t treat it like one.

If he was late even by a second, corruption would kill Chuuya.
Nothing about that possibility was funny.

‘’ The enemy’s gone now, ‘’ Dazai said, grabbing his hand mid-air, before he could strike again, ‘’
Take a rest, Chuuya.’’
He watched as his partner's eyes turned back to blue. As the crimson marks slowly faded from his
body and face. He watched as he fell to his knees, the exhaustion after using Corruption too heavy
for him to bear.
‘’ Dazai you ass,’’ Chuuya said over ragged breaths, ‘’ you gotta stop me right when it’s over. ‘’
He reminded him in a complaining and tired voice, too weak to raise his head and look up at him.
‘’ I know, I know, ‘’ Dazai knelt beside him, so his face could be at the same height as his
partner's, ‘’ But watching you fight is so fun.’’

It wasn’t fun.
Watching him use corruption wasn’t fun in any way, shape, or form. But it was beautiful. A
haunting kind of beautiful, a dangerous and tragic kind of beautiful. A magnificent, breathtaking
sighting rare as a blue moon,
It was like watching a fire engulfing a forest. It's something brutal yet you can't take your eyes
away from the flames as they battle.
But even if Dazai did love watching Chuuya fight, that wasn’t the reason why he had prolonged
the use of corruption.

Someone like Mori would have thought it was some kind of twisted power-play to show Chuuya
he was the one in control, but that was simply not true.
Dazai had always viewed Chuuya as an equal. He would never do something like that just to prove
a point that was factually incorrect.
The reason was a much deeper one.
‘’ I used corruption because I trust you,’’ Chuuya glared at him, his eyes slowly closing.
‘’Just, take my ass back home.’’ He punched him lightly in the arm with all his remaining strength,
before collapsing.
Dazai smiled at him.
‘’ You got it, partner.’’

There were two reasons why Dazai had prolonged the use of corruption.
The first one was that he had wanted to test out a theory. Even if he knew it wouldn’t work, he had
held out a tiny bit of hope that the President’s ability, ‘All men are equal’, could have granted
Chuuya control over corruption. It was a naive and hopeful thought, but he had figured, now that
Chuuya was a member maybe, just maybe, it could have worked.
It hadn’t. Of course, it hadn’t. Corruption wasn’t a product of his ability.

The second was a more personal reason.

It was because every time Chuuya used Corruption, Dazai had always felt this inexplicable amount
of emotion he couldn’t feel any other way.
Chuuya trusting him with his life time after time was something so important to him.
It gave him that overwhelming feeling he so desperately craved. The feeling of being needed by
someone.
It was something he had longed for, all his life.

Feeling needed made him believe that he could actually have a purpose.

He took out a handkerchief and started cleaning the blood off his partner’s face and skin. His
movements, slow and methodical.
Corruption always left him so broken, so tired, so damaged, after. Yet his partner had never
complained when it came to it. He had never voiced the pain he was under.
Dazai couldn’t help but admire his strength and endurance. If anyone else had been in Chuuya’s
place, he knew they wouldn't have lasted more than a few seconds.

After getting rid of the most prominent of blood stains, Dazai laid there for a moment, next to his
body. His partner wouldn’t be waking up for the next couple of hours, so why not enjoy some
quiet time with him?
He laid there for a few minutes, just watching the night sky, listening to the steady rhythm of
Chuuya's heart below his head.
He wanted to close his eyes and just stay there but he knew the mission wasn’t over. Not until Q
was back into the Mafia and inside a cage.

He left him inside the forest to rest, his clothes folded beneath his head, acting as a pillow. Then he
went to deliver the boy that had caused all of Yokohama to go on a frenzy, back to the Mafia.

When he came back, Chuuya was still sleeping on the ground, his limbs all stretched out. The
moonlight hitting his pale skin.
Dazai got closer to him.
He wanted to lay down again, put his head on his chest, and close his eyes, but he couldn't.
Something was holding him back from doing so.
He found himself thinking about doing stuff like that way more often than he would have liked to
admit, and he didn’t know why.
Nowadays, whenever he looked at Chuuya all he could think about was how it would feel like if
he rested his head on his shoulder on a day when they would be watching the sunset or the night
sky, sitting side by side. Or if he offered his hand to him, and he took it, and they walked like that
back from work, through the park, with the wind whispering all around them.
They were pointless, little thoughts yet they wouldn’t leave him alone.
He had tried to ignore them, time and time again, but the more he tried to, the more frequent they
became.
Why?
He couldn’t figure it out. Dazai had never been big on physical touch or gestures such as those so
why was he even thinking about it?

You know why.

He shook the thought away as fast as it had come.

No. He didn’t know why, and he didn’t want to know why.

It was something stupid and he couldn’t afford to waste time thinking about it. Not when he had a
war to win.

‘’ Good morning, sunshine~ ‘’ Dazai opened the curtains letting the light infiltrate the room.
Chuuya threw a pillow to the window, putting a bit more force than he should have.
‘’ You fucker.’’ He said as he turned his body to the other side of the bed, ‘’ Let me fucking
sleep.’’ he groaned, completely ignoring the shattering sound that had just been heard from the
direction he had thrown the pillow at.
‘’ But we have to go to work~’’ Dazai reminded him, snatching the sheet away, exposing his body
to the cold morning air now coming in from the broken window.
‘’ Like you care.’’ Chuuya took another pillow and pressed it on his head, trying to silence the
noise Dazai was making.
‘’ I thought you were a hard-working guy, ‘’ Dazai made his voice sound disappointed,’’ I guess
you’re not.’
‘’ It’s Sunday, you ass.’’ Chuuya snapped, still holding the pillow on top of his head. ‘’ I’m not
falling for that again.’’
Dazai stared.
‘’ Chuuya...It’s Monday.’’ He let his voice trail, ‘’ you were asleep for more than a whole day.’’
Chuuya threw the pillow away and stood up, his eyes widened and awake.
‘’ What.’’
‘’ Check for yourself.’’ Dazai showed him the clock next to his bed.
‘’ Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? ’’ He questioned him, opening his closet and taking some
clothes out. ‘’ You fucker, you know-
‘’ But it’s more entertaining if you’re late~.’’ Dazai grinned, ‘’ Kunikida won’t be happy about it,
but don’t worry, I’ll be on my time.’’ he added, before exiting the room and then the apartment.

Chuuya wanted to curse at him.

He could be so fucking annoying.

He got to the bathroom and turned on the faucet to wash his hands and face. Once the water was
running, he brought his hands together, gathering a handful of it and splashing it on his face.
Then he raised his head to look at the mirror.
They were faint, but the marks of Corruption were still etched on his skin. He trailed them with his
fingers, lightly following them as they spiraled on his cheek, before falling to his chin and then on
his neck.
Corruption had always made him feel kind of empty after.

He ignored the hollowness that loomed inside of him and changed his clothes.
He wasn’t in the best condition to go to work, but when had he ever taken a break to take one now?

He caught one last glimpse of the mirror. Of the marks on his face. He knew they would disappear
in a couple of hours, but still, he wasn’t looking forward to having his co-workers see them.
He wasn’t looking forward to them knowing about the true extent of his ability either.

For some reason he felt even more exhausted than he had remembered ever feeling after using
Corruption.
He blamed it on the fact he hadn’t used it in years.

He took out his phone to see the time.

Fuck.
He was late.

He grabbed his coat from the hanger, put on his shoes, and got out.

‘’ Oh my, you’re actually running.’’

He found Dazai sitting beside his motorcycle, a stupid grin on his face as he watched him run out
of the building.
‘’ Didn’t you say you’d go alone?’’ Chuuya asked him, jumping on the bike. Dazai shrugged his
shoulders as he took the seat behind him.
‘’ Yeah,’’ he agreed. ‘’ but then I changed my mind.’’
Chuuya rolled his eyes, placing his hands over the handles. ‘’ You were just too bored to walk,
weren’t you? ’’
‘’ No, not really.’’ Chuuya turned to look at him.
Dazai was still wearing that stupid grin on his face. That grin that could only mean mischief and
trouble.
Chuuya put two and two together.
‘’ We don’t have work, do we? ‘’
‘’ I mean, we had, but I pursued Kunikida into giving us a leave for today.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Cause I solved two cases yesterday, and wrote five reports.’’ He answered him, ‘’ So now I’m
too tired to do any more work.’’
‘’ But I already took a leave yesterday, didn’t I? ‘ Chuuya reasoned, ‘’ So what is my excuse for
today? ‘’
‘’ I may have told them you have chicken pox.’’ Dazai glanced away.
‘’ You what-’’
‘’ I’m kidding,’’ Dazai broke into a smile, ‘’ I’m just messing with you, jeez.’’
Chuuya shot him a glare, ‘’ Okay, I’ll bite.’’ he said, ‘’ If we aren’t going to work, then where are
we going? ’’

They had one day before his plan could be set in motion. One day before they fought off Fitzerald,
the leader of the Guild, and kicked him and his little group out of their city for good.
His plan had already been solidified. Having been discussed with Ranpo and having been finalized,
just the previous day.
There was one more thing for Dazai to take care of for their plan to work, but that would have to
wait till it was evening.

‘’ We held a meeting yesterday,‘’ Dazai started, ‘’ Concerning our final stand against the Guild.’’
‘’ When is it happening? ‘’ Chuuya asked, his eyes turning to him.
‘’ Tomorrow.’’

They were sitting in that park again, letting the tall trees shelter them from the morning light. Dazai
had thought of taking him elsewhere, so they could have a good time relaxing near the beach, but
then he remembered he had to brief him about yesterday’s meeting and what was about to happen.
So he decided it would be better if they went to sit somewhere near and quiet.

‘’ And what course of action are we taking? ‘’ Chuuya couldn’t believe he had missed an entire
day because he had been asleep. It was so stupid. Now everyone in the Agency would think of him
as someone who couldn’t handle things being a little rougher than usual.

‘’ We’ll have Atsushi infiltrate the Moby Dick.’’ Dazai said, ‘’ He's going there with Tanizaki’s
help, but once he’s in, he’ll be on his own.’’ That was a lie. Atsushi wouldn’t be on his own, but
Chuuya, or anyone else for that matter, didn’t need to know that.
‘’ Infiltrate how? I don’t think the Agency has the means necessary to-
‘’ We’ll get them from someone else.’’ Dazai didn’t seem too excited for whoever was helping
them.
‘’ The Special Division? ’’ Chuuya guessed. Dazai nodded his head.
‘’ Let’s just say I can strike us a good deal with one of their Agents.’’
Ango.
‘’ Okay, he’s in, then what? You’ll have him fight Fitzerald on his own? ‘’
‘’ You think he won’t be able to do it? ’’ He challenged him, avoiding answering his question.
‘’ That’s not what I meant.’’ He tried to defend himself, but then he realized there was no reason to
do that.
Dazai wouldn’t let Atsushi go there alone. He also wouldn’t reveal to him the entirety of the plan.
‘’ Once Atsushi defeats him, we’ll start Kyoka’s entrance exam.’’
Chuuya’s eyes widened. ‘’ She is with the military police, isn’t she? ‘’
‘’ Yes, but not for much longer.’’
Even if he asked him, he knew Dazai wouldn’t tell him what her exam would be.
Even if he asked him, he knew he wouldn’t share his plan with him.
‘’ Anything else I should know? ‘’
‘’ We don’t have anything to do other than monitor Atsushi, so no.’’ Dazai said. ‘’ That’s pretty
much all, so, any questions? ‘’
‘’ Do you think I’m stupid? ’’
Chuuya wasn’t stupid. What was stupid was him asking something like that. Unfortunately,
Kouyou’s words had gotten into him and he couldn’t help but do so.
Dazai knitted his eyebrows as he looked at him.‘’ Where is that coming from? ‘’
‘’ Do you think I can’t comprehend or fully grasp your plans? Is that it? Or that I won’t be able to
understand them because I’m not so clever? ’’ Dazai stared at him. Chuuya took his refusal to
answer his question as an answer on its own. ‘’ Okay then,’’ He paused, ‘’ Do you not trust me
enough? ’’
‘’ Why are you asking me that? ‘’ Dazai countered, finally speaking.
Chuuya said nothing.
‘’ Chuuya, why-
‘’ You’re not answering me, Dazai.’’ His voice was cold. Much colder than the morning breeze.
‘’ If this is about me not sharing details of the plan with you,’’ Dazai started, ‘’ You know I don’t
do that.’’ He tried, keeping his voice neutral.
‘’ Why? ‘’ It was an honest question.
Dazai wished he could answer him,‘’ I don’t speak of my plans.’’ But he couldn’t
‘’ No, I already know that, you-’’ he stopped himself from cursing to take another breath and start
again..’’ I know you don’t talk about them. I want to know why. ’’
Chuuya was being intrusive. He didn’t want to be, but he doubted Dazai would ever share anything
with him if he didn’t use such means.
‘’ I don’t owe you an answer, do I? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Then I choose not to answer.’’
‘’ Okay.’’ Chuuya nodded his head, showing him he understood how it was. ‘’ And I chose to go to
work today so…’’ He gave him a poisonous smile before turning around and jumping off the
ramp.
‘’ Chuuya-’’

A part of him expected Dazai to jump down and run after him, tell him everything he hadn’t said
just now.
It was the stupid naive part in him.
The part of him that wanted Dazai to care.
No.
He was being unfair.
He knew Dazai cared. But he didn’t want him to just care. He wanted him to show it.

He was already at the entrance of the park when his cell phone rang.
‘’What.’’
The other line remained silent.
‘’ If you have nothing to say, don’t call.’’
‘’ Wai-

Kouyou was right.

Dazai was still so guarded, so secretive. He never shared anything with-
No.
He was being unfair again.
Kouyou wasn’t right. Dazai had made tremendous progress in being a better friend. And he had
shared things with him.
It wasn’t his fault he didn’t meet Chuuya’s expectations. Thinking Dazai could become an open
book was just foolish of him.

‘’ Can we talk? ‘’
He turned around to see Dazai trying to catch his breath.
Had he actually ran after him?
Well, it didn’t matter.
‘’ Do you have anything to say? ‘’ Chuuya asked, glaring at him, ‘’ or are you going to tell me you
can’t say yet? ’’
Dazai looked at him, shame in his eyes. ‘’ I can’t tell you of my plans, so what else can I do to
show you that I trust you? ‘’
Chuuya was disappointed but not surprised.’’ Nothing.’’ he said, continuing to walk towards the
direction the Agency was in.
‘’ Chuuya please,’’ Dazai grabbed his hand to stop him. ‘’ I’m-I can’t-
It wasn’t often that Dazai stumbled over his own words like that. ‘’ If I tell you a part of the plan,
will you be satisfied? ‘’
Chuuya looked down at Dazai’s hand still around his, Then his eyes went to his partner’s face.
It was hard for him, and he didn’t want to do it. That much was evident.
Yet he was trying.
‘’ I guess.’’
If he didn’t know him any better he’d say he looked anxious. But Dazai was never anxious about
anything. It was so unlike him.
‘’ Atsushi won’t be fighting Fitzerald alone.’’ he said, his voice low, his eyes on the ground.
’’ He’ll have to partner up with Akutagawa.’’
Chuuya pulled his hand away from his, looking disgusted by his words.‘’ Why would you-
Dazai raised his head then, his eyes darkening from the embarrassment. ‘’ That’s part of the plan,
okay? ’’ He said and without another word, he left.

Chuuya stared at Dazai’s figure as it grew smaller and smaller, getting lost between tall trees and
bushes.

He had pushed him too far.

‘’ Another one,’’ Dazai called to the barman, and at once, the man behind the counter took his
glass and refilled it, adding two ice cubes. He placed it back on the wooden surface.
Dazai grabbed the glass and downed it before smacking it on the counter.
This time, he simply just pointed at the glass.
The barman poured some more liquor into it.
Dazai downed that too.

He had been so stupid.

So fucking stupid.

He showed the man his glass again for the fourth maybe fifth time

Telling that to Chuuya? Why? Because he had asked?

Since when was he so…so…so honest?

The man handed him his glass.

A second later the liquor had vanished.

He told him, and what had he accomplished?

Getting Chuuya to look at him with disgust on his face.
Great.
Like, he hadn’t known that would happen.

Dazai pointed at his glass again.

That was exactly why he didn’t tell anyone of his plans.

That was exactly why he kept everything to himself.

The man refilled it.

‘’ That’s water.’’ Dazai observed, putting the glass down. The man nodded his head.
‘’ It’s still morning,’’ He hesitated, ‘’ Don’t you think you’ve drank too much?’’
Dazai shot him a dirty look, but he did nothing else.
The man was right. It was still early in the morning.
However, Dazai didn’t care about that.
‘’ One more and then I’ll order some breakfast.’’ He tried to negotiate. The man considered him
before letting out a sigh.
‘’ Here.’’ He said, handing him what he hoped was his last drink for the day.
Dazai took it.
A second later he gave him the empty glass back.
‘’ What should I bring? ‘’ The man asked, looking at him. Dazai raised his head to answer.
‘’ Some rice with curry would suffice.’’ he said, ‘’ Actually, make it two bowls.’’
He turned around to see Chuuya entering through the threshold.
The scene looked odd.
Chuuya, descending the stairs of Lupin, crossing the room to get to him, as the warm light of the
lamps on the side walls, reflected inside his eyes.
He had never thought he’d see him inside that place.

‘’ Why do you never answer your phone?’’ Chuuya asked, nearing him.
‘’ I have it on silent.’’
‘’ What are you even doing in a bar at 11 in the morning? ‘’ he said, looking around, ‘’ Were you
drinking? ’’
‘’ Why, you care? ’’
Chuuya sat down next to him, taking a breath before he spoke again.‘’ I was just surprised, that’s
all.’’ He said defeated.
‘’ By what? ‘’ Dazai’s words were sharp,’’ By me being an asshole, making Atsushi work with a
man that tried to kill him? ‘’ he felt sick, ‘’ or by me not even telling him that he’ll have to do
that?’’
‘’ When did I say that?’’
Dazai looked at the wall on his left, admiring the simple design on the wallpaper.‘’ You don’t
have to say it.’’
‘’ You think they would make for a good team because of their abilities,‘’ Chuuya started,
knowing Dazai wouldn’t. ‘’ And you want to test that theory of yours, so you’ll have the both of
them team up so they can beat the leader of the Guild.’’
It wasn’t something Chuuya couldn’t comprehend.
‘’ It’s a solid plan,’’ He admitted, ‘’ but it’s not the way the Agency would have wanted to do
things.’’ He added. ‘’ It could be considered manipulative and immoral, but your plans have always
been like that, no? ’’ Dazai’s eyes found his, ‘’ So what makes this one so different?’’

Dazai realized one thing, then.

‘’ So you approve of the plan? ‘’ Dazai asked, looking at him.

‘’ It’s a plan of yours.’’ He reminded him, ‘’ Approval doesn’t matter if you know it’s not gonna
fail.’’

He had severely misunderstood how well Chuuya could understand him.

‘’ Here is your breakfast,’’ The man interrupted them, placing the two bowls on the counter.
‘’Enjoy.’’
Dazai pushed one of the bowls towards his partner. He turned to say thank you, but the man had
already retired to the kitchens.

Could he tell him the rest?

Chuuya had been understanding enough as not to ask, but-
No.
If he told him more then he would have to tell him everything. And he couldn’t tell him everything.

‘’ Aw, Chuuya is always so certain of my plans.’’ Dazai mused, picking up his chopsticks.
‘’ I mean, they never fail, so at this point, it’s just a fact.’’ Chuuya said, blowing on his rice so it
would cool down. ‘’ It’s not a compliment, you moron’’ he clarified watching Dazai's stupid smile.
‘’ Come on, you can’t take it back now~’’
‘’ Oh, forget it.’’

They enjoyed a nice meal seasoned with some banter, before exiting the bar together.

Chuuya was calmer when they left, and Dazai couldn’t deny that telling him had made him feel
lighter.
Once again he wished he could tell him everything. But if he did, he would just be burdening him
as well.
And he didn’t want Chuuya to have to carry that cross with him.

‘’ Well, that was fun,’’ Dazai said, clasping his hands, ‘’ But I do have to go.’’
Chuuya thought about asking him where, but then he reconsidered. ‘’ Will you be back for dinner,
or should I eat without you? ‘’ he asked instead, stepping inside the building.
‘’ Hm, I’ll be back before too late, so make sure you order something edible.’’
‘’ Something with poison then. Got it. ‘’ Chuuya joked, closing the door.

Dazai smiled to no one but himself, before turning his body to head towards the flower shop down
the neighborhood.

‘’ WHY HELLO THERE, ANGO~’’ Dazai burst through the door, a big bouquet of flowers in one
hand and a basket with fruits and candies in the other. ‘’ How are you doing? ‘’ He asked, looking
at him. Ango didn’t seem as excited to see him again.
’’ Well, you look lovely.’’

Ango was laying on the hospital bed, his broken leg slightly raised in a cast, his head covered in
bandages. He was wearing a tired expression that told Dazai he really didn’t want to be there. His
expression also told him that he would be willing to listen to what Dazai was about to say.

‘’ I have a nice story for you,’’ he said, placing the bouquet on top of a nearby table. ‘’ Our
Agency is going to fix your injuries from the car crash.’’ He exclaimed, ‘’ Doctor Yosano’s
healing ability will have you good as new in no time.’’
Ango’s eyes stayed sharp, searching his face thoroughly for the tiniest clue. When he didn’t find it,
he asked.
‘’ And what do you get back? ‘’
Dazai smiled, nearing him, ‘’ Get back? Oh come, now,’’ The Special Division and our Agency
have always helped each other out, no? ‘’
‘’ I see.’’ Ango sighted. ‘’ So you want us to help with this war? ‘’
‘’ If you want to put it that way, then alright. But actually…
The main reason Dazai wanted to get the Special Division’s assistance wasn’t for the infiltration,
but rather for their newest member, Kyoka.
Chuuya had been right, the ADA did not have the tools or means necessary to infiltrate the Moby
Dick, but even if that was the case, Dazai had already come up with five different solutions to
make up for that. They weren’t the most practical, but if push came to shove, they could always
have Chuuya fly up there with Atsushi using his gravity manipulation ability.
What they couldn’t do, however, was retrieve Kyoka in a way that wouldn’t deem the Agency as
criminals. In a way that was legal.
The ones holding her captive weren't the Port Mafia or the Yokohama police. It was the military
police, an organization untouchable by their Agency.
The only operation in Yokohama with ties to them would be the Special Division.

According to Ango the Special Division could go above the law and negotiate a legal pardon for
the girl. Unfortunately, that amnesty could only be granted to her if she was an official member of
the Agency. That’s where the problem lied. Kyoka was not an official agent, yet.
But Dazai knew that would be Ango's answer, so to prepare for that he had already conducted
another plan. One that would result in her passing her entrance exam and getting her amnesty.
Getting her second chance in life.

‘’ I’m accepting your ‘offer’ of treatment in exchange for support, so just tell me one more thing.’’
Ango turned his head to face Dazai as he walked towards the door. ‘’ When we were struck by that
mystery vehicle, only the airbag on my side failed to inflate. Would you happen to know the
reason? ‘’ his cold gaze pierced through him.
Ango was smart. Dazai didn’t need to confirm his suspicions for him to know they were true.
He didn’t need to say anything. Ango knew exactly the kind of person Dazai was.
The things he was willing to do to get what he wanted.

Still, he stopped before the door, and only for a second, he turned to him and smiled.

Chuuya had always been a private person.

He was similar to Dazai, in that sense. Chuuya, however, had never had a problem with making
friends or talking to people he knew only on a surface level. He didn’t mind having pointless little
small talks with subordinates or starting discussions with them while out on a mission. He wanted
to be a part of conversations about random topics, or even very specific subjects.
Chuuya liked talking to people.
Dazai didn’t.
If he didn't find someone intriguing enough, or if he had no need or use for them, he wouldn't say
anything. He didn’t care about things such as keeping up appearances or being perceived as
friendly. He didn't go out of his way to interact with people or joke with them for the sole purpose
of appearing more approachable.
He had always kept to himself.

When Chuuya had learned all that information from numerous sources in the Mafia, he
remembered having spent countless hours wondering what had made him so special.

Everyone had described Dazai as a closed-off individual who never spoke to anyone other than the
Boss. Chuuya had found that to be odd
Dazai had never been like that to him. On the contrary, Chuuya had been sure Dazai couldn’t have
gone not even a few seconds without opening his mouth and uttering nonsense.
Considering all that, he had come to think of his behavior towards him as rather strange, but even
then, he had never remarked or asked him about it.
They didn't chat much about such things, therefore he decided it would be best not to ask. He didn't
want to inquire and appear overly interested in his partner. Or at least more than he should have
been,

Chuuya still remembered a question Dazai had once asked him while they had still been in the
Mafia, just a few weeks after they had become partners.
‘ Why do you never talk about yourself? ‘
It had been a rather unexpected question. He hadn’t expected his partner would have been as bold
as to ask that. It was true, though. As much as Chuuya loved talking about everything, he never
talked about himself. Only when it was something concerning work.
It was a question Shirase had also once asked.
And the Flags would come to ask him a very similar question a few months later, as well.

Chuuya’s reply hadn’t varied. He had answered them all with the same six words.
‘ I don’t like talking about myself.’
It was a straightforward statement. One that had made it clear he had wanted them to drop the
subject.
They had all obliged.
All except Dazai.

That bastard had proved to be quite the exception in more things than one.

Chuuya had always felt as if he had locked himself inside a small room and he was the only person
in possession of the key. Apart from him, everyone else was outside, some searching for a key that
didn’t exist, some trying to wreck that door down.

The Sheep had been the first to try and unlock the door of that lonely room. All the kids but
especially Yuan and Shirase had spent countless hours trying to get him to open up. Asking him
questions, trying to figure him out by his answers.
Their tactic had been too time-consuming, too inefficient.
In the end, as much as they had searched, they had never found the right key.

The next people to try and get that door to open had been the Flags.
Unlike the Sheep, the Flags hadn’t wasted time on getting Chuuya to open that door by himself.
They had simply tried to wreck it.
And who knows, cracks had already appeared on it by the end of the first year he had known them.
Maybe if they had had more time, the door could have been broken down.
He would never know.

Then there was Dazai.

Dazai wasn’t like the Sheep and he wasn’t like the Flags. He wasn’t the kind of person that would
waste their time searching for something that didn’t exist. And he wasn’t a ‘brute’ that would
resolve to physical strength either.
When it came down to it, Dazai saw a locked door and did what he had always done best.
He had picked the lock.

Chuuya couldn’t remember when it had happened or how, but Dazai had been the first to make that
little door open.
He had waltzed inside that dark and gloomy room, allowing the outside light to come with him.

It had been terrifying.

And years later, it still was.

Chuuya had thought it was time he ought to give him a taste of his own medicine.
If Dazai didn’t want to open up his own door, then all Chuuya had to do was push it until it broke.
He could go ahead and accuse him of being intrusive. Chuuya didn’t care about that anymore. He
was willing to do a whole breaking and entering if it meant he could finally understand him better.

Chuuya walked closer to the screens. He hadn’t expected Dazai to invite him over to the control
room.
When communicating directly with the agents during a mission, Dazai had always requested he be
alone. Saying it was better if there wasn't any noise in the room and no possible distractions. Both
the Mafia and the ADA had respected his wishes enough to grant him that isolation for as long as
the mission would be taking place. Chuuya had always known that to be the case, so when Dazai
told him to ‘Get over here ', he couldn’t help but be a bit startled.

Moving as soundlessly as he could, he took the chair next to Dazai’s and wore the headpiece that
had been given to him.

He could hear Atsushi and Dazai talking over the comm.

Atsushi was trying to reason with him, shedding light on some new information he had received
from the owner of the Moby Dick. Chuuya knew Dazai wasn’t willing to give up on their plan that
easily, yet he asked Atsushi if he was sure he could do it. Giving him a way out if he didn’t feel up
to the task.
Chuuya wasn't surprised. Maybe a few years ago he would have been, listening to Dazai as he
asked someone if they were okay whilst in the middle of a plan. It was still new, but considering
everything, it wasn’t that unbelievable anymore.

Chuuya could hear everything yet his headpiece lacked a microphone. So when Mori had intruded
on their communication, he had been thankful their old Boss hadn’t heard the way his breath had
caught.
‘’ Faring well, Dazai? ‘’ Dazai turned to Chuuya. They both shared a look of confusion and
disgust. Chuuya saw Dazai’s finger hovering over the button that would cut their connection.
‘’Wait, don’t hang up.’’ Something was off with their Boss’s tone, Chuuya could tell.
‘’ What is it, Mori, sir? ‘’ Dazai asked with caution, ‘’ I thought we had an agreement that the
Mafia wouldn’t meddle in our plans? ‘’ He reminded, his voice skeptical.
‘’ Yeah, about that…My subordinate has just informed me…’’ The Boss sounded actually
nervous. Remembering what Dazai had told him about the plan, Chuuya had a pretty good guess as
to why.
‘’ I don’t think we can keep the truce.’’

Just moments later, Akutagawa’s voice was heard through the sound system. Chuuya turned to
Dazai, expecting to find him grinning since everything was going as planned. When he turned,
however, he found no such expression on his face.
‘’ There is no time to deal with him, Atsushi. Keep going.’’ this should be another part of the plan.
Maybe he wants Atsushi to seem disinterested so that Akutagawa goes after him, and they end up in
Fitzerald’s room together.
‘’ But-’’ Atsushi sounded confused.
‘’ Don’t worry,’’ Dazai reassured him, ‘’ Do as I say and you’ll escape unharmed.’’
It was subtle but Chuuya could have sworn Dazai had turned his head just slightly to the right.
Making it impossible for him to see his face clearly.
‘’Akutagawa,’’ The boy called, albeit a bit louder than he should have. ‘’ Right now I’m linked to
mister Dazai through this. He wants to talk to you.’’
Chuuya could see the plan now.
Dazai would use the respect Akutagawa had always harbored for him in order to get him to
cooperate with Atsushi and leave his little grudge against him aside.
It was a sound plan.
‘’ DAZAI SIR ‘’ He could hear Akutagawa scream with desperation from the other side of the line
as the device was being thrown off from a high place? He wasn’t sure, but he knew he had heard
clutter and the sound of air as the device traveled through it.
Dazai pressed the button then and silence befell the room.
Oh.
That was his play…
‘’ Hey Kyoka, can you hear me? ‘’ Dazai changed stations immediately, his face still turned to the
right. ‘’ It’s Dazai.’’
He must have been doing that on purpose, but why?
At first, Dazai had tried to tell Kyoka how to fly and land the drone she was in. To Chuuya’s
surprise, the girl had refused to listen to him. Dazai had remained calm, explaining to her the
situation and why the ADA was willing to save her even though she wasn’t even an official agent
yet. Kyoka had still tried to persuade him into letting her go, sounding tired as she told him that
even if she were to take that exam she would fail.
Chuuya knew that feeling all too well. No child should ever have to feel that way. No child should
ever have to question whether they deserve to see the light after having grown up in the darkness.
‘’ I don’t like that mindset one bit,’’ Dazai said.
Chuuya was under the impression Dazai would have thought of himself as well.
‘’ An ex-hitman has no right to turn good? ‘’ hitman.‘’ Do you really believe that? ‘’
Dazai wasn’t thinking about himself when he said that. If he had, he wouldn’t have used that word.
He was thinking of Oda.
Chuuya felt the sudden urge to reach for him and just say something, but he couldn’t. They were in
the middle of a very important mission, every second counted.
He reminded himself there was a reason Dazai was saying all those things to Kyoka. There was
something he was trying to accomplish.
‘’ Kyoka, everyone has their weak and strong points, ‘’ He began again, fumbling over his pocket.
‘’ You, for example, clearly have a talent for killing.’’ he said, taking out a small matchbox. ‘’ And
you think it means you can’t be a part of us.’’ Just for a second, as he gazed at that matchbox,
Dazai’s face became visible to Chuuya once more.
He looked serious. He also looked like he was miles away from that room.
‘’ That’s utterly absurd,’’ he threw his back on the chair, taking another carefree smiley
expression.’’ Look, I can prove it a flimsy argument in just a second.’’ he said, ‘’ tell me, how
many people have you killed? ’’
Kyoka sounded tired as she replied. ‘’Thirty-five.’’ She said her voice on the verge of tears.
‘’ A mere thirty-five? ‘’ he turned to Chuuya, locking eyes with him, ‘’ See, Koyka, you don’t
know everything about our Agency yet. ‘’ He turned back to the screen, ‘ not about yourself either.
Nobody can truly know it all, that’s where one’s ‘potential’ comes in. Even Atsushi, the one who
gave you another chance, was a registered threat himself. But right now, he is up in the air,
fighting, risking his life so he can save this city.’’ He paused. ‘’ Kyoka, if you want I can arrange
for you to continue living a life of killing, but your suffering is more than just your own. So the
question is, what is one supposed to do when they want something different than what they excel
at? ‘’
Chuuya listened to him as carefully as he wished Kyoka was.
‘’ Everyone fights to figure out how to best live their lives. What should they seek? How should
they live? What is their reason? Nobody can provide them with those answers. All we can do is
agonize over them.’’
We.
Dazai was no longer talking about other people only.
‘’ We wonder this city with no aim, like a bunch of stray dogs that have hit rock bottom.’’
Dazai pressed the button again, before changing the line from the computer.
He made it so that Kyoka’s drone could be connected to the pilot room inside the Moby Dick. The
place Atsushi and Akutagawa were, based on Atsushi’s tracker.

‘’ You get out of there too, Kyoka ‘’

‘’ I cannot.’’

As he heard their voices, Chuuya turned over to Dazai.

So that was his plan.
‘’ Will she have enough time? ‘’ He asked, unable to keep his worries to himself.
‘’ Just barely. ‘’ Dazai replied.

‘’ Up until now, I lived without a single ray of light. But today I realized that I too have a choice.’’
Chuuya felt his heart speeding up. According to Dazai, she would be fine, but still, she didn’t know
that.
‘’ If I sacrifice my life to save everyone, I’m sure I can pass the entrance exam. I can become an
Agent too. And because of that, I regret nothing.’’
‘’ NO, STOP-’’

‘’ Are you a hundred percent sure she's gonna have time? ‘’ Atsushi’s screams, the way she was
holding back tears. It was too real.
‘’ Are you doubting me, Chuuya? ‘’ He tried to make it come off as a tease, but there was actual
worry in his voice.
‘’ No, it’s just-
‘’ Just what? ‘’ Dazai looked at him. with those wandering eyes of his.
But as Chuuya heard Akutagawa of all people dragging Atsushi to safety, and Atsushi screaming
Kyoka’s name, while the girl thanked him for everything he could only think of one word.
Cruel.
Your plan is cruel.
‘’ Whatever we don't have time for that.’’ Dazai brushed him off, a slight catch in his voice.‘’ We
need to go and get the others to the port.’’

When Chuuya saw Kyoka emerging from the water, and Atsushi running to embrace her, all he
could think was how bad he felt about ever having thought Dazai’s plan was cruel.
He still believed it was, but he could see now that there truly was no other way they could have
saved everyone.
Both the entirety of Yokohama and Kyoka.
He could see now that there was no other way to beat Fitzerald other than having Atsushi partner
up with Akutagawa.

That plan of Dazai’s…

It was like he could glimpse at a much deeper side of him. As if that plan could tell him everything
he had ever needed to know about the way he thought and the way he acted if only he could
decipher it.
If only he could see between the lines, between what was obvious to most.

‘’ DAZAI SIR ‘’ Akutagawa’s voice dragged him away from his thoughts. ‘’ There is nothing left
to get in the way.’’ he said, standing up, ‘’ Today I will reveal to you my power-
‘’ Will you now? ‘’ Chuuya saw as Dazai approached the boy. ‘’ Aren’t you at your limit? You did
just defeat the leader of the Guild after all.’’
The ghost of a smile appeared on his lips only for a fleeting half of a second. ‘’ You’ve grown
stronger huh? ‘’ He said, a soft smile on his face as he placed his hand on Akutagawa’s shoulder.
Was it the shock of being acknowledged by his past mentor? Was it the fatigue catching up to him?
Chuuya didn’t know what it was, but the boy fainted instantly after Dazai’s words.

Following that, the rest of the Agency arrived at the scene, eager to congratulate Kyoka on
becoming an official member of theirs, and Atsushi for saving the city.
Once they were done doing that, they all headed back to the Agency to hear something Fukuzawa
wanted to tell them.
Dazai asked for his permission to be late, telling him he had something urgent to take care of with
Chuuya.
Fukuzawa had assured him that it was fine by him, seeing as his plan had just saved the city.

‘’ What’s so urgent? ‘’ Chuuya asked him the instant everyone had left.
‘’ Don’t we ought to do something about him? ‘’ Dazai asked, gesturing to the boy on the ground.
‘’ About Akutagawa? ‘’ Chuuya looked at him confused. He couldn’t figure out what Dazai meant.
‘’ Can you help me get him at least somewhere near Headquarters? ’’ He proposed, already
grabbing the boy by his arms.
Chuuya grabbed his legs, albeit a bit hesitant. ‘’ Sure.’’ he said, trying his best to not act surprised.

There were reasons Dazai had treated Akutagawa the way he had back in the Mafia.
And there were reasons why he kept treating him that way.
Still, ever since he had joined the ADA, there had been a few times where he had encountered him
and had thought, ‘Am I doing the right thing? ’
He had never been the type of person to regret things or feel guilt over his actions, but lately, he
had observed that those kinds of thoughts alongside some others were progressively increasing.
He honestly couldn’t figure out why that was happening.

‘’ Okay, we’re close enough,’’ Dazai said, scanning the view to be certain there were no Port
Mafia members lurking around. ‘’ Now, we can let go of him.’’

‘’ Aren’t you coming to the party? ‘’ Chuuya asked, watching Dazai towards the left turn and not
the right.
‘’ I’ll join you later. I have something else to take care of as well, so go ahead without me.’’ He
smiled.
‘’ And what’s that? ‘’
Dazai could ignore the question and simply walk away. He didn’t owe Chuuya to tell him where he
was going or who he was meeting up with. He didn’t have to tell him anything, but for some
reason, telling Chuuya didn’t seem so bad.
‘’ I’m going to thank someone for leaking a piece of information, and making my plan possible in
that way.’’
Chuuya seemed to think about it. ‘’ Hirotsu? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Aw, you got your father to help you.’’ He teased, ‘’ That’s so nice.’’
Yeah…Maybe ignoring him would have been better.
‘’ How many times do I have to tell you-
‘’ Yeah, yeah, whatever.’’ Chuuya brushed him off, not even letting him defend himself.
‘’ Just send the old man my regards, will you? ’’
His partner rolled his eyes before he turned away.

Dazai looked at the painting in front of him. ‘’ Even I could draw this.’’ He scoffed, turning his
head to meet Hirotsu.
‘’Well, you can do most anything.’’ The man remarked, a slight smile on his lips. ‘’ Remember
that self-portrait you drew on the wall of the Executive office? ’’
‘’ Yeah, ‘’ Dazai snickered at the memory, ‘’ Miss Elise had been terrified. She had thought it to be
some kind of enemy curse.’’
Hirotsu laughed with him, probably remembering Elise’s face when she saw the portrait, or the
both of them cleaning it up after the Boss had instructed them to do so.
It was a fond memory for both parties.
‘’ Hirotsu, sir, thanks for helping me out.’’ Dazai said, smiling at the man.

And maybe Chuuya was right. Maybe he did have a more familial relationship with him. He was,
after all, the only person in the Mafia he knew he could count on no matter what.
The only person there he knew, would never want to hurt him.

‘’ Was that all you truly needed? ‘’ Hirotsu asked him, ‘’ All I did was tell Higuchi you were
infiltrating the Moby Dick. And since she knew, he told Akutagawa, and he went there alone, as
you had planned.’’ he recounted the events. ‘’ Why were you so eager to pit Akutagawa against
that Tiger lad? ’’
‘’ Because I wanted to be sure.’’ Dazai’s expression grew serious.
‘’ How long have you been aiming for this scenario? ‘’
Hirotsu had always known the right questions to ask. Dazai liked that about him.
‘’ From the time I first met Atsushi.’’
Hirotsu nodded.’’ But why do you aim for that, my boy? ‘’
‘’ This era needs a new duo.’’ Dazai said, his voice factual. ‘’ We need to prepare for the ‘real
menace’ coming soon.’’
‘’ But why do we need a new duo? ‘’ Hirotsu asked again. ‘’ I was under the impression that you
and Nakahara were both faring well. Still being partners, but in a different job.’’
Dazai’s eyes fell to the ground for a moment.
‘’ Corruption is becoming harder to predict.’’ he said, ‘’ It’s taking a bigger toll on him than it
should have.’’
Hirotsu’s eyes fell as well.
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ He was unconscious for a whole day, Hirotsu, sir.’’ he voiced, his concern clearly audible.
‘’ And the marks have yet to fade completely from his skin.’’
‘’ So it’s not that Double Black aren’t as strong anymore,’’ Hirotsu observed. ‘’ It’s that you would
rather protect Nakahara than push him to his limits.’’
Dazai felt embarrassed as he saw the old man’s expression shift to a soft one.
‘’ That’s one reason, yes.’’ He agreed with him, wanting to quickly change the subject.
‘’ But the enemy that’s on the move is also one. Not even I can tell how it’s going to turn out.’’ he
admitted.
‘’ Thus, we need to prepare for every possible outcome. We need to have alternatives.’’
‘’ If things are to get as bad as you say…‘’ The man started, ‘’ I need to know, have you thought of
any possible solutions yet? ‘’
Dazai stiffened. ‘’ Even if I have, you know I won’t speak of them.’’
The man let out a sigh. ‘’ Indeed I know. ‘’ he said, ‘’ I just wish you could talk about it with
someone,’’ he continued. ‘’ I’m sure it would help take some of the weight off your shoulders.’’

‘’ Now, who the Hell are you? ‘’ Chuuya asked, his eyes falling on a peculiar man lurking at the
entrance of the Agency.
The way his black hair covered his face, and the way he was dressed was rather eccentric, so if
Chuuya had seen him before, he knew he would remember him.
‘ I’m-I’m Edgar Allan Poe,’’ the man said, averting his eyes from him.
‘’ Okay…’’ Chuuya dragged the word, giving himself a bit of time to see if the name would ring
any bell. ‘’ And what are you doing here? ‘’
Upon being asked of his purpose there, the man, Poe, instinctively showed him the book he had
been holding. As if that was an answer.
‘’ I’m here to see Ranpo.’’ he said, his voice low.
‘’ Ranpo, huh? ‘’ Chuuya couldn’t remember the last time Ranpo had ever had friends over in the
Agency. He had thought that he had none, besides them. ‘’ Are you a friend of his? ’’
‘’ I’m his greatest rival.’’
Chuuya considered him. ‘’ Rival? ‘’
‘’ Yes? ‘’
From what he could see the man did look a bit uncomfortable talking to him. But he didn’t think
that was because he was from an enemy organization, no.
It was most likely his personality.
‘’ Tell me, mister Poe,’’ Chuuya thought he could tease him a bit, ‘’ Are you a detective as well?
‘’
‘’ I wouldn’t call myself a detective.’’ Poe answered, his voice even lower than before.’’ I was an
architect for the Guild but that’s not my-
‘’ Wait,’’ Chuuya cut him off. ‘’ You’re the man with the book ability, aren’t you? ‘’
Poe seemed to grow even more uncomfortable at the sudden recognition.
‘’ I think? ’’ he said, fidgeting with his fingers, looking everywhere but at him.
‘’ Well, why didn’t you say so? ’’ Chuuya exclaimed happily, going ahead and opening the door of
the building, ‘’ please, do come in.’’ he gestured.

‘’ Chuuya~’’ Yosano rushed to him the moment he opened the door of the office. ‘’ You’re just in
time,’’ she said, ‘’ I was just opening another bottle.’’ She waved the sealed bottle in front of him,
‘’ Kunikida isn’t as good of a drinking buddy as you are~’’ she tried to whisper, but her drunken
state made it so that her words could be heard perfectly.
‘’ Is that a 1964 Romanee? ‘’ Chuuya looked at the label closely, ‘’ It should have been crazy
expensive, how-
‘’ Oh, this? ‘’ Yosano laughed, ‘’ It’s a present from a patient of mine I once helped.’’ She
explained, ‘’ I couldn’t afford that even if I worked for the rest of my life.’’
Chuuya nodded, knowing damn well what the price of it was. ‘’ Well, do you need any help
finishing it? ‘’ he offered, suddenly in a mood for a drink.
‘’ Of course, ‘’ Yosano said, grabbing him by his arm, ‘’ that’s what I’m trying to say~’’
Before Yosano dragged him away to where Kunikida was also sitting, Chuuya managed to catch
one last glimpse of the guy that had come with him.
He looked terrified, overwhelmed by the commotion.
Chuuya was thinking about going up to him and helping him find Ranpo when he heard the
detective’s familiar voice calling for the man.

He had missed the surprise welcome the Agency had held for Kyoka, but Yosano had assured him
that it was fine. From what she told him, everything had gone smoothly, and the party had started
off pretty upbeat.
There had been a moment when Kunikida had tried to ruin everyone’s good moods by lecturing
Kyoka and Atsushi for having acted recklessly, but Yosano had prevented that from happening by
dragging him away to drink with her.
Chuuya could see the result of that decision laying on the couch with his glasses turned on at a
very bad angle, he was sure it would cause damage to them.

It was a great party with lots of drinking and lots of talking. Exactly the kind of partying Chuuya
had always liked.

‘’ Kyoka-
Chuuya bumped into the girl while trying to get to the buffet.
‘’ Nakahara, sir.’’
His memory was beginning to turn hazy but he was pretty sure he hadn’t given her an official
welcome yet.
He couldn’t have that. He didn’t want to seem cold to her. It wouldn’t be proper or nice.
He looked at her and smiled.
‘’ Welcome to the Agency,’’ he said,’’ I’m sorry I wasn’t here to welcome you officially…
Something came up and-’’
‘’ I didn’t mind,’’ Kyoka was quick to reassure him.’’ I’m just glad I’m here.’’
Chuuya smiled at the girl, thinking of how proud Kouyou would be if she could see her now.
‘’ And we’re glad you’re here too, kid.’’ he said.
The girl returned the smile only for a second before scolding her expression back to a more serious
one.‘’ Mister Nakahara,’’ she addressed him, ‘’ could I ask you something? ‘’
‘’ Sure,’’ Chuuya kept smiling. ‘’ Go for it.’’
‘’ Alright,’’ She took a big breath before speaking. ‘’ Mister Dazai alluded to him and you having
been in the mafia…and so I was wondering.’’ She paused, considering him for a moment before
continuing with her sentence. ‘’ Are you and mister Dazai the two traitor executives? ‘’ She asked,
her wide eyes searching his face for the answer before he could even give it to her. ‘’ It’s a
personal question but-
‘’ I don’t know what good things you have heard about us, but yes,’’ Chuuya cut her off, ‘’ we are
the Executives turned deserters.’’
‘’ Really? ‘’ Her eyes glistened with something that could resemble hope.
‘’ Well, last time I checked, we were both executives once .’’ He scoffed, ‘’ And we did flee the
Mafia, so yeah.‘’
‘’ Yet you’re still alive.’’ Koyka observed more to herself than aloud, ‘’ so it really can be done.’’
it was a whisper fainter than a breath.
To Chuuya, she seemed like she hadn’t realized what had happened, just yet. Like she hadn’t fully
grasped this new reality of being free and away from it all.
He couldn’t blame her. He hadn’t been able to accept the fact he had run away with Dazai for
months. It would take the girl at least a few weeks before she could
‘’ Would you say you’re living in the light now? ‘’ Kyoka’s questions had this child-like pureness,
yet they were very carefully aimed. ‘’ That things are sunnier for you, brighter than they were in
the Mafia? ‘’

The words Kyoka had used reminded him of the way Kouyou used to speak.
Of the way, her perspective on the world was always being explained by this imagery about it
being dark and light.
He remembered Kouyou telling him time and time again that the realm of light was nothing but a
hoax. He remembered her stating that whoever was affiliated with the Mafia was doomed to be
bound in a world of darkness away from the brightness of the sun.
He remembered her being so angry whenever he dared to speak of hypotheticals concerning his life
if he hadn’t joined the Mafia, or if he had fled the organization.
He figured Kyoka must have been raised the same way.

Chuuya opened his mouth to answer her, but before he could speak, the sound of the door opening
stole their attention, making both their heads turn in that direction.
The main door opened, revealing a very late to the party Dazai, who looked as if he had run more
than a mile to get there.
He had this stupid grin on his face as he was being greeted by Atsushi. This half apologetic smile,
as he told him why he had been late. Probably some joke of an excuse, to make the kid laugh.
Looking at him, Chuuya gave Kyoka her answer.
‘’ Definitely brighter.’’ he said, his eyes still on the man that was now pretending to be blown
away from some kind of imaginary explosion, ‘’ It took me a while, but,’’ He paused to watch
Atsushi as he tried to pull Dazai up and failed, earning a loud laugh from him.
Chuuya smiled at no one in particular.
‘’ I think I have finally found my place in the sun.‘’

Dazai had always prided himself in all the different skills he possessed.
He didn’t like to exaggerate about his various talents, but as Hirotsu had said, he really could do
most anything.

Dazai was incredibly smart.

Some would say intelligent. Terrifyingly so. He could calculate things inside his head in a matter of
seconds. He could find multiple solutions to the most difficult of problems or situations. He
possessed knowledge so broad, regarding so many different subjects, professionals would have
needed to have studied for years to acquire. From strategy to first aid, to astronomy, to literacy. He
was a walking encyclopedia, capable of applying every theory he had ever learned. For example, it
wasn’t that he just knew first aid, no. If needed, Dazai could stitch someone up or even perform
surgery on them, and his work would be no less than that of a professional’s.

Dazai was extremely perceptive.

He could notice things most people couldn’t. He could view things from so many different angles.
He could read people and situations alike as if they were open books. He could figure out what a
person was feeling just by a glance. He could tell what someone was about to say before they had
even opened their mouth, basing it on behavioral patterns and habits he had observed. He could tell
when someone was lying just by the tone or hue of their voice. Sometimes, he could even foretell
the future in a sense, by calculating possibilities and ‘playing’ elimination to see what was most
likely to happen.

Dazai was unbelievably good at manipulating others.

Combining his high intelligence and his perceptiveness he could use his knowledge of a person to
his advantage, always finding the right words to say to them so that the person would do his
bidding. He could dig up someone’s darkest secret and blackmail them using it. He could figure
out what a person wanted most in their life and use the promise of it so they would obey him. He
could cultivate whole relationships for the sole reason of using the other person for his plans and
then completely discarding them when they were no longer needed.
He could lie and have everyone believe he was telling the truth. It was so easy for him to alter
someone’s perception of him or even of the world or themselves.

Dazai was inconceivably dangerous.

He had a noble occupation now, and he was saving and helping people, but that didn’t mean he had
changed to the point where he was no longer dangerous, no. If he wanted, Dazai was perfectly
capable of making one’s life a living nightmare. If he wanted, he could make someone regret ever
having been born. If he wanted, he could make someone kill themselves or fall into madness with
just a few words. But his cruelty didn’t stop at harming individuals. If Dazai so much as wanted. he
could cause wars and destroy whole countries.

Dazai was a master of many things but there was one thing he, as Chuuya had many times put it so
eloquently, sucked at.

‘’ Look, I know that I can be secretive at times, but I promise you-no, no, that won’t work.’’ Dazai
cleared his throat before starting again. ‘’ You know I trust you, Chuuya. The fact I don’t tell you-
no, no, that’s horrible.’’ he continued pacing the length of the hallway, trying to put his thoughts
into order and find the best words he could, to express to Chuuya what he had failed to, the
previous day.
‘’ My plans are cruel and manipulative but you see, that’s not even the worst part.’’ He smiled at
the mirror, before throwing his head back in frustration.

Hirotsu’s words had put him into deep thought yet again, as they often did. Dazai didn’t like it
when that happened.
Hirotsu was one of the very few people to have ever regarded him as a human. As someone that
wasn’t pure evil. Because of that, Dazai always considered his opinion and advice thoroughly.
What made the man so special to Dazai’s eyes was that, unlike all others, Hirotsu didn’t have a
reason to do so. Chuuya had been his partner, Ango and Oda had been his friends, Hirotsu had
been neither of those things, yet he had always gone out of his way to treat Dazai with kindness.
Not only with the respect he commanded.
Dazai often felt like he hadn’t deserved that kindness.

‘’ Okay, okay, ‘’ Dazai whispered to himself, preparing for another imaginary mess of a
conversation. He took a deep breath. ‘’ Chuuya-
‘’ Yes? ‘’
His head snapped to the now open door. ‘’ You’re here.’’ It was more of an observation rather than
a question.
‘’ Uh, yeah? ‘ Chuuya said, side-eyeing him, walking towards the living room. ‘’ I live here? ‘’
‘’ No, I meant here as, right now.’’ Dazai tried to correct himself. ‘’ I thought you wouldn’t be
back until much later.’’’
‘’ Well, the plan was for us to stay there all night, but Yosano was feeling a bit tipsy after her third
glass, and we did have a lot of bags to carry back, so we decided to call it a night earlier,’’ he
explained, sitting down on the couch.
Dazai followed him, moving to the living room as well. His gaze fell on his partner.
‘’ Jeez, calm down, will you?’’ Chuuya deadpanned, seeing his expression. ‘’ Don’t need to be that
excited to see me.’’

He couldn’t deny that he was in a rather awkward situation. He had wanted to talk with Chuuya
about a certain topic that seemed to concern him recently, but now he didn’t know whether his
partner had overheard him practicing what he had wanted to say, or not.

‘’ Come now, you know I’m always eager to spend more time with you~ ‘’ Dazai remarked, sitting
down on the other side of the couch.
‘’ Yeah, yeah, be careful,’’ Chuuya warned, ‘’ we don’t want you getting a heart attack from that
excitement.’’ he rolled his eyes, wanting to spite him.
‘’ Aww, Chuuya doesn't want me to die~’’ Dazai beamed at him,‘’ How sweet.’’
Chuuya groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers as he thought of a clever enough
reply. ‘’ Yeah, you’re right,’’ he agreed, wanting to test a theory of his. ‘’ I don’t want you to die.’’
Dazai’s eyes widened ever so slightly as he realized he was waiting for a continuation that would
never arrive.
Chuuya turned to him, a self-congratulating smirk on his lips.’’ What’s wrong? Cat got your
tongue? ‘’
Dazai could feel his stomach twisting into knots.
Chuuya being smug was something he deeply detested.
‘’ How much did you drink? ‘’ He asked him, wanting to blame his words on the alcohol he had
consumed.
‘’ No more than a small cup.’’ Chuuya kept smirking, ‘’ I’m fully sober.’’
‘’ Then what’s with the sudden decency? ‘’ Dazai inquired, squinting his eyes wearily at him.
‘’ What? I can’t be nice to my friend, now? ‘’
Oh, something was definitely wrong.
‘’ What do you want? ‘’ Dazai kept squinting, his eyes on his figure.
‘’ I don’t know, ‘’ Chuuya said with innocence, ‘’ What did you want to talk to me about? ‘’
That explained it..
‘’ What are you-
‘’ You know I trust you, Chuuya, ‘’ he mocked, ‘’ The fact I don’t-
‘’ Okay, okay, I can explain that.’’ Chuuya arched his eyebrow, not quite believing him.

Dazai could come up with excuses about everything. And he knew that if he could think clearly,
he’d be able to do the same for this situation as well. Unfortunately, most of the time when it came
to Chuuya, his mind couldn’t think with the clarity necessary.

‘’ Practicing what you want to say to me? In Front of the mirror? ‘’ Chuuya scoffed, ‘’ what are
you, a fifteen-year-old boy with a crush? ‘’ It wasn’t often that he found Dazai in an embarrassing
state, so he thought he ought to make the most of it.
‘’ Ha ha, very funny,’’ Dazai wasn’t laughing. Some could argue he was trying not to run to the
balcony and jump over. ‘’ Is this what I get for wanting to become a better friend? For wanting to
talk to you? ‘’
Maybe if he could make Chuuya feel guilty about making fun of him, the embarrassment he felt
could decrease
It seemed to work.
‘’ Okay, I’m being a jerk.’’ Chuuya admitted, ‘’ but come, on, you know you would have done the
same if I had been the one speaking to myself and you had found me.’’ He said with honesty, ‘’ Of
course that wouldn’t happen cause I don’t have schizophrenic tendencies like you but-
Dazai got up, looking at him.
‘’ If you tell me what you wanted to, I promise I’ll stop.’’
Dazai took a few steps towards the hallway that connected the living room with the bedrooms, ‘’
Night chibi.’’
‘’ Oh, you didn’t just-’’ Chuuya threw a cushion at him, ‘’ Sit back down and I’ll stop, how about
that? ‘’ He tried to negotiate.
Dazai glanced at him from where he stood. ‘’ You’re a terrible negotiator, you know that? ‘’
‘’ Well, pray I won’t have to negotiate for your life, then.’’
Dazai sat down on the couch again, ‘’ so harsh.’’ He commented. Chuuya ignored that.
‘’ So? ‘’

If he hadn’t been caught acting so foolishly, he wouldn’t have to participate in this conversation.
Unfortunately, he had been caught acting like an imbecile, so now, he had to pay the price.

‘’ There is more trouble yet to come,’’ He said, opening the Pandora box this conversation was. ‘’
In comparison to him, the Guild is nothing.’’
‘’ Who is him? ‘’ Chuuya asked, confusion painted across his face.

The Demon from the North.

The only man alive able to rival Dazai’s intellect. A terrorist, a mastermind, the one behind the
highjacking of the Moby Dick, after Atsushi and Akutagawa had defeated the Guild’s boss.

He was a man full of ambition to achieve his goal. A selfish and egotistical goal Dazai had taken
upon himself to stop.
From what Dazai had gathered, that man’s motivations were solely based on his own personal
beliefs and desires. What he wanted was to rid the world of ability users
Good and bad.
From people that hurt others with their skills and from those that protected them. He didn’t
differentiate. For him, all abilities were sinful. Which was quite the irony, considering he also had
an ability himself. An ability Dazai was still in the dark about.

He didn’t know much about that monster, but he did know why he was already on the move to
come to their city.
Fitzerald had tried to raze Yokohama to the ground so he could search for that very same item he
would be looking for. Though Fitzerald had a more noble reason for wanting to find it, than him,
they had been both in the wrong to have ever searched for it.
As one of the few people that knew about that artifact, Dazai had made it his job to protect it from
people trying to use it for their own gain.
It wasn’t a job he had ever wanted to have, but he hadn’t had much say in the matter. He hadn’t
had a choice, exactly, no.
He could either protect it, or he could pretend like he didn’t know about it and let the city and the
world by extension burn to ashes.

He liked to think that he was a tad better than whoever would choose the latter.

‘’ He is a monster I have only met once before.’’ Dazai replied, thinking of the one and only
interaction he had ever had with the man.
‘’ Does he have a name? ‘’

He did have a name, of course, he had a name, but if Dazai told Chuuya of him, he would have to
tell him everything.

And the question wasn’t whether he had a name but rather if Dazai was ready to speak it aloud.
If he was ready to give up on his secrets and let someone know him, really know him. The ugliest
parts of his, the parts that terrified even him. The parts he would have to reveal sooner or later,
once he arrived at the scene.

‘’ He’s after the same thing Fitzerald was looking for.’’ Dazai said, ‘’ He is after the Book.’’
 ‘’ The Book? ‘’ Chuuya’s confusion grew bigger the more words Dazai spoke. ‘’ What is the
Book? And why is it so important, and- you didn’t tell me his name.’’

This was it.

There was no backing out of this now.

‘’ The Book is an artifact that can rewrite reality.‘’

His partner's eyes widened, ‘’ It can do what? ‘’ It was all news for him, and probably way too
much than he could handle. Dazai figured he should have gone around the subject before dropping
a bomb like that, but if he hadn’t done it in that way, he doubted he would have done it at all.
‘’ This Book, if it’s so powerful, why does it still exist? ‘’ Chuuya asked his first of many good
questions to follow.
‘’ It can be destroyed neither by ordinary means nor by any ability.’’ Dazai informed him.
‘’ If it can change reality, as you say, why the hell does he want it, and who the fuck is he,
anyway? ’’ Chuuya was becoming impatient. Dazai couldn’t keep avoiding the answer. ‘’ Will you
tell me his name already? ’’

He looked away, giving himself a second to solidify his decision.

Telling him had never been a matter of taking a leap of faith and trusting Chuuya, no. It had
nothing to do with that. Dazai knew he trusted Chuuya more than anyone else. He was the only
person he trusted with his life.
But then again, his life didn’t mean all that much to him.
If he wanted Chuuya and him to have a chance at a future, then he would have to be transparent.
He would have to trust him with something much more valuable to him than his life.
Dazai would have to trust Chuuya with his secrets.

‘’ His name is Fyodor,’’ Dazai revealed, feeling his heart drop. ‘’ Fyodor Dostoevsky.’’

Chapter End Notes

Thank you so much for reading, I really hope you enjoyed itt

The bomb has been dropped. Chuuya is now aware of both the Book's Existence and
of Dostoevsky.
How do you think things will develop from here? Personally, I have no idea.
(Nah, I'm kidding. We're nearing my favorite part of the story, and the one I have been
DYING to write ever since I started this thing. Of course, I know how it will ends.)
 It Was A Simple Plan...So What Went Wrong?
Chapter Summary

From having fun in a Karaoke to an all-out war to a terrible miscalculation.

This chapter has a bit of everything.

It starts with some fun-crack moments and ends with...well, you'll see.

Chapter Notes

I wanted to upload this chapter today because today marks my one year since I
published my first ever fanfiction!!!!!
It's also an important day for another reason that I don't want to get into, but 'other
reason', if you're reading this, (I know you aren't, but still) Happy Birthday.

It has truly been an incredible year writing-wise and I couldn't have been more
thankful for every single one of you that choose to take time out of your day and read
my stories. It really means a lot to me.
I'm also very thankful for my good friend that encouraged me to write about skk and
publish it. (You know who you are, bestie<3)

Anyways, this is the catalyst chapter, so I really do hope you enjoy it<3
(There is a kind of easter egg in a scene, whoever points that out will have earned my
respect. It's kind of tricky but I felt smart for doing it soo)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ What’s the weirdest thing that has ever happened to you? ‘’ Dazai asked, blowing out the candles
sprawled on the table, one by one.
‘’ Dazai, sir, Is that a variation of the ‘A Hundred Tales’ game? ‘’ Atsushi asked, taking his seat on
the couch, between Kyoka and Chuuya.
‘’ Yeah,’’ Chuuya answered him,’’ a variation because Kunikida said we shouldn’t play such a
game during working hours. So when he comes here to lecture us for ignoring him and doing so,
Dazai will be able to say-’’
‘’ We aren’t playing A Hundred Tales, Kunikida. Now, why would you think that? ‘’ Dazai
finished the sentence for him, after blowing the last candle.
‘’ But why would he lecture us? ‘’ The boy asked again. ‘’ Ever since the Guild fight, we hadn’t
had much work, and the few things we did have to do, mister Kunikida has already taken care of. ‘’
‘’ He just likes to ruin fun stuff.’’ Dazai reasoned. ‘’ Just the other day, he made Kenji take down
my noose after I had spent so much time perfecting it.’’ He complained, earning a tired look from
the entire group.
‘’ Right…’’ Atsushi pretended to agree with him so the conversation could move on.
‘’ Uh, this is getting boring.’’ Ranpo groaned, ‘’ Who’s going first? ‘’ he asked, lazily looking
around to see who would volunteer.
After the War with the Guild, the Agency members, all but Kyoka Chuuya and Atsushi, had found
themselves in a state of classic burnout syndrome. This meant that for a week now, all that they did
was sit around at the office or the Cafe downstairs all day, refusing to do anything productive with
the excuse that the war had worn them out.
Kunikida, unlike them, had been completely fired up, doing whatever paperwork he could find,
even if it wasn’t his.

A week had passed since they had won the war, and they were all gathered in the main room,
eating some sushi they had ordered while contemplating what ‘party game’ they should play to
help pass the time. Dazai had insisted they played ‘A Hundred Tales’, a game where basically
everyone shares their most terrifying, chilling experience and blows a candle after. Supposedly,
once everyone has had their turn and all the candles have been blown out, something bad would
happen.
They had all agreed to play it. All but Kunikida who had advised them not to play such a game
while at work. But Dazai had come to the rescue, finding a way around his orders.

‘’ I say we let Poe go first,’’ Chuuya suggested, ‘’ as our guest, it would only be proper.’’
Poe stared at him horrified. Then his eyes moved to Ranpo, pleading him silently to put him out of
his misery.
‘’ That’s a great idea, Nakahara.’’ Ranpo flashed his friend a grin, completely ignoring the fact the
poor man was shaking. ‘’ Poe? ‘’

Edgar Allan Poe and his raccoon Karl had become 'honorary members' of the Agency over this
past week. The man was supposed to be Ranpo’s detective rival or something of that sort, trying to
write a novel that would trap the detective inside of it.
The ADA didn't see their relationship as that of two rivals'. They seemed more like friends in the
making.

Two days after the party, Poe had found his way to the Agency once more, requesting to see
Ranpo. Ranpo had been out in a case, at that time, which was rather unfortunate for Poe because
that meant he would have to wait for him while everyone was trying to be polite and friendly.
He had waited for about two hours. Two long hours in the unwanted company of Akiko Yosano,
Nakahara Chuuya and Osamu Dazai.
When he had finally returned to his home, he may have or may have not seriously
considered staying inside his house for the rest of his life.

‘’ We don’t have all time, Poe.’’ Ranpo urged him, knowing full well they had more than enough
time.
‘’Alright.’’ The man whispered.’’ From what I have gathered, I need to describe a past experience
that I considered to be of a peculiar nature, is that correct? ‘’
‘’ Yeah.’’ Dazai replied.
Poe nodded his head and took a deep breath.

As it would seem, he had made the bold choice to return to the Agency, even despite the 'demons'
that haunted it.

" Darkness had befallen the sky, and I was returning to my residence to reside. The thought of the
murder weapon in one of my stories kept me company as I crossed the street.’’ He paused and
looked around to see if he was doing it right. From their focused and intrigued faces, he figured he
was.
‘’ Out of nowhere, a loud thud was heard, and to my surprise I found myself turning around. A big
red nose and a white face met me. I looked at the man, standing or rather leaping in front of me. He
seemed to be in a tattered clown attire. ‘ Do you shop here often? ‘’ he asked me. But I was inside
no shop. I turned to walk away but he grabbed my hand. ‘ Do you see that dragon over there?’ He
asked, but again, there was no dragon.’ Could you give me some money? ‘ I figured I was being
robbed. So I took out some spare change I had, a few hundred dollars, and I handed it to him. The
man stared at me in awe. I didn’t talk to him and I didn’t stay to hear him. The moment he had
released my hand out of his grip I turned and ran. To this day it remains one of the strangest things
to happen to me.‘’
‘’ So you met a druggie? ‘’ Chuuya observed. ‘’The strangest thing to happen to you is meeting a
drug addict?’’
‘’ He could have been under a few influences, that is to say, yes.’’
‘’ You said he was wearing a clown outfit? ‘’ Dazai asked, shifting Poe’s attention to him.
‘’ Would your estate happen to be located near Seseragi Park? ’’
Poe looked at him horrified. ‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Huh, interesting.’’ Poe shifted uncomfortably, his eyes moving to Ranpo for help.
‘’ Wait, Poe, did that happen three weeks ago? ‘’ Chuuya asked, trying to stifle a laugh.
‘’ Uh, yes…’’ The man grew even more worried. ‘’ How would you-
Dazai and Chuuya burst into uncontrollable laughter, earning a few sharp and confused glances
from all around the table.
‘’ Okay so,’’ Chuuya started, trying to stop himself from laughing some more, ‘’ funny story, but
three weeks ago, Me and Dazai-
‘’ Eyy man,’’ Dazai called with a heavy road accent, tussling his hair so it would be messier than
normal,’’ you got any money? ‘’ he asked, eyeing Poe.
The man looked like he had just seen a ghost.
‘’ You- ‘’ Poe blinked a couple of times, before speaking again. ‘’ You were the homeless clown
addict? ‘’ His voice came out uncertain.
‘’ Chuuya and I made a bet. ‘’ Dazai said as if that would explain everything.
‘’ That- ‘’ he paused, '' That literally tells us nothing, Dazai, sir..’’ Atsushi remarked, confused by
the entire exchange.
‘’ Why would you be dressed up as a clown? ‘’ Kyoka inquired, her head tilted as she tried to read
Dazai’s face for any clue that would give her an answer.
‘’ Well, whoever lost the bet would have to basically impersonate someone and get money
however they could.’’ Dazai elaborated, earning even more confused looks. ‘’ Long story short I
ended up in a clown costume, lurking around the park, trying to find people that seemed to have
money.’’
‘’ Honestly Dazai, sometimes I think it's better if you don’t explain things.’’ Yosano said jokingly.
Atsushi nodded his head. ‘’ I agree with Miss Yosano,’’ he said.
‘’ Ha,’’ Ranpo exclaimed, ‘’ You never fail to entertain me, Dazai.’’
Poe was still staring at him. ‘’ But why-
‘’ Now,‘’ Dazai cut him off rudely, scanning the room with his eyes. ‘’ Atsushi, why don’t you go
next? ‘’
‘’ Me? ‘’ Atsushi pointed at himself. ‘’ Okay. Let me think.’’
‘’ One day, while I was being confined in a storage room as a punishment. I noticed a person
staring at me from behind some selves. At first, I had thought it was some other kid enjoying
seeing me like that. But the more time passed, I started to think that no person could ever fit
behind those selves. So I stood up and walked to them. Nothing and no one was there.’’
‘’ Atsushi, do you see stuff like that often? ‘’ Yosano asked, in the same manner, a doctor would
ask their patient.
‘’ No, it was a one-time thing, that’s why I thought it was strange.’’ Atsushi replied.
‘’ Do you think maybe it was a ghost or a spirit? ‘’ Kyoka asked.
‘’ Why would you say that now? ‘’ Atsushi looked scared at the possibility. Kyoka shrugged her
shoulders. ‘’ Just a thought I had.’’
‘’ Oh, I have a good one.’’ They all turned to Ranpo. ‘’ As the world’s greatest detective I have
seen my fair share of strange things, but I had one encounter, four years ago that still remains an
enigma even to me.’’ He started, and with that, grabbed everyone’s attention.
‘’ It was raining and I was running away after having solved a case. I was holding my umbrella and
so I couldn’t see clearly and bumped into a man. I ended up falling to the ground. At first, I hadn’t
looked at the man and so I lectured him about having the nerve to bump into who would soon be
the World’s greatest detective and having almost ruined his new detective tools. He hadn’t cared.
He had turned away. To prove to him how wrong he was for having dismissed me, I used my
ability on him.’’
To everyone’s surprise, Ranpo’s words trailed off, as if the memory wasn’t that pleasant.
’’ I can’t describe what I saw on his face, but I tried to warn him that should he go where he was
heading to, he would die. The man looked at me with the most empty eyes I’ve ever seen on
anyone and said he knew that.’’ Ranpo paused. ‘’ It was the most uncanny thing I have
experienced. To this day, I still think-
‘’ What did he look like? ‘’ Dazai asked, but not in his joking or normal manner.
Chuuya could tell when he was being serious while also trying to hide it.
This was one such instance.
‘’ The man? ‘’ Ranpo seemed startled by Dazai’s question but didn’t say anything about it.
‘’ He was tall,’’ Ranpo raised his hand about two heads above him to show them the man’s height.
‘’ and he had dark red hair and stubble. ‘’
For a fleeting second, Chuuya saw Dazai’s eyes darken.
After that second had passed Dazai was smiling as if nothing had happened.
He scanned the room to see if anyone else had noticed the slight change in his partner’s demeanor.
No one but Atsushi seemed to be aware of it.
‘’ That’s truly strange indeed,’’ Dazai said, turning to Yosano. ‘’ How about you doctor? ‘’
Atsushi was still looking wearily at Dazai as if concerned about him.
‘’ Something strange, huh? ‘’ Yosano remarked. ‘’ I think I have a good one.’’

Yosano was telling a story about her meeting a patient with a very weird life and a very weird
illness tied to his ability.
Chuuya was watching Dazai.

Chuuya wasn’t stupid.

He had seen Oda before. He knew he had dark red hair and stubble. He also knew that he had died
four years ago.
There was no doubt in his mind that the person Ranpo had seen that day was him. Yes, the
description was a bit too general but Chuuya didn’t believe in coincidences.
He knew neither did Dazai.

‘’ And so, that concludes the story of the-

‘’ What are you doing? ‘’ Kunikida walked over to them, crossing his hands in front of his chest.
He seemed to look at the candles on the table.
‘’ Dazai.’’ He turned to address him. ‘’ Didn’t I tell you not to-
‘’ And I listened. ‘’ He cut him off before he could even make the question.’’ We weren’t playing
‘A Hundred Tales’ we were playing Weird Stories.’’
Kunikida’s eye twitched at his words.
‘’ So you were playing a game.’’ Kunikida pointed out. ‘’ When I said-
‘’ You said not to play a specific game,’’ Dazai corrected him. ‘’ You never clarified-
‘’ Okay.’’ Kunikida didn’t let him finish, because if he had, we couldn’t have guaranteed Dazai
wouldn’t be finished either. ‘’ You can all resume to your game.’’ Dazai flashed him a grin.
‘’ All except you.’’ He glared at the man covered in bandages. ‘’ You have yet to write the Guild
report, Dazai.’’ The blonde man smiled at him, enjoying the moment.
‘’ Alright, alright I’ll write it. ‘’ Dazai said, getting up. ‘’ Hey, Atsushi do you want to learn how
to-
Kunikida slapped the back of his head. ‘’ Atsushi knows how to write reports, you lazy waste of
bandages.’’ He smacked him once more. ‘’ He isn’t new anymore.’’
Dazai scratched the back of his head, his eyes moving to the girl in the room. ‘’ Kyo-
He didn’t even get to finish his sentence

Chuuya watched as Kunikida dragged Dazai away towards his office. Dazai was smacking his
hands on the ground, saying it was unfair.
‘’ God he can be such a kid sometimes.’’ Chuuya mumbled under his breath, quiet enough so that
no one would hear.
‘’ Ey, Nakahara,’’ Yosano called for him. ‘’ Do you have any interesting stories to share? ’’

Dazai stared at the screen in front of him, at the report that was writing itself as his fingers hit the
keyboard. He didn’t have to think about what to write to be able to type it. It was a unique talent of
his, one that allowed him to be ‘productive’ while also drowning in his own thoughts.
At least Kunikida would see that he was writing and he would leave him alone.
He wanted to be alone.

Four years had passed, yet when things reminded him of Odasaku he still got overwhelmed by this
need to be alone.
By this need to be away from everyone.

Ranpo had bumped into Odasaku while he was heading towards Gide.
There was no doubt that was the case.
Ranpo had tried to warn him. Odasaku had told him he knew he would die yet he had still gone.
He had gone knowing he would die.

Dazai had already known that in his heart, but something about having confirmation made him
unable to think of anything else than his friend lying down inside that building. His body colder
than the ground beneath him.
He tried to make his brain not think of it but that had never worked.
His hand reached for the pendant around his neck.
Odasaku had once given it to him as a Christmas present.

It was years ago, but he still remembered the day as if it was yesterday. He and Odasaku had been
sitting at Lupin, talking about the holidays approaching while also wrapping up various items in
colorful papers. Dazai had volunteered to help him with the kids' presents, saying he didn’t have
anything better to do. It had been a lie. As an Executive Dazai always had something he should be
doing, the holidays weren’t different. Still, he made enough time to be able to meet Odasaku at the
bar.
As he always did, he complained in a joking manner to Odasaku for not getting him a present as
well, backing it up with the fact that the man had often referred to him as one of the kids he was
taking care of. Oda had told him that that was simply just a joke. Dazai wasn’t one of his kids, and
therefore he wouldn’t be getting a present.
Dazai had accepted that, complaining some more before stopping to start a more fruitful
discussion.
At the end of the night, Odasaku had handed him one of the items he had helped wrap. Alongside
it was a small card that said ‘’ Merry Christmas.’’

Dazai had kept that pendant ever since, though it wasn’t until Oda died, that he had started to wear
it.

‘’ You finished it already? ‘’ Kunikida hovered over his shoulder, looking at the screen in front of
him.
Dazai let go of the pendant, turning to him.
‘’ What can I say? ‘’ he mused, ‘’I can be quite the workaholic if need to be.’’ He smiled.
‘’ You? A workaholic? ’’ Kunikida scoffed, ‘’ Yeah, right.’’ He took a closer look at the writing
on the screen. ‘’ It looks solid.’’ He concluded before leaving Dazai to his own devices.
Dazai skimmed through the report to make sure it was readable. Then, he attached a small
harmless virus to the file and pressed send. He figured Kunikida would appreciate the little
surprise.

He closed the tabs, stood up, and walked towards the exit, passing the main room on his way there.
He looked at all his co-workers as they were listening to a story Chuuya was telling. It was a nice
sight. Chuuya laughing with them, while also getting teased by Yosano. He felt nice watching
them.
Nice?
Why would he feel nice about that?
Those pointless thoughts returned to his head.
Once again, he tried to ignore them by getting out and climbing up the stairs to the roof.

He looked at the clouds as they embraced the skies and at the sun as it vanished behind tall
buildings, casting its golden light. He looked at the city before him and wondered if he would be
able to save it.
If in a year's time, he could see that unfailing sunset again.

‘’ Dazai, sir, are you good? ‘’ Dazai turned around to find Atsushi staring at him.
‘’ Why wouldn’t I be? ‘’ he challenged the boy with an easy smile, walking towards him.
Atsushi seemed to be considering his words carefully. ‘’ You didn’t join us after you were done
with the paperwork and so I figured-
‘’ Oh, that? ‘’ Dazai opened the door, ‘’ I simply needed to get some fresh air,’’ he said.
‘’ Paperwork makes me light-headed.’’
‘’ Oh,’’ Atsushi stepped through the doorframe, ‘’ I didn't know that, I'm sorry.‘’
‘’ It’s quite alright Atsushi,’’ Dazai chuckled, ‘’ now, let's get back to the others, shall we? ‘’

‘’ Karaoke…? ‘’ Atsushi echoed, having overheard Yosano say the word aloud just as he was
entering the main room with Dazai.
‘’ Oh, I didn’t see you there, Atsushi ’’ The doctor turned to them, ‘’ Dazai,’’ she added with a
smile. ‘’ Well, Ranpo and I were just proposing an outing. Since we have no work, for the time
being, we were thinking of going to a karaoke bar that opened nearby. ’’
‘’ Yeah,’’ Ranpo chimed in, ‘’ you guys want to join us? ’’
Dazai took the seat next to Ranpo while Atsushi took the seat in between Kyoka and Chuuya. ‘’
Sure, why not.’’ the boy said, watching Kyoka nod her head with certainty, signaling for him to
accept the invitation.
Ranpo turned to the man now sitting beside him.’’ Dazai? ‘’

Dazai didn’t want to go to a karaoke bar. He wanted to go home and drink until he passed out.

‘’ Sounds fun,’’ He said, forcing a smile.‘’ I'm in.’’

They hadn't hung out like that in a long while.

Lots of things had happened since Atsushi had joined the Agency, and so they hadn't had much
opportunity to meet up and go out as a group. So when Yosano had suggested they went out,
everybody had been quick to accept and take her up on that offer.
Well, Poe had been a little hesitant at first, but after Ranpo had told him he should come with them,
he too had agreed.

The group was a little bigger than last time, but that was only normal. The Agency had increased in
size, therefore it was only natural that their group would as well.

‘’ Should we do Duets or Solos? ‘’ Kunikida asked, stepping inside the booth and walking towards
the machine. They all followed his lead, walking inside the booth, before sitting down on the
couch shaped like a crescent.
Yosano, Chuuya, Dazai, and Atsushi all said ‘Duets’ at the same time. Kyoka and Ranpo said they
preferred solos. Poe stayed silent, choosing not to voice his own opinion.

‘’ Majority wants duets,’’ Kunikida observed, ‘’ So duets it is.’’ He said. turning to the console so
he could make the adjustments necessary.
‘’ Now, does anyone have any idea on how to split the teams? ‘’
‘’ I do.’’ Ranpo proclaimed loudly, ‘’ We’ll write all our names on pieces of paper. We’ll fold
them, and then someone will pick out two at a time.’’
‘’ So a draw.’’ Yosano concluded.
Ranpo let out a sigh. ‘’ Yes. A draw.’’ He liked the way he had described it better.

They each wrote their name down on small pieces of paper, before folding them and mixing them
up. Kunikida had been the one elected for the job of picking up the papers. Two names at the time.
‘’ Okay, so the first name is…’’ He grabbed one of the papers and unfolded it. ‘’ Yosano.’’ The
woman crossed her arms, waiting to see who her partner would be.
‘’ And the one competing with her is…’’ He paused to read the paper. ‘’ Me.’’ Yosano gave
Kunikida a smile. ‘’ Oh, this will be fun.’’
‘’ Alright, for our next duo,’’ Kunikida picked both papers at the same time. ‘’ Ranpo and Dazai.’’
He looked at the two of them.
Ranpo and Dazai exchanged a knowing look and a nod.
‘’ Next up. we have,’’ Kunikida reached for the paper furthest from the others. ‘’ Kyoka and…’’
He reached for the one at the center.’’ Atsushi.’’
‘’ Kyoka, you hear that? ‘’ Atsushi turned to the girl with a smile on his face, ‘’ We’re a team.’’
She nodded with excitement.
‘’ And so the last duo of the night, is Nakahara and Poe.’’
Chuuya grinned at the man. Poe shivered.
He tried his best to acknowledge his partner with a slight nod of his head.

‘’ Dazai.’’ Ranpo spoke his name as an invitation, getting up from the couch and walking towards
the microphone stands.
‘’ Ranpo.’’ Dazai spoke his name in an accepting manner, following him to the stand.

After learning that he had encountered Odasaku that fateful day, he couldn’t but imagine that scene
in his head every time he looked at the detective. Ranpo was the last person he wanted to be
looking at right now.
The last person he wanted to be near.

‘’ Oi, Kunikida,’’ Ranpo called, ‘’ Play us collection 16, track 5.39, will ya? ’’
‘’ Not track 19.37? ‘’ Dazai asked, looking at Ranpo, thinking it would have been a better choice.
Ranpo shook his head. ‘’ Nah, I don’t think that would work.’’
Dazai accepted his defeat, picking up one of the microphones.

The track was a very fast-paced, energetic song, with lyrics that flowed like a river.
They were too many and they were coming up too fast.
It was exactly the kind of challenge only Dazai and Ranpo could have successfully undertaken.

When the song was over, they were both pretty out of breath, even if they acted completely
unaffected. The audience cheered loudly for them.
It was to be expected, of course. Their voices complemented each other quite nicely and the song
did fit their speaking speed perfectly.

‘’ I didn’t know you could sing, mister Dazai.’’ Atsushi commented as Dazai sat down next to him
and Chuuya.
‘’ It’s one of my many talents.’’ Dazai flashed him a smile. Chuuya scoffed but made no comment.
It was true. Dazai could hold a tune.

‘’ Alright, ‘’ Kunikida seemed to enjoy being the presenter more than they had thought he would.
‘’ Up next, give it up for our newest recruits…Atsushi and Kyoka.’’
They all clapped as the kids moved to the stand.
They seemed to be discussing what song to pick in low whispers.
‘’ Okay okay,’’ They heard Atsushi assure her as he turned to Kunikda. ‘’ Collection 17, track
9.09. ‘’
Kyoka whispered something to him. ‘’ 9.13, sorry.’’ He corrected himself.
Kunikida nodded at him, as he set up their song.

The song they had chosen was a slower one in comparison to that of Ranpo and Dazai’s. One with
sadder and more melancholic lyrics. It was an amazing song, and they both did their best to do it
justice, even though Atsushi was pitchy for the most of it, and Kyoka’s voice was way too low.

They got a big round of applause in the end from everyone. Dazai was even pretending to be
crying, telling them that they got him all emotional and stuff. Chuuya couldn’t help but roll his
eyes at his words.

Kunikda’s eyes fell to Chuuya and Poe. ‘’ You want to go out now, or should we leave you for the
end? ‘’ he asked them, seeing Poe struggling with…pretty much just existing there.
‘’ We’ll go last.’’ Chuuya spoke for both of them.
At that moment, Poe thought that maybe Chuuya wasn’t as bad as he had made him out to be.
‘’ Alright then.’’ Kunikida turned to the woman seated near Kyoka and Atsushi. ‘’ Miss Yosano?
‘’ He called, inviting her to the stage.

The song they chose to sing had a very catchy and danceable rhythm. Though the lyrics weren’t all
that special, they had sounded amazing. Yosano’s voice could have made even the most stupid of
lyrics sound profound. Her voice was the perfect balance of soft but controlling, and it blended
nicely with Kunikida’s heavier and more commanding one.

After the loudest applause, Kunikida called for Chuuya and Poe to come to the stand. Chuuya went
first, and soon enough, Poe followed him.
Maybe taking him out to such an event was indeed too much.
Once Poe had taken his microphone in hand, Chuuya turned to Kunikida, who was patiently
waiting next to the console.

‘’ Collection 35, track 10.30. ‘’ He announced, taking the second microphone.

Poe looked at him with confusion. The song wasn’t something he thought would cater to Chuuya's
interests.

It was a very slow song with a very dark theme. The lyrics of which were formed in such a way that
they resembled a poem. A poem that told a story through its words.
It was the kind of song Poe would probably listen to as he wrote his novels. Poe was surprised
Chuuya had chosen something that made singing so comfortable for him, but not for himself.
He seemed to really be struggling at the slowness with which the lyrics were spoken.

‘’ I didn’t know Chuuya listened to that kind of music.’’ Dazai remarked in a whisper, as soon as
Chuuya had sat beside him.
‘’ I don’t.’’
Dazai smiled, ‘’ I know.’’
From the corner of his eye, he could see Poe returning to his own seat. Ranpo whispered
something to him.

‘’ Well, ‘’ Kunikida started, ‘’ This concludes the first round of-

Before he could finish his sentence, the door opened and two figures stepped through it and into
the booth. A young man and a young woman.
‘’ not for a missi-
Her words were cut abruptly as she took the sight in. The group exchanged curious glances with
them.
‘’ Gin? ‘’ Dazai looked surprised to see the girl there. Out of her mafia attire but in the company of
a fellow member.
‘’ Dazai, sir? ‘’ She looked as confused as him, if not more. ‘’ What-What is the Agency doing
here? ‘’ She asked in a low voice, her eyes flying from Dazai to Chuuya to Kunikida and the rest.
Kunikida stood up, ‘’ What is the Port Mafia doing here? ‘’ He countered, looking at her and then
at the orange headed boy that stood next to her.
‘’ We have the day off,’’ Tachihara said, ‘’ So we figured we’d go out to karaoke.‘’ He looked as
confused as the rest of them. ‘’ How about you? ‘’
‘’ Kind of the same.’’ Dazai spoke for the Agency.
‘’ Well then, since neither of us is here for a fight,’’ The boy continued, ‘’ I suppose we can forget
this exchange and resume our respective activities? ‘’
Kunikida nodded his head.‘’ I suppose we could.’’
‘’ Great.’’ Tachihara looked as if he wanted to disappear from the face of the Earth but did a great
job hiding it. ‘’ Have fun,’’ He said, turning away.’’ or not? ’’
What do you even say in a situation like that?
‘’ You kids have fun as well~’’
Gin nodded her head respectively at Dazai before exiting and closing the door behind her.

‘’ Hirotsu did say they couldn’t get along.’’ Chuuya whispered to Dazai, as the rest of their group
commented on how weird that whole encounter was.
‘’ Didn’t seem like that to me.’’ Dazai stated.
‘’ I mean, we weren’t any better.’’ Chuuya joked, remembering how they used to actively hate
each other while also going out of their way to meet up at karaoke bars and arcades.
Dazai let out a chuckle, ‘’ We really weren’t. ‘’ he agreed with him, the same memories in his
head.

‘’ Anyone else thirsty? ‘’ Yosano asked, looking at the drinks menu on the table.’’ Cause I was
thinking of ordering a few drinks.’’
‘’ I am.’’ Chuuya said,
‘’ Same over here,’’ Dazai continued.
‘’ I’d like a drink as well.’’ Kunikida expressed.
‘’ Okay, okay, I’m going to order us some drinks and snacks then.’’ Yosano announced, getting up
from her seat. ‘’ Anyone wants to come along? ‘’
‘’ I will.’’ Dazai stood up and took the lead.
…

Yosano and Dazai came back with two bottles of wine, one bottle of Vodka, and two cartons of
fruit juice for Ranpo, Atsushi, and Kyoka. They also brought back three bowls with various snacks
such as potato chips and crackers of different flavors, for them to munch on during the second
round of their Karaoke experience.

The second round had been a combination of solos and duets, with them deciding what and with
whom they would perform.
The whole round had been incredibly chaotic, with Chuuya and Yosano dominating the stage,
having been a part of three different pairs each.

Undoubtedly, the crown for the best performance went to Dazai and Chuuya, whose duet was so
well balanced that it reached perfection.
The second best duet would have to go to Ranpo and Yosano. If it hadn’t been for Dazai and
Chuuya’s captivating performance, then the crown would have definitely been theirs.
The song she and Ranpo had chosen to play was from the 22nd collection, and it was no other than
track 9.42. A beautifully haunting song, with meaningful lyrics that spoke of acceptance and
familial love. Their voices had blended amazingly well together, and the song had fitted them
perfectly.
Unfortunately, no one could have ever competed with Dazai and Chuuya and the song they had
chosen.
Collection 21. Track 21.24.

‘’ Okay, if no one else is gonna say it, I’m going to.’’ Kunikida looked at the two of them as they
returned back to the couch. ‘’ That was amazing.’’ He said. his eyes still wide.
‘’ I didn’t know you could both sing so well.’’ Yosano remarked with a smile, ‘’ that was truly
incredible.’’

Dazai and Chuuya’s performance had been perfect. From the way, Dazai sang the lowest parts of
the song with his soft but polished voice, to the way Chuuya sang the hardest parts, with his
rougher end more powerful one. They had made the song feel like a conversation between them.
There was not a single moment in their entire performance where the voices hadn’t balanced each
other.

‘’ I say we revoke Chuuya and Dazai’s right of attending karaoke nights.’’ Ranpo half-joked.
Yosano nodded, ‘’ I agree.’’ She laughed. ‘’ It’s not fair for the rest of us.’’
‘’ We could just not allow them to team up again.’’ Kunikida proposed,’’ They could still come
with us, but not perform together.’’
‘’ Hm,’’ Yosano turned to Atsushi and Kyoka. ‘’ What do you guys think? ‘’
The boy looked like he had been pushed into the spotlight. Kyoka remained silent beside him. ‘’
It’s my first ever time 'karaoking' with the Agency, or in general, and I don’t want it to be my last
with Mister Dazai and Mister Chuuya. So I say we allow them to come next time as well.’’ he
smiled.
‘’ Aw Atsushi, ‘’ Yosano laughed at his response. ‘’ We’ll definitely invite them, the question is if
they should be allowed to duet again.’’
‘’ Oh,’’ Atsushi looked at Dazai and Chuuya. ‘’ Absolutely not.’’
Dazai gasped, Atsushi’s betrayal hitting him too hard.
‘’ Yosano reached her hand and ruffled his hair. ‘’ I’m glad we agree, Atsushi.’’
‘’ I say that’s unfair.’’ Chuuya finally spoke.
‘’ For us, yes.’’ Ranpo continued his sentence so as to push his own opinion.
‘’ Give up Chuuya, we’re just too good for them.’’ Dazai grinned smugly.
‘’ Yeah, you’re right.’’ Chuuya agreed. ‘’ If we weren’t, we wouldn’t have won’’ he reminded
everyone.
‘’ I say we never invite them out again.’’ Ranpo said.
‘’ Agree.’’
‘’ Agree.’’
‘’ Agree.’’
The only two people that hadn’t agreed with Ranpo’s proposal had been Poe and Kyoka.
But both Kyoka and Poe hadn’t been so keen to talk the entire night, so nobody urged them to share
their opinion on the matter.

‘’ Well, be careful,’’ Kunikida advised Atsushi and Kyoka, who had just told them they would be
leaving alone. ‘’ There is still a serial killer on the loose, and they pray on skill users, so I’ll need
you to contact me as soon as you enter your apartment.’’
‘’ So dramatic,’’ Dazai remarked, earning a sharp glance from the man.
‘’ He’s just being cautious.’’ Atsushi reasoned with Dazai, turning to Kunikida.’’ Understood, sir.’’

They had one more round before calling it a night and leaving.
Yosano had been ready to suggest they pull an all-nighter because she had been enjoying the
outing so much, but then she had been reminded they still had to go to work the very next day, so
she decided against that idea.

It had been a very fun night and Chuuya had been in a great mood for its entirety.

Entering the apartment he couldn’t help but feel like his good spirits wouldn’t be lasting for much
longer.

‘’ He’s free.’’ Dazai said, moving to the kitchen for another drink.
‘’ Who’s free? ‘’
‘’ Dostoevsky.’’
And there goes his good mood.
Chuuya threw his head back, hitting the wall. ‘’ Way to be a buzzkill, you jackass.’’ he mused,
trying to make the news appear lighter than they were.
‘’ Well, you are the one who wanted to be aware of my plans, so I thought I would update you.’’
‘’ Wait, escaped from where? ’’
‘’ The Port Mafia underground cells.’’ Dazai answered. ‘’ I got some information today.’’
Chuuya stared at him, his eyebrows furrowed. ‘’ So he’s already here. In Yokohama.’’
‘’ It would seem so.’’

Dazai had hoped that they would have more time to prepare for him, but Fyodor had arrived in the
city earlier than he had anticipated. Which was rather unfortunate, but not disastrous.
It wasn’t something he couldn’t handle.

‘’ When did that happen? ‘’ Chuuya asked, trying to understand what they would soon be dealing
with as best as he could.
‘’ A couple days ago, according to Gin.’’
‘’ Gin? ‘’
‘’ I had her be my informant. I knew Ace would go after him, and I knew the Port Mafia would get
a hold of him sooner or later, so I asked her to be my informant.’’
‘’ Why not her brother? ‘’
Dazai didn’t answer that.
‘’ You said a couple of days prior, correct?’’ Chuuya looked at him.’’ Do you think the
disappearances-
‘’ Yes.’’ Dazai answered, cutting him.’’ It’s him. I’m certain of that,’’
‘’ Their killings do align with his end-goal.’’ Chuuya observed.’’ So when do you think he’ll
strike? ’’ he questioned.
‘’ Soon.’’ Dazai calculated the possibilities inside his head, trying to figure out the exact day and
time. ‘’ Very soon.’’ He corrected himself.
‘’ Like in a week, a month-
‘’ Tomorrow.’’

Dazai had never thought that speaking to someone of his worries would feel that great.
But there he was, learning something and immediately sharing it with Chuuya, sharing with him
his plans, and his thoughts and his concerns and-
It felt good.
Hirotsu had been right once more. Dazai did feel lighter.
Even though Fyodor was lurking right around the corner.

‘’ Tomorrow? ‘’ Chuuya’s eyes widened.’’ As in a few hours? ‘’

‘’ Yes, as in a few hours.’’
‘’ That's great to know.’’ his voice sounded tired.
Dazai looked at the ground. ‘’ Sorry.’’ he said, ‘’ I shouldn’t have-
‘’ No, no.’’ Chuuya interrupted him immediately. ‘’ It’s great that you told me.’’ He lied. ‘’ Even
if it’s a bad thing. ‘’ At least you did.
‘’ But now all that I’ve done is ruin the entire night for you by-
‘’ No.’’ Chuuya repeated the word, ‘’ Yeah, the timing is unfortunate, but wars don’t ask for
permission before they begin.’’ he stated, ‘’ so don’t think about it too much. Try and get some
sleep. If things escalate the way you think they will, we have a big day coming.’’
‘’ Chuuya-
‘’ I’m going to bed. I’m not hearing anything else.’’ he turned away, ‘’ You should too.’’

Dazai felt lighter, sure, but he would bet good money Chuuya felt beyond anxious. Unlike him,
Chuuya wasn’t used to having so much knowledge about what was about to transpire.
Dazai knew his shoulders could bear the weight, but that didn’t mean they were used to it yet.

‘’ Good night~ ‘’ He called to him.

‘’ Night.’’

What would his past self think of him if he could see him now?
He’d be so disgusted by his honesty and transparency that he would find a way to successfully
commit suicide just so that he could prevent himself from changing like that.
Changing.
Huh. He guessed he did have changed.
Not tremendously to the point of no recognition, but he definitely had changed in more ways than
one.

He blamed Chuuya for that.

…
‘’ IS IT TRUE THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS ATTACKED? ‘’ Atsushi asked, bursting through the
door of the Agency.
‘’ It is,’’ Kunikida replied, giving confirmation to the boy, ‘’ He is alive but unconscious, struck by
an unknown illness.’’ he continued, ‘’ Not even Doctor Yosano can heal him.’’

Atsushi’s eyes flew to Dazai sitting a few meters away. He was a man that always had a plan.
Maybe he knew something they didn’t.
Dazai seemed to understand Atsushi’s curious expression.

‘’ I’ve been poking around, and so I think I know a few things about the assassinations.’’ He said,
hopping on in the conversation.
‘’ What do we know about the killer? ‘’ Kunikida turned his attention to him.
‘’ I see. He uses a skill of unknown nature, and he also wears a mask.’’
‘’ So, we’re dealing with a masked assassin then.’’ The blond man looked at the papers in his
hands, comparing Dazai’s information with the clues he had gathered on his own about the
attacker.
‘’ No, I don’t think we’ll have to deal with him,’’ Dazai commented, sitting cross-legged on top of
one of the drawers. ‘’ I think we’ll find him dead way before we try and prosecute him.’’ He
paused, ‘’ Think about it, the killer is targeting ability users. Which group do you think will be the
one most affected by his actions? ‘’
‘’ The Special Division? ‘’ Atsushi guessed.
‘’ Wrong side.’’ Dazai flashed the boy another grin, ‘’ It’s the Port Mafia. The killings are
executed during the Night-time, and without the authorization of the ‘night wardens’. Having such
a killer on the loose…It’s beyond humiliating for a family of skill users like the mafia. It’s like
holding a knife to their throats.’’
Atsushi looked at him, ‘’ So if the killer was to kill someone from the Mafia-
‘’ The Mafia would lose its status quo, I presume? They would lose their authority.’’ Kunikida
concluded.
‘’ Precisely.’’
‘’ But will they move before him? ‘’
‘’ They will.’’ There was no doubt in Dazai’s mind about that. ‘’ As Mister Mori always said, he
who strikes first, wins.’’
‘’ But can they do it? ‘’ Atsushi asked naively. ‘’ If they don’t know anything about the killer and-
‘’ Atsushi,’’ Dazai stopped him, ‘’ You’ve fought with the Mafia more than enough times.’’ He
reminded him. ‘’ What do you think? ‘’
Atsushi took a moment to ponder over his answer. ‘’ They can.’’

Dazai jumped off the drawer and moved toward his desk. Once he was practically hovering over it,
he turned around to head to Chuuya’s.

‘’ What do you want? ‘’ Chuuya asked, his eyes remaining on the paper in his hands.
‘’ Why would I want something? ‘’ Dazai countered, leaning on his desk, ‘’ I just came here to say
a simple hello to my co-worker. Is that so bad? ‘’
Chuuya let out a sigh without taking his eyes away from the words on the paper. ‘’ Well, it’s a bad
time.’’ He said, showing him the paper. ‘’ If you haven’t noticed, the President is down. Which
means we have way more work than usual.’’
Dazai tilted his head considering him. ‘’ But all work falls under Kunikida, not the rest of us.’’
Chuuya brought the papers down so he could face him. ‘’ I know it will come as a shocker to you,
but there is this thing called helping your friends voluntarily.’’ He picked the papers up again. ‘’
So if you don’t have anything important to say-
‘’ I won’t be returning to the apartment tonight.’’ Dazai’s voice seemed to be more serious than
before.
‘’ Why? ‘’ And so did Chuuya’s.
Should it have been any other day, Chuuya wouldn’t have asked that. But it wasn’t any other day.
It was the day their President had been attacked. And his attacker was still on the loose.
It didn’t take a genius to guess where Dazai would be heading towards. Still, it was only mid-day.
The night was hours away.

‘’ If all goes according to my predictions, I’ll most definitely be at the hospital.’’ Dazai gave him a
smile, ‘’ So if I don’t answer any calls, I’ll probably be bleeding on an alley somewhere.’’
‘’ You’ll be doing what now? ‘’
‘’ I told you Dostoevsky was the one behind the killer, didn’t I? ’’
‘’ Yeah, you’ve said that, but I fail to see-’’ He understood then. ‘’ Wait.’’ He stood up to get
closer to him before whispering. ‘’You’re going to meet him, aren’t you? ‘’
Dazai only nodded his head.
‘’ I can come with you and hide, or-
‘’ No.’’ Dazai wouldn’t be negotiating that. ‘’ He won’t be expecting me. I can make myself not be
heard, but If you or anyone else is around, trust me, he will know.’’
‘’ Okay then, what’s the plan? ‘’ Chuuya asked, ‘’ You have to have thought of something, so out
with it.’’
Dazai flashed him another smile. ‘’ In the third drawer of my desk, there is a note. On that note,
there is an address written. That’s the alley you and Kunikida are going to find me semi-dying in.
Make it look natural.’’ He winked.
‘’ How will I know when to be there? ’’
‘’ I’ve made it so that a message is sent to you the moment I press the volume key on my phone.
I’ll press it when I see fit.’’
‘’ Okay.’’ Chuuya nodded because he couldn’t do much else. Once Dazai is set on doing
something there is stopping or reasoning with him.
‘’ Good luck then.’’
‘’ See ya later.’’ Dazai saluted him, before walking away.

‘’ DAZAI, WHERE ARE YOU? ‘’ Kunikida and Chuuya kept yelling, calling his name, trying to
find him by searching between alleyways and buildings.
‘’ DAZAI? ‘’
‘’ OH FUCK- ’’

When Dazai had told Chuuya they would find him bleeding, he hadn’t thought of it much. Maybe a
stab wound or some broken bones because of a fight. That was the usual for his partner.
Even if he did get injured or shot at, the bullet always managed to simply graze his skin.
He was extremely good at blocking, deflecting, and avoiding attacks that even bullets had a
difficult time reaching him, which meant only one thing.
Dazai had intended to be shot.

‘’ Oi, Dazai,’’ Kunikida called, approaching him. ‘’ Dazai? ‘’

Chuuya knelt down so he could observe the wound better. The pool of blood beneath them told
him that it was serious.
‘’ You still up? ‘’ He asked, raising Dazai’s head, so he could look at him.
‘’ Yeah, I just, lost consciousness for a second there,’’ Dazai said, grabbing his stomach.
‘’ I’m gonna be fine, Kunikida,’’ he smiled, clenching his teeth, blood leaking from his mouth, ‘’
It’s just a scratch.’’
Though Chuuya looked as worried, Dazai knew his partner understood he was gonna be fine. He
used to pull stuff like that all the time back in the Mafia.
Kunikida wasn’t as familiar with his more ‘risky’ tactics. So he figured it was natural he would try
and reassure him, first.

Chuuya hoisted him up, wrapping one of his hands around his shoulders, ‘’ Will you be able to
walk up to the car? ‘’
‘’ Of course, I will,’’ Dazai brushed him off, ‘’ won’t be a-’’

Before he could finish his sentence, Dazai had collapsed, his weight almost driving Chuuya to the
ground.

‘’ You said he was here gathering information, right? ‘’ Kunikida asked, as they were descending
the stairs of the hospital, ‘’ About the President’s attacker? But he isn’t awake yet, he isn’t
conscious, so how are we-
‘’ Here,’’ Chuuya opened his phone and showed it to him. ‘’ It’s a recording that was sent to me
seconds before we found him. It looks like he had thought of that already.’’
‘’ That’s some quick, smart thinking. ‘’
‘’ Or…he already knew he was gonna get shot.’’
‘’ Hm, the second one does sound more like him.’’ Kunikida looked at the minutes-long
recording.’’ Dazai wouldn’t go somewhere if he didn’t know in what condition he would be
walking out of there.’’
‘’ That’s true.’’ Chuuya agreed. ‘’ Dazai doesn't go to a place without at least ten plans in his
head.’’ He said. ‘’ If he ever did…I don’t even want to imagine what kind of situation that would
be.’’

‘’ The nurse said he needs surgery.’’ Kunikida waited for them to reach the entrance door of the
hospital, before shifting the subject, ‘’ So, Nakahara, will you be staying here, or are you coming
back to the Agency? ‘’

Chuuya would have preferred to stay and look after him. Stay the night in that clean, white hallway
and wait for the nurse to come up to him and tell him the bullet hadn’t pierced anything vital. Tell
him that Dazai would be just fine.
He would have preferred to be the first to walk inside that room and see him after he had regained
his consciousness. Maybe get him something as a ‘get well soon’ present?
It wasn’t often that Dazai got to be in a real hospital, so why not have the full experience? Balloons
and cards and all that stupid stuff.
Back in the Mafia, the only doctor Dazai had ever been to was Mori, and from what little Chuuya
had managed to get out of him, not a single visit had been a good memory.

He would have really liked staying there but unfortunately, he knew neither he nor the Agency
could afford that.
He’d heard only the first few seconds of the recording while Kuikida had been signing the Hospital
papers. And as if Dazai had known he would do that, he had made sure the first few seconds had
been the most important.

‘’ The Mafia is going to attack us soon,’’ he said to the blond man accompanying him, ‘’ I’m
coming with you.’’

So you used that assassin to try to decapitate the two groups.

Why do you think that?

Those had been the first two sentences he had heard in that recording. The first one had clearly
been spoken by Dazai. So the second one had to be Fyodor.
From what he understood, Dazai had questioned Fyodor for his tactic, which was basically pitting
the two organizations against each other. In free translation, Mori had also been affected by the
unknown illness, and so the Mafia would soon be attacking them.
It was a sound, and most frightening, a familiar plan to him.
Dazai had been right in the recording.
Making his two enemies destroy each other so he wouldn’t have to…That plan of Fyodor's…It
really was exactly what Dazai would have done.

‘’ Understood,’’ Kunikida opened the door of the car and got in. Chuuya sat next to him on the
passenger’s seat. He took out his phone, his fingers already searching for his and Dazai’s chat.
‘’ Play it,’’ Kunikida turned to him, putting the key into the ignition and starting the car.’’ I want to
see what kind of information he managed to get.’’

A week.
That was how long they could go without getting involved in an all-out war. A single week.

They had been complaining about having nothing to do, well, with the Port Mafia on their front
door, that surely wasn’t the case anymore.
When it came down to protecting their Boss, there was absolutely nothing stopping the Mafia from
going all out. Nothing stopping them from showing up outside the ADA’s office and surrounding
them, cornering them like rats inside their own building.
Nothing stopping them from striking first, and striking hard.

The events that followed happened all so quickly. Chuuya tried his best to help in whatever way he
could, by fighting off members of the Mafia, feeding the Agency inside information about them,
and trying his best to make sure they remained untouched, while also not hurting their enemies.
Though his loyalties lied with ADA, he couldn’t harm the Port Mafia. At least not lethally.
More than a good third of those men down there had once been his subordinates. Had once been
his entourage. He couldn’t harm them. Not when he had once sworn to protect them.

Then there was Kouyou and Hirotsu and Akutagawa and all the people he knew personally.
How could he ever kill or severely hurt any of them?
The Port Mafia had once been his home.
And even if he had a new home now, even if he was a detective, he couldn’t destroy his old one.
He couldn’t destroy the people that had once been his family.

If Chuuya had as much as wanted, he could have ended them all easily. He could have ended that
war in seconds.
The thing was, Chuuya didn’t want to do that.
He didn’t want either of them to lose people. He didn’t want either of them to lose their respective
Boss.

As much as it made him want to vomit, he was surprised when he realized he didn't want Mori to
die.
Neither Fukuzawa, of course.
Fukuzawa had been nothing but good to him and Dazai. He would have never wanted anything bad
to happen to that man.
As for Mori, his opinions varied. Still, he didn’t want him to die.
Not because he would be sad or anything like that but simply because no one could replace him as
the Leader of the Mafia. Without him, Chuuya was sure the Mafia would return to their old ways
when Mori had simply been their doctor and their past Boss had only ever known how to wreak
havoc in the city.
Chuuya didn’t want the Mafia to fall back into those days. If that meant he had to keep Mori alive,
then so be it.

Kunikida hadn’t been as composed as he had expected him to be. At least not until Ranpo had
knocked some sense into him. After Ranpo had lectured him, Kunikida had acted exactly like what
Chuuya had envisioned.
Dazai had been right when he had told him that one day Kunikida would make for a great leader.
His ability to make sound plans and distribute fitting roles to each and every member of his team
had to be his greatest leader-like quality.

His plan had been really simple and straightforward. He had made good use of Tanizaki’s light
snow, making it seem as if all the members had been guarding one specific spot so they could
draw the Mafia there, while they would be escaping the building with their Boss away, sending
him off to Montgomery’s ability space, where no one would find him.
Chuuya had been left behind with Tanizaki as a backup for him.
The Mafia would surely get a hold of the boy, so Chuuya was hiding there, observing the situation
and making sure that Tanizaki wouldn’t end up being tortured or dead.

The Mafia had decided to move Tanizaki to their Headquarters after having heard his message.
Chuuya hadn’t had much choice but to follow them there.

It was impressive how long Tanizaki could keep Chuuya hidden with his ability.
He was tied up in a chair, at the center of a very spacious room, Hirotsu, Tachihara, and Gin
keeping their eyes on him, and he could still use his skill to conceal him.
He didn’t even seem to be struggling.
Tanizaki wasn’t someone Chuuya was close with, but he really did admire his ability. Light Snow
was way more powerful than the boy thought. If he had been in the Mafia…
His ability would have been exploited to no end.

‘’ The Mafia seeks neither profit nor retribution.’’ Hirotsu continued to talk to him, ‘’ Instead, we
fight to protect our Boss, putting the very reason of our existence in line. Many of us would lay
down our lives for that cause, and I’m no exception.’’
Hirotsu was a Mafia veteran. The oldest person in their organization. Chuuya held no doubt that he
meant it when he said he would for the Boss.
‘’ As a reborn group, we will not kill you. Instead, you will serve as an undercover agent for us.’’
Tachihara pulled out his gun, putting it on Tanizaki’s head. Chuuya made no move to save him.
The boy wouldn’t shoot him, at least not yet.
‘’ You want me to leak Agency intel? ‘’ Tanizaki scoffed, ‘’ Go ahead and threaten me all you
want cause I-
‘’ I believe you have a younger sister? ‘’
There it was. The real side of the Mafia. The side Dazai had once ruled over. Finding their enemy’s
weakness and using it against them.
Naomi.
He was, beyond question, Tanizaki’s weak spot. And the Mafia knew that.

‘’ Gin here, behind me, is an assassin. If you refuse to do our bidding, your precious sister will-
Chuuya had practically heard the switch in the boy’s mind.
‘’ Don’t you dare lay a finger on Naomi.’’ Tanizaki's voice had never sounded so serious and cold
before. ‘’ Or else I’ll kill every one of you.’’
His words had been so sharp even the trio had been startled by them. Tachihara started to laugh
nervously, trying to show him he hadn’t been affected by his threat. ‘’
‘’ Mad thirsty for blood huh? But we already know your skill so vanishing won’t be enough to
dodge this bullet.’’
‘’ Wrong.’’ Tanizaki sounded sure of his words. ‘’ Pull the trigger all you want. Your little bullets
won’t even graze me.’’
Tachihara seemed to grow frustrated with his cockiness.‘’ You took that as an empty threat?‘’
Tanizaki kept his cold demeanor. ‘’ Fire away.’’ he said.

Before Tachihara could pull the trigger, Chuuya jumped out of the light snow ability, extending his
hand and making the ground beneath the three Port Mafia members collapse.
The room beneath this one was an armory storage only used in emergencies. No one would be
there.
He turned to Tanizaki then, taking out his knife. He cut the ropes that bound him and helped him
take them off his body before returning back to his incorporeal form inside the man’s ability.
According to Kunikida’s plan, Tanizaki was to reach the Boss’s room upstairs and assassinate him.
Chuuya would have to stop him. It was the reason why he had pursued Kunikida into making him
Tanizaki’s back up when they had a plan that could have worked perfectly without his
involvement.

It wasn’t hard for Tanizaki to distract the guards outside Mori’s door. They chased after the mirage
he had created, leaving behind the perfect opening.
Chuuya watched as the boy took out the knife he had used to cut his ropes.
Tanizaki approached the bed and held the knife above Mori’s limp body.
Chuuya was about to jump out and stop him when Kouyou appeared.

She used the Golden Demon to attack him. Chuuya used his own ability to push Tanizaki out of the
way, before the Demon’s blade could pierce through him.
Kouyou’s expression changed to a surprised one when she saw him.
She instructed her ability to attack the boy, now laying on the ground, again.
‘’ Stop.’’ Chuuya said, and she obeyed.
‘’ If this man dies,’’ she looked at Tanizaki and then at Chuuya. ‘’ The Mafia will revert to the
form I detested so.’’ she said, ‘’ I can’t have that.’’
‘’ I know.’’ Chuuya raised his hands, moving in front of Tanizaki to shield him. He looked at her
with such intensity, Kouyou couldn’t help but think there was some innuendo she was missing.
‘’ Chuuya, move out of the way, or you won't be spared.’’ Her gaze matched the coldness of her
words.
Tanizaki looked at the woman in fear.‘’ Nakahara, attack her.’’ he called to him.
‘’ What are you waiting for? ‘’
Chuuya uttered not a word. He continued looking at her, his eyes traveling to the hilt of her sword.
To put up a show for Tanizaki, he extended one of his hands, as if preparing for an attack.
Kouyou looked at him confused, before signaling for Golden Demon to attack the man behind
him. Chuuya pretended to fight the demon off, but he was , unfortunately, too late.
Tanizaki had already been struck on the head by the hilt of the ability’s sword.
Chuuya looked at him to make sure he was unconscious.
‘’ I wouldn’t let him kill the Boss.’’ He said, feeling the need to justify his actions to Kouyou. ‘’
That’s why I am here. To make sure the ADA doesn’t do something I know everyone will regret in
the future.
‘’ You’re a smart kid, Chuuya.’’ she remarked, ‘’ But you’re still the enemy.’’ Her voice trailed
off. ‘’ I can hear my men coming, so please, leave before they arrive.’’ She advised him, the men’s
footsteps now audible to the both of them.
Chuuya nodded his head, picking up Tanizaki over his right shoulder and smashing through the
window. He turned in time to catch one last word from Kouyou, and see her men bursting through
the door, their guns in their hands.
Maybe you should have killed him.
What had she meant by that?
She had only whispered it, but Chuuya had been able to read her lips. He knew those were the
words she had spoken but she didn’t know why.

Chuuya activated his earpiece, ‘’ Yosano, can you hear me? ‘’

He received a positive reply. ‘’ Tanizaki failed to kill the Boss, but I managed to get the both of us
out of there unharmed. Though Tanizaki is unconscious at the moment, he is not wounded.
‘’’ Where exactly should we pick you up from? ‘’
‘’ Near the docks north of their base.’’
He heard her repeating the information he had just given her aloud, to the rest of them,‘’ You got
it.’’

The door of the truck opened, and Atsushi appeared, extending his hand to him.
‘’Mister Chuuya, get on.’’ he said.
Chuuya didn’t want to use his ability and render the boy useless, so he took his hand and allowed
himself to be pulled up by him. Then he used his ability to get Tanizaki inside as well.
Yosano tended to him in an instant. She looked kind of disappointed not to have much to tend to.
She only treated the back of his head, waking him up.
‘’ Nakahara-
He stopped and took a moment to register his surroundings. ‘’ We-we escaped? ‘’ He turned to ask
you Chuuya. Chuuya nodded positively.
‘’ Yeah.’’
‘’ That means I failed to pull it off.’’ He shifted his attention to the detective.’’ Ranpo, sir, I’m
sorry.’’
‘’ So be it.’’ Ranpo didn’t seem so surprised by the failed assassination attempt.
Chuuya figured he had known it would turn out that way.

The conversation inside the truck had quickly escalated to a debate of whether they should fight
the Mafia or not, after having received a direct order from their President that had urged them not
to.
Ranpo had been adamant in going against Fukuzawa’s orders and fighting them, claiming that they
couldn’t overturn the traps Fyodor had laid down for them, quickly enough to save the president.
Chuuya knew he wasn’t wrong, still, he knew he couldn't let them actually kill the Port Mafia
Boss.
Ranpo hadn’t been pushy or commanding about his stance on the matter, on the contrary, he had
reassured everyone that it was his choice and his choice alone. Following him on his plan or not,
wouldn’t change anything in his relationship with the rest of them. He could understand not
wanting to put their loved ones in danger.

‘’ I’m in.’’ Tanizaki had been the first to voice his decision. ‘’ In the end, hurting others is the only
way we can save people.’’
‘’ I will join too,’’ Yosano had been the second to follow Ranpo, using a phrase that would later
make too much sense for Chuuya’s comfort. ‘’ Mister Mori and I have a bit of a past you see. If it
was him, he would surely allow an ending like this.’’
...Yosano had a past with the Boss…
Suddenly so many little things made sense.

Kenji and Kyoka had also decided to join him. Chuuya could understand the girl’s desire to get
revenge on the Boss quite well. Still, Atsushi being hesitant surprised him.
As a rule-follower that tried his best to not let anyone die, Kunikida’s opposite stance had made
perfect sense.
Atsushi, joining him in disagreeing with the plan, hadn’t. Chuuya thought of his decision to be
rather mature, of him.

‘’ Nakahara, are you coming with us or are you going with them? ‘’ Ranpo asked him, turning to
see he hadn’t joined them.
Chuuya looked at Atsushi and Kunikida, and then at Ranpo and the rest.
From what had been said, Kunikida and the boy would go to find the hacker that had helped them
in the three-way war, an old friend of Kunikida and a past member of the Agency.
Ranpo and the rest would go to attack the Mafia and retrieve their Boss, so they could kill him.

He really didn’t want that war to happen but it was inevitable. Ranpo was far too determined to
back out now. Chuuya knew that no matter what he told him, the man wouldn’t listen to his words.

‘’ I’m coming,’’ He called to him, ‘’ You need someone to protect you after all.’’ He flashed them
a grin.

They did need someone to protect them.

Both sides.

And unfortunately, that responsibility was for Chuuya to bear.

The Agency had thought Fukuzawa would have been safe inside Montgomery’s ability. They had
thought no one would have been able to trespass inside the secret playroom.
They had been right. No one had been able to get in. That, however, did not mean that Fukuzawa
would be staying there.

The president had left of his own volition.

‘’ So because that bomber was there, the Agency couldn’t reach Headquarters.’’
‘’ Yeah, pretty much. Kyoka was the only one that managed to get in. She had a violent encounter
with Akutagawa, but she escaped unharmed.’’
‘’ I see. How about you, Chuuya? ‘’ Dazai questioned from the other line. ‘’ Don’t tell me you
weren’t able to get inside.’’
‘’ Huh. You and I both know that I could draw a map of every entrance and every opening of the
building in perfect detail just in a few minutes.’’
‘’ I know.’’ Dazai confirmed. ‘’ So, let me guess, You chose to stay behind and help the rest of our
co-workers, keeping them away from Mori. It’s quite logical. Killing him would cause much more
damage than they think, but they don't know that. Ranpo is only trying to save the president, I can’t
blame him for wanting to kill that man.’’
‘’ About the President…’’ Chuuya trailed off.
‘’ He left, didn’t he? ‘’ Dazai took Chuuya’s silence as an answer. ‘’ I thought so. He must have
gone to a place we could never reach. The only one likely to know his and Mori’s whereabouts
would be a mutual cohort of their pasts.’’ Dazai continued. ‘’ If I wasn’t stuck here, I would be of
much bigger help. If only I didn’t have my ability, Yosano would have been able to treat me, and
then I-’’
‘’ You got shot, you bastard.’’ Chuuya reminded him, kindly. ‘’ You got shot to get us the info we
needed. And even via phone, you’re trying to help, don’t you-’’
‘’ You think that’s enough to stop him? ‘’ Dazai scoffed, ‘’ You’re being so-
Dazai’s sentence was cut off by angry screams.
Chuuya could hear a woman yelling from the other side. Probably some nurse. She was telling
Dazai off for using his phone when he was supposed to be resting.
Dazai tried to reason with her, telling her he got permission from another doctor and that it was a
life or death situation.
From the sudden beep, Chuuya figured the nurse had won the argument.

They had all returned to the Agency after another failed attempt at infiltrating the organization.
Chuuya was thankful for that crazy bomber called Kaiji. His bombs had made it impossible for
them to advance, and so they had been forced to retreat.
After that, Ranpo’s plan had been for them to stay at the building and wait for Kunikida and
Atsushi to return with some, hopefully, good news.
While waiting, Dazai had called him. Chuuya had moved further away, to talk with him.

‘’ What did Dazai say? ‘’ Ranpo asked, seeing Chuuya walk back to the main room.
‘’ Nothing much, just that the President is probably with the Port Mafia Boss in some sort of
mutual ground that neither of their subordinates could never find.’’
‘’ I see.’’ Ranpo had figured that much out. The Port Mafia had also looked as if they were in an
emergency. Their boss disappearing could very well be the reason why.
‘’ Didn’t he say anything else? ‘’
‘’ Only that he wishes he could have been here to help more.’’
‘’ When he calls again, tell him the info he got us is more than enough help.’’
‘’ Exactly,’’ Tanizaki agreed with Ranpo. ‘’ He went out and got shot to gather that intel. Doesn’t
he think that’s a big help? ‘’
Chuuya shrugged his shoulders, pretending to not have an answer.

‘’ Is it him? ‘’ Tanizaki asked, his eyes flying to the phone on top of the table that was now
vibrating.
Chuuya took his phone in his hands, ‘’ Yeah, I’ll be back in a few.’’ he said, getting up and
walking where he had previously been.

‘’ I got my phone back.’’ Dazai exclaimed happily. ‘’ Now where were we…’’
‘’ Wait, you were gone? I didn’t notice.’’ Chuuya teased him, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.
‘’ Yeah, you aren’t that observant, so it makes sense.’’ Dazai countered.
‘’ You-. ‘’
‘’ Now, hear me out.’’ Dazai cut him, his voice lowered. ‘’ Remember how I told you only a
mutual acquaintance of the both of them would know where they are? ‘’
‘’ Yes? ‘’
‘’ I can’t explain how or why, but I think I know who that person could be.’’ Dazai stated, ‘’ Have
you ever heard of Soseki Natsume? ‘’
Dazai gave Chuuya a few seconds to see if the name would ring any bells.
‘’ I think so.’’ Chuuya answered hezitevely. ‘’ He is a skill user. I think I have read about him in
some files in the Agency. He is the one behind the Tripartite Framework.’’
‘’ You’re quite correct. He is a legendary skill user, impossible to track down even for me. They
say that his ability is the most powerful of all. That he is a man able to see through everything.’’
‘’ You think he is that mutual acquaintance? ‘’
‘’ It would make sense, wouldn’t it? Both mister Fukuzawa and Mori are in the framework he
created, and- I’ll have to call you again.’’
‘’ Wai-

‘’ Who the fuck do you think you are to hang up on me? ‘’ Chuuya picked up the phone again,
resisting the urge to yell at Dazai for being a jerk.
‘’ There was a cat-
‘’ Huh? ’’
‘’ And a dried sardine.’’
‘’ Eh? ‘’
‘’ I know where the culprit is.’’

‘’ Came to pick me up? ‘’

Only an hour had passed since that phone call, yet Dazai was already standing by the hospital’s
main door. Typically, after having surgery performed on him, Dazai shouldn’t have been allowed
to be discharged from the hospital so soon. But, it was a life or death situation, and so, Dazai had
been forced to find another way out.
In the end, he only had to talk it out with the head of the hospital and make a few calls to the
Agency to confirm that he was indeed a member.
His stomach still hurt whenever he breathed, and he felt like his stitches would come undone at
every step, but he couldn’t let that stop him.

‘’ No, I came to pick up the elderly woman behind you.’’

Dazai turned to see the person Chuuya had looked at. ‘’ Miss Miruki? ‘’ he asked. ‘’ Should I go
and fetch her? ‘’
Chuuya stared at him, regretting his life choices.
‘’ Just get in the car.’’ he said, already descending the stairs and heading towards the vehicle.
Dazai followed him, albeit a bit slower. Chuuya noticed he wasn’t walking as fast, so he cut down
his own pace to match his.

‘’ No flowers, no balloons, no anything? ‘’ He frowned. ‘’ What a mean friend you are.’’

Chuuya let out a sigh before putting on a smile.‘’ I’m sorry. You wanted me to bring you a stuffed
animal as well? ‘’ he mocked, taking the seat behind the wheel. ‘’ We have much more serious
issues at hand, Dazai. I’m sure you can do without a fucking balloon ‘’
‘’ I can.’’ Dazai stated. ‘’ Still, a balloon would have been nice.’’
‘’ If I get you one will you finally zip it? ‘’
‘’ Mayhaps.’’
‘’ Once this is all over and everyone is saved, I’ll get you the most atrocious ballon I can find,
okay? ‘’
‘’ Okay, okay.’’ Dazai said, taking out his phone. ‘’ Now please, be quiet. I have three very
important phone calls to make.’’

The plan was simple.

Step one: Find the virus skill user, and capture him.
Step two: Find Fyodor Dostoevsky, and capture him.
Step three: Nullify the virus and save the President and the Boss.
Step four: Celebrate with the others.
Step five: Get Chuuya to give you a balloon so as to keep his promise.

Well, it was a tad more complicated than that, but those were the basic goals of the plan all
summed up.

To find and catch the skill user, they had to infiltrate his base, an abandoned old mine. Dazai had
figured that the operation would have best been suited for the team he was trying so hard to prepare
for this exact reason.
Atsushi and Akutagawa.

Once he had been close to the Agency, he had called the boy and had told him to meet him by the
Agency’s door in an hour. Akutagawa hadn’t arrived not a second later than the prearranged time.
His accuracy had been terrifying.
Atsushi had been sure to point that out. Akutagawa hadn’t replied to his remarks. He had stood
there silent, waiting to receive his orders.
His orders had finally come in the form of a simple sentence. ‘ Work with Atsushi to find and
retrieve the skill user responsible.’’
Akutagawa had agreed with no hesitation. Atsushi had also agreed, but unlike Akutagawa. he
hadn’t been afraid to question Dazai and his judgment. Akutagawa had been so focused on the
mission he hadn’t even tried to defend his past mentor. He had only answered whatever Dazai had
asked him and three questions Atsushi had.

In the end, everything had worked out.

Well, not everything, but most things, which was enough.

Atsushi and Akutagawa had successfully infiltrated the mines, and although they hadn’t been the
ones to ‘capture’ the virus skill user, they had been the ones to drive him out of his lair and into the
ADA and the Port Mafia’s open arms.
They had also been the ones that had taken down a very powerful and disturbing enemy that went
by the name of Ivan Goncharov. One of Dostoevsky’s men sent after them.

Capturing Fyodor hadn’t been as easy. The man had laid down so many decoys and so many traps
that should Dazai hadn’t been there, the ADA wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Fyodor’s decoys gave even Dazai a hard time, seeing as he had miscalculated on one of them.

No one could have been prepared for the biggest puzzle yet. Fyodor’s location.
He had recreated a fake small cafe inside a container and had used a radio and music to
communicate his plan with Ivan.
No one had been able to see through all those layers of planning.
No one but Dazai.
‘’ Hey there. Great cafe they’ve got here, huh? ‘

He didn’t read Fyodor and his plans. No. He didn’t try to understand him like he did with every
other culprit. It was more as if he were imagining what he would do should he have been in his
place.
He and Fyodor. he had discovered, had a very similar thinking process.

‘’ Your shocked face is warranted.’’ Dazai kept smiling at him, watching as his confusion and
surprise gradually grew. It seemed Fyodor hadn’t thought he would be caught.
‘’ I bet you want to know what I’m doing here.’’ Dazai mused, ‘’ Well the situation called for
extreme measures. I knew the usual methods weren’t going to cut it against a mastermind like you.
So this is what I did.’’
From his expression, Dazai figured that Fyodor hadn’t even noticed that someone else was sitting
at the same table.
‘’ Long time no see, rat.’’

Francis Fitzerald was a privileged jerk, sure, but he was also a very rational man with a few hidden
aces up his sleeves. Dazai had only needed to make one call to him.

‘’ Ahh, astonishing.’’ Fyodor’s face could only be described by the word happily surprised.’’ You
used the ‘eye of god’, I presume? ‘’
‘’ That’s right.’’ Dazai didn’t feel the need to gloat on his own plans often, but today would seem
to be an exception. ‘’ Eyes of God…That little system combines every single security footage in
the city. That’s how we were able to find this place, while you were preoccupied with the hideout.
In exchange for that power, we were asked to retrieve the Guild’s stolen funds.’’ It had been the
only condition Fitzerald had asked for. Needless to say, it had been a very beneficial deal.
‘’ I couldn’t care less about the money,’’ Fitzgerald added. ‘’ But it would have irked me to see it
stolen by a rat.’’
Fyodor remained frozen staring at the both of them. He opened his mouth as if to say something,
but was interrupted by the sound of dozens of heavy footsteps.
‘’ Allow us to take care of the rest, Dazai.’’

Ango had been a necessary evil. Dazai had hated having to call him and tell him where and when
to meet them to take Fyodor away, but unfortunately, he hadn’t had any other choice. The Special
Division were the only ones that could take care of a skilled terrorist like Fyodor.
Ango just happened to be their second in command. That’s all.

Dazai watched as Ango approached Fyodor, a pair of handcuffs in his hands. He reached to grab
him.

‘’ NO, WAIT. DON’T TOUCH HIM.’’ He flung himself off the chair.

Thankfully, Dazai had been quick enough to snatch both their hands before they had had the
chance to touch each other.
Ango looked at him confused. Fyodor did the same.
‘’ How did you know? ‘’ Dostoevsky's question came after he released him from his grip. Dazai
only shrugged in reply.
‘’ Try any funny moves and we’ll shoot you on the spot.’’ Ango warned him, while all the soldiers
aimed their guns at his head.
Fyodor silently complied, putting his hands behind his head.
‘’ All right, off we go.’’

Ango stayed back and watched as they all exited the shop. He couldn’t follow them just yet.
‘’ What was that? ‘’ he turned to ask Dazai. His words, reluctant.
‘’ I don’t know the specifics of it yet, but his ability can kill by touch.’’ Ango’s eyes widened at
the response he received.
‘’ That’s why you grabbed him. To nullify his ability.’’
‘’ He would have killed you if I hadn’t. ‘’ Ango knew that had been the case but he hadn’t
expected Dazai to admit such a thing aloud. Dazai didn’t do stuff like that. Not when they had been
friends, and definitely not now.
Still, he had saved him.
‘’ Thank you.’’ It was the only thing he could manage to say.
Dazai pretended to not have heard him. ‘’ Don’t you have a job to return to? ‘’ he asked, looking at
the men walking away from the facility, his voice colder.
‘’ I do.’’ Ango said, turning away.

It had been stupid.

Thinking that that would have been enough to capture Dostoevsky…
Only then he could see how naive he had been. How foolish.

Maybe if he hadn’t been thinking about having just saved Ango, he would have considered it.
Maybe if he hadn’t been so eager to tell Fyodor of his plan and how he had found him, he could
have predicted it.
Maybe he could have thought beforehand of the possibility that Fyodor had someone that could
retrieve him using teleportation.

He could see everything clearly from his seat in the cafe.

He could see the armed men halt as Fyodor halted.
He could see that small, golden glow appear.
He could see the portal from which a gloved hand came out and grabbed Fyodor.

A portal that had closed before it had even opened.

The armed men all started firing at it, but Dazai knew their shots were in vain.
He stared at the chaos, at their confused faces. At Ango who had run to the commotion.

Dazai felt his stomach sink.

The mission had failed. They had failed. He had failed.

Fyodor Dostoevsky was free and Dazai was panicking because for the first time ever since he had
met him, he had absolutely no clue what his next move was going to be.

‘’ Did he just…escape? ‘’ Fitzerald asked him, diverting him from his thoughts.
Dazai turned to face him.‘’ It would seem so.’’
‘’ What are you going to do about that, detective? ‘’ It was a simple question, it shouldn’t have
unsettled Dazai as much as it had.
‘’ I-I don’t know.’’ he admitted, his voice lowered. ‘’ But I’ll figure something out.’’
From the look in his face, Dazai could tell Fitzerald hadn’t been expecting such an answer. Well,
that made the two.
‘’ I see…Do you have any idea when he'll return, then? ‘’
Dazai looked at the horizon, at the sun that was setting in the same spot his foe had disappeared
from.

He didn’t know what he would do, but he knew Fyodor would strike soon, amidst all the chaos and
the confusion surrounding his disappearance. It was the most logical and the most practical thing
to do.
 It was what he would do.

‘’ Soon.’’ Dazai replied, his eyes distant, ‘’ Very soon.’’

Chapter End Notes

From now on, the story will completely diverge from canon so buckle up because
things are about to get real crazy.

Next few chapters are actually the reason I wrote all this in the first place and so I have
been DYING to share them with you.
I do hope that my build-up is good enough for what is about to follow.

As always, thank you for reading<3

 Are You Going Crazy Yet?
Chapter Summary

In which, we see Dazai dealing with the fact that his plan has failed.
And we also see Chuuya dealing with Dazai.

Possible Trigger Warning for Medical Trauma. There is a scene that's supposed to be a
flashback from Dazai's days in the Mafia in which Mori is performing surgery on him.
So do bare that in mind. ( Also, I'm no doctor, so excuse my poor description of the
procedure and any inaccuracies. Thank you very much)

Another thing, this chapter has A LOT of dialogue, but I promise it's there for a
reason. There were a lot of things that needed to be said/discussed, and I couldn't just,
skip over them.

As you can see, we've now diverged completely from canon, so I really hope you like
this chapter and where the story is going!!!

Chapter Notes

The chapter took a little longer than my average summer uploading time, but a lot of
things happened this week. For starters, my grandparent's house got broken into and
was completely trashed. Then we had some BIG family drama for a completely
unrelated reason. And to top it all, there was a huge rainstorm, and my house was
semi-flooding, but fortunately, I was there, and I was able to clear all the water and
make sure nothing was damaged.
Yeah, pretty neat, I know.

Anyways, I really hope you like this chapter cause let me tell you, I loved writing it so
much. ( I also struggled a lot.) We delve a little deeper into Dazai and Chuuya's psyche
and of course into their relationship with each other.
I hope my depiction of Dazai struggling with those, new for him emotions, is good
enough.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ President.’’ Dazai called out to the man seated in front of him. ’’ I would like to apologize for
my insufficiency today.’’ He said, his eyes falling on the floor.
Raising his head and meeting the older man’s eyes seemed like the wrong thing to do after all that
had happened. He chose to keep his head lowered and his face hidden from him.
‘’ My plan has failed.’’

Those words had never been spoken aloud by Dazai Osamu before.
There had been no need.
All of Dazai’s plans had always gone exactly as he had predicted. All of his plans had always left
him with a satisfying conclusion. All of his plans had always been successful.
There had never been a plan of his that had failed.
Not a single one.
At least not before today.

In the entirety of his life, he had only ever thought he had failed in four things, and not one of those
four had been a plan of his.
The closest thing he had ever experienced to a plan-failure would be a mission that had left him in
need of surgery. But even though he had been shot in the leg, his subordinates had still managed to
complete the task.

His plans had always worked out one way or another, in the end.
So why hadn’t this one?
Why hadn’t he considered the possibility of a teleportation ability user being in cahoots with
Dostoevsky?
Why hadn’t he been prepared for that scenario?
Why had he allowed the military to take him away on their own, instead of escorting him to
wherever he needed to go, himself?
If he had been escorting him, then the portal would have been nullified by No Longer Human,
before it could have ever opened.

If he had only thought of that..

‘’ What happened wasn’t as much of a mistake as it was an awful surprise. Thus you can’t say that
the plan failed.’’ The President spoke, standing up from his chair and approaching him. ‘’ It was a
rather unfortunate development, I agree. But you needn't apologize for it. ‘’ He said, keeping his
voice neutral.
‘’ Don’t get me wrong, Dazai. What happened will surely cause us much trouble in the near future,
but apologizing won’t help the situation. If you believe that you are the one at fault, then the only
thing you need to do is find a way and fix it.’’

Fukuzawa wasn’t like Mori.

If something like that had happened whilst in the Mafia, the punishment would have been severe.
Mori wouldn’t have reassured him with words, no. He wouldn’t have let it slide that easily.
Dazai had only ever slipped up once while in the mafia. In that mission where he had gotten
himself shot.
He remembered that day vividly.
He remembered having returned to headquarters injured. He remembered telling the Boss of his
injury and how and why the bullet had hit him. He remembered Mori telling him that he needed to
be taught a lesson. To be taught that carelessness wouldn't go unpunished.

Mori had made sure he would never be as careless as to let something like that happen again. And
staying true to his words, ever since that day, no bullet had dared to touch Dazai’s body but the one
he had willingly taken when he had met up with Fyodor.

If Dazai had reported a failure of this caliber to Mori…He dreaded to think what his punishment
would have been.
Fukuzawa was clearly not like that man.
‘’ I understand.’’ Dazai said, his eyes still on the floor. ‘’ I’ll find a way and fix it, sir. I’ll find
Dostoevsky again, and I swear I won’t let him escape this time.’’
‘’ Good.’’ Fukuzawa remarked, moving to open the door. ‘’ Now go.’’ He urged him. ‘’ You need
to figure out a way to do that.’’

The Agency was as silent as a graveyard in the night, as he stepped outside of the President’s
office. He could feel the tension in the air, he could see the worry and the uneasiness in the faces of
everyone around him. It was as if a cloud of doubt and fear had befallen them.
And he was to blame.

He tried to move to his office as quietly as he could. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn’t
want to have to explain anything. He didn’t want-
‘’ Dazai, sir.’’ Atsushi called, walking towards him.
Dazai halted but didn’t turn to face him.
‘’ It’s not your fault what happened, you know that right? ‘’ the boy said, his voice soft. ‘’ So
please, don’t be so hard on yourself.’’
He didn’t know how Atsushi had come to the conclusion that he was feeling ashamed and was
blaming himself, but he had to admit, the boy’s words were making him want to laugh.

Not his fault?

He had one job to do, and he had completely failed at it. And because he had failed, Fyodor was
now running around Yokohama free, probably planning an attack on them.
Dazai didn’t blame himself because of the plan failing, no. He didn’t care about the plan enough to
do that.
He blamed himself because now everyone was in danger.
It wasn’t shame, what Dazai was feeling. It was fear.
Genuine fear for what would happen.

He had no idea what Fyodor was planning. No idea how he would save them from his retaliation.
He had no idea about anything, and it was driving him insane.

‘’ Don’t worry, I’m not blaming myself, Atsushi.’’ Dazai said, putting on a smile, flicking his
wrist. ‘’ I admit, I didn’t account for the possibility of him escaping. But we can fix that.’’
‘’ Really? ‘’ Atsushi's big eyes shone bright with hope.‘’ You already have a plan ? ‘’ the boy
asked, his eyes looking directly at Dazai’s.
Dazai couldn't help but lie to him.
‘’ I have a few things in my mind.’’
‘’ You do? That’s a big relief.‘’ Atsushi let out a breath, touching his chest with his hand, as to
ground himself. He acted a bit more surprised than he should have, but fortunately he realized that
before Dazai could jokingly point it out.
‘’ I knew you’d have one.’’ The boy continued, making it quite obvious that he had his doubts
before.’’ You always do.’’ He smiled, trying to throw him off ‘’ Isn’t that right, Dazai, sir? ’’
Dazai couldn’t blame him.
‘’ You’re quite correct, Atsushi. I always do have a plan.’’ he replied, not knowing whether his
own words were true or not.
‘’ Will we get to hear it, this time? ‘’
‘’ Oh, absolutely.‘’

He couldn’t keep lying to the kid like that.

No, that was a lie. He very well could.
But he didn’t want to.
He needed to change the trajectory of the subject before Atsushi could say anything else.

‘’ But that will have to wait.’’ he brushed the topic aside. ‘’ Now, tell me, how have the others
taken it? ‘’
‘’ No one is blaming you if you want to know that.’’ The boy said, albeit a bit too quickly and too
strongly for Dazai to believe him. ‘’ They’re trying their best to hide it but I can see everyone is
feeling a little on edge with everything that happened.‘’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ Oi, Atsushi.’’ Dazai’s eyes snapped to Chuuya who was walking towards them, ‘’ could you
give us a moment? ‘’ the man asked, looking at the boy.
‘’Sure.’’ Atsushi smiled, ‘’ I’ll be on my way.’’ he said and walked out of the picture.

Dazai turned to face his partner, then.‘’ What do you want? ’’ he asked, his voice a bit sharper than
he had intended for it to sound
‘’ Oh, shut up and follow me.’’

‘’ What do you want, Chuuya? ‘’ Dazai asked again, stepping through the door. His voice had lost
the sharpness it had before. ‘’ Whatever it is you want to tell me, you have to be quick, I have a lot
of work I need to be doing.’’
Chuuya ignored him, focusing on closing the small metallic door behind them. He couldn't speak
as openly to him near the others, so he thought the Agency’s rooftop would be a much better place
for them to discuss the matter at hand.
He also thought that it would make for a good place to throw Dazai off, in case he was being
uncooperative.

‘’ Okay, now that we’re here. ‘’ he clasped his hands together, ‘’ What the hell is up you? ‘’ he
turned to ask him.
‘’ Nothing.’’
Chuuya raised his eyebrows, urging him to change his answer.
‘’ I’m fine,’’ Dazai replied with a smile.‘’ Really.’’
‘’ You’re fine? ‘’
‘’ Yeah. I’m great.’’ Dazai’s smile widened. ‘’ Never been better.’’’
‘’ Oh, come on,’’ Chuuya sounded so done with him.‘’ Don’t be giving me that bullshit, again.’’
‘’ What bullshit? ‘’ Dazai asked innocently, looking towards the skyline of the city, his eyes
averting Chuuya’s.‘’ I don’t know what you’re talking about.’’
Chuuya moved closer to the railing and looked down as if calculating the distance from the roof to
the street below. His attention snapped back to his partner.
‘’ Continue lying to me like that, and I’ll throw you off this fucking roof.’’ He warned, his eyes
like two daggers aiming at his throat. ‘’ It’s not high enough for you to die, but you’ll surely end up
withering in pain.’’ Chuuya’s threats had this unique way of always sounding passive-aggressive.
Dazai couldn’t but roll his eyes at him.
‘’ I just made a mistake.’’ He admitted. ‘’ That’s all, jeez.’’ Now Dazai was the one that sounded
like he was done with everything. ‘’ You guys are giving me too much credit.’’ he scoffed.’’ You
act like it affected me.’’
‘’ It didn’t? ‘’ Chuuya could laugh at his performance. It was too cheap to be real. ‘’ You expect
me to believe that shit? ‘’
The two daggers seemed to have changed their aim, now.
‘’ What happened, Dazai? ’’ He asked, lowering his voice. ’’ I won’t be asking you again.’’ The
daggers weren’t aiming for his throat anymore, but rather for his heart.

Dazai had two choices.

He could either continue lying and risk Chuuya never talking to him again.
Or he could be honest and tell him what he was really feeling about this whole situation.
Huh.
When had the latter even become a choice? He honestly didn’t know.

‘’ What do you think happened? ‘’ Dazai countered, his voice, cold as ice. ‘’ My plan failed, and
now Dostoevsky is on the loose.’’
Chuuya looked at him, before opening his mouth. ‘’ Okay? ‘’
‘’ Okay? ‘’ Dazai raised his voice. ‘’ Fyodor is free. My plan failed. You know what that means? ‘’
He paused. ‘’ It means we’re screwed, Chuuya. He’s got the upper hand this time and I-
Dazai’s sentence was cut short.
Chuuya had slapped him in the face.
‘’ YOU are being stupid.’’ He said. ‘’ You can’t blame yourself for not having seen through his
plan.’’ He spoke the words slowly to make sure they would imprint on his partner’s thick skull. ‘’
No one could have predicted something like that would happen.’’
‘’ I could have.’’ Dazai argued. ‘’ That’s the problem. I know I could have. But I didn’t.’’
Chuuya took a step back, considering his words carefully.
‘’ Ooh, I get it, now. ‘’ he voiced, ‘’ The great Dazai Osamu made his first mistake.’’ He paused,
‘’ And he’s now feeling ashamed and like he’s a failure and he doesn’t know why. Isn't that it? ‘’
‘’’ I don’t feel ashamed.’’
‘’ Then why were you avoiding me? ‘’ He challenged, ‘’ Why were you keeping your head so low?
Why were you lying to Atsushi? Why-’’
‘’ You think I know? ‘’ Dazai’s voice was as faint as a whisper. ‘’ I made a mistake and because of
that, Fyodor will have a chance at a revenge attack and- I can’t do anything about that and-’’
‘’ Sounds a lot like you feel ashamed, to me.’’ Chuuya pointed out. ‘’ It’s your first failure after all.
Bet you’re thinking you’re-
‘’ I don’t feel ashamed for having failed,’’ He tried to reason. ‘’ I’m just-
Chuuya hadn’t noticed it before but he saw it then.
He saw it clear in his eyes.
‘’ You’re worried.’’ Dazai’s eyes widened at his partner’s words.
‘’ No, that can’t be it.’’ Dazai tried to dismiss them, ‘’ I’m never worried.’’
‘’ Yeah, because you always know how everything is gonna play out.’’ he reminded him, ‘’ But
this time, you don’t.’’
Chuuya understood then why his partner had been acting so weird.
‘’ And that’s making you feel scared.
‘’ It’s not that. I dont’-

Fuck.
It was fear, wasn’t it?
What he was feeling.
The nausea in his stomach and the nervousness.
It made sense.
The looming feeling that told him something bad was going to happen.
They were all products of his fear.
But Dazai had never experienced true fear before, so he hadn’t been able to pick up on that.

‘’ He’s dozen of steps ahead of me.’’ He admitted. ‘’ And I’m completely in the dark this time
around.’’ he continued. ‘’ I have nothing prepared. No countermeasures, no traps, no retaliation
plan, nothing. If he were to launch an attack tomorrow-
‘’ Hey.’’ Chuuya reached his hand to his shoulder, locking eyes with him.

Seeing Dazai being vulnerable was a rare sight on its own, but this? This was something new. He
had never seen Dazai so distressed. He had never seen him panicking like that before.
He hated it.

‘’ We’re not prepared like last time, sure, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fend him off if he comes
here.’’
Chuuya squeezed his shoulder ever so slightly as to emphasize the point he was about to make. ‘’
As long as we are here, no one can defeat us. ‘’ he said. ‘’ We are Twin Dark, after all. Aren’t we?
‘’

That was the problem.

Alone they were powerful, but together they were unbeatable. Chuuya was right. As long as they
were there, no one would be able to defeat them.
And that was exactly why Dazai was so worried.

Because he knew that if he were Fyodor, the absolute first thing he would do would be to split
them up.
And if he had thought of that…There was no doubt in his mind Fyodor hadn’t, as well.

‘’ We are.’’ Dazai said defeated. ‘’ But please, don’t use such corny lines next time.’’ he chastised,
trying to ease the tension." They sound too odd, coming off from your mouth."

Chuuya could see Dazai’s shoulders as they dropped. He could see his face as it relaxed, and his
eyes as they regained that stupid mischievous glint they often had.
Good.
Despair wasn't a good look on him.

‘' I won't do it again. I’m sorry,’’ he laughed, a smirk slowly forming on his lips. ‘’ Next time, I'll
be sure to follow your lead and practice my words beforehand."
Dazai shook his head slowly to show him his disappointment. ‘’ That’s a low blow even for you,
Chuuya.’’ he said, looking at him. ‘’ Not that you could do anything better with your height.’’ His
mouth formed a slightly tilted line.
Chuuya’s eyes found his, again. ‘Murder’ was written on them.
‘’ I swear to god, Dazai, if you say one more thing about my height, I’m going to punch you so
hard that stupid smirk on your face is going to be wiped out for good.’’
Dazai grinned wider, opening his mouth to speak, already regretting his decision.
‘’ Try me…shorty.’’

‘’ Uh, Dazai.’’ Kunikida reluctantly addressed him, seeing him coming back from Doctor
Yosano’s infirmary with two bags of ice in his hands.
‘’ Yes? ‘’
‘’ Why is your face like that? ‘’
Dazai gasped at his words, feeling betrayed by him. ‘’ Kunikida, how dare you.’’ He started.
‘’ You can’t be so mean to someone. Pointing out appearances like that. You surely disappoint
me.’’
‘’ I meant the big red spot on your cheek, you dumbass. But you know what? I regret even asking.
‘’
‘’ Oh, that? ‘’ Dazai pointed at his cheek, completely ignoring the last statement. ‘’ Chuuya just
slapped me.’’
Kunikida’s eyes widened. ‘’ I see.’’
‘’ It’s gonna bruise, isn’t it? ‘’ Dazai whined, holding the ice he had stolen, from Yosano’s office to
his face. ‘’ Uh, but what can we do.’’
It seemed to Kunikida like Dazai was in a world of his own.
‘’ Right…’’ He said, agreeing with him.‘’ At any rate... Atsushi said you have a plan of action. So,
care to elaborate? ‘’
Dazai seemed to return to reality.
‘’ It’s not finalized yet.’’ He lied. ‘’ I’ll need about two days before I can be sure it will work.’’
Kunikida nodded his head.
‘’ If you think we can afford two days, then that's fine by me.’’

‘’ It feels wrong.’’
‘’ Hm? ‘’
Dazai stopped dead in his tracks and so did Chuuya.
‘’ It’s not that I’m trying to brag or anything, but I have this weird feeling that my plan wasn’t
supposed to fail.’’
Chuuya rolled his eyes at him, ‘’ That’s just your ruined confidence talking,’’ he reassured him
mockingly, continuing to walk through the park.
‘’ No, that's not it. ‘’ Dazai argued, staying put at the place.
‘’ Then what is it? ‘’

What was it?

Dazai didn’t have an answer yet. All he knew was that it felt odd.
Fyodor escaping. It wasn’t supposed to happen.
But he couldn’t explain why.

‘’ I should have accounted for that.’’ he tried to reason with both Chuuya and himself. ‘’ I always
take abilities such as flying and teleportation into consideration when making plans. I’ve always
done that.’’

And it was true.

Dazai did always account for those things. Chuuya had been a partner of his for years. He knew
how he planned his counterattacks better than anyone.
Things like flying and teleportation, they were like wild cards. Something that gave a person an
easy exit.
Dazai always made sure his plans would be foolproof to those kinds of abilities.

‘’ What are you trying to imply? ‘’ Chuuya questioned, thinking of his words. The longer he stared
at him the more sense it made.
Dazai wouldn’t have acted so foolishly, not unless-

‘’ Dostoevsky should have been caught.’’ Dazai continued. ‘’ I can’t explain it, but I feel like
Fyodor getting sent into prison was supposed to happen.’’ He said. ‘’ I can feel it in my bones, it
was meant to happen.’’
‘’ I don’t know why it didn’t.’’

Dazai looked so lost then.

Standing underneath the moon with the light hitting his pale face, before it could reflect in his
eyes. With his mouth hanging agape, as if he wanted to say something more, but had yet to form
the words.
He looked so, so lost.
‘’ That Book Fyodor is after.’’ Chuuya started his sentence with caution, the idea still not fully
developed in his mind. ‘’ Could he have gotten his hands on it already? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ Dazai Shook his head, maybe with a bit more force than he should have. ‘’ That's
impossible.’’
‘’ Okay…You said the book can’t be destroyed, right? ’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Could pages be taken off? ‘’
Dazai’s eyes snapped to his partner.
‘’ I mean. For all you know, Fyodor could have found a bastard page laying around or something.
‘’ He tried to explain his thoughts but failed miserably. " He could have already influenced reality,
and we wouldn't even know."
‘’ What you’re suggesting…’’ Dazai seemed to consider his thoughts carefully. ‘’ It’s not that
improbable, but if he has even a page of the book-
‘’ He could manipulate your mind, couldn't he? ‘’ Chuuya offered. ‘’ Make you not think of the
possibility of him escaping. Making you unable to catch him.’’

He thought he sounded like a madman, but through Dazai’s eyes, he could see that his partner
wasn’t thinking the same.

‘’ You’re smart, Chuuya.’’ Dazai said unprompted, ‘’ People don’t give you enough credit for your
smarts.’’ He said a distant smile on his lips. ‘’ But you’re really smart.’’
Chuuya turned his face to a tree nearby, suddenly taking an interest in its leaves.
‘’ I just thought of what makes the most sense to me.’’ he said.
‘’ The most sense to you? ‘’ Dazai couldn’t see how a reality-bending book could be the most
reasonable possibility in any scenario.
‘’ It’s like you said.’’ Chuuya spoke again, ‘’ You always have things like strange and
unpredictable abilities in mind when making plans. So you not having been prepared for them…It
could only happen if someone had messed up with your head.’’

Oh
Did Chuuya really think that highly of him?
Dazai hadn’t expected to hear that.
He had been surprised by his words. In a very, very good way.

‘’ Of course, the possibility of you just being stupid is always on the-

He had tried to turn it into a joke but as he gazed at Dazai’s eyes he had found he couldn’t.
The fuck was that look?
His eyes were glued to him, and Chuuya didn’t know why.
It felt weird.
Why was Dazai looking at him so…fondly?

‘’ You’re quite right,’’ Dazai said, snapping out of it, scolding his expression into a more
indifferent one, ‘’ I must have been stupid when revising the plan. It makes sense.’’
It didn’t.
And both of them knew it.

‘’ Well, I’m glad I was able to help you figure that out.’’ Chuuya said, clearly meaning something
else.
He earned a smile.
‘’ You’re a big help, Chuuya. The greatest sidekick I could ever ask for.’’
‘’ I hope you choke and die.’’
Dazai chuckled at his partner’s words, keeping his smile up. ‘’ Truly the greatest.’’
They walked towards the exit of the park in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The gentle
whisper of the wind as it blew through the branches of the trees being their only company. It was a
quiet night if you could only ignore the sound of passing cars and of busy streets. It made for quite
the scenery.
The dark sky above them, illuminated by millions of little stars, and the tall trees that tried to cover
them with their thin branches. The soft bluish light combined with the eerie atmosphere of a park
that not many people went to. And the moon.
It looked almost complete, maybe one or two days before it became full.

Dazai wondered if they would get to see it.

‘’ Oh, I forgot to tell you, ‘’ Chuuya spoke, breaking the silence, dragging Dazai away from his
thoughts. ‘’ I figured why you and Yosano are so avoidant of each other.’’
Dazai listened to him carefully, curious as to what he had discovered.
‘’ You remind one another of the same person.’’ He said.
Dazai’s eyes widened just enough to display his surprise. ‘’ I had figured that much out." he said. "
But unless she has some kind of connection with-
‘’ She used to.’’ Chuuya finished the sentence for him. ‘’ When we were talking about the Boss
during the mission, she revealed to us that she had a past with him.’’

Dazai tried to remember if he had ever seen Yosano around the Port Mafia when he was younger.
If Mori had ever mentioned anything about her.
The only mentions he could recall of a girl other than Elise were in the war files.

‘’ The Boss used to serve in the military army during some war.’’ he said, ‘’ It’s confidential
information, but during my time as his right-hand man, I managed to steal a few glimpses of those
files in an attempt to figure out his weaknesses.’’
‘’ In the files, there were mentions of an eleven-year-old girl that was his apprentice, of some
sort.’’ Dazai figured it out then. ‘’ If that was Yosano…’’ he couldn’t even imagine how hard it
would have been for her to work under such a man.
‘’ She must have been.’’ Chuuya continued. ‘’ It would explain why she reminds you so much of
him. You said it was her mannerisms and the way she moved around the infirmary and the
patients. If she used to be his apprentice, then-
‘’ I remind her of him.’’
Chuuya’s eyes moved to his partner in surprise. That was not what he had been trying to imply.
‘’ I remind her of Mori.’’ Dazai concluded, his voice factual but distant. ‘’ That’s why she can’t
bare to look at me for more than a few seconds.’’

Though he didn’t want to admit it, Dazai knew he had taken after Mori in a lot of ways.
For better or worse, definitely, for worse, Mori had been the person that had found Dazai at the age
of fourteen. He had been the one that had raised him to become an adult.

Taking traits from the one that raised you, however bad they were…It was only natural, wasn’t it?
Mori had taught him so many things over those years. He had taught him how to shoot a gun, how
to strategize, how to manipulate others into doing his bidding, and how to abuse the power he held.
He had even taught him how to perform surgery if necessary.
So for Dazai to end up resembling the man in more than a few ways, it was, but inevitable.
Still, that fact made him feel rather ill to his stomach.

‘’ I guess so.’’ Chuuya replied, unable to provide him with a more eloquent or even satisfying
answer.

In his defense, Dazai despised talking about that man, and so Chuuya, who knew better than to
bring his name up in conversations where he was irrelevant, had decided against asking him about
it.
Thus, Dazai's relationship with Mori was still foggy to him, even after all those years.

‘’ So Yosano served at the war alongside him, huh.’’ Chuuya observed aloud, ‘’ Makes you
wonder how she managed to leave his side and why.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’ Dazai chuckled, as if weirded out by the word. ‘’ Who would want to stay in that
position? ‘’
‘’ Oh, come on, I didn’t mean it like that.’’ Chuuya tried to defend himself. ‘’ I don’t have the
same experiences you or Yosano may have with him, but generally speaking, the Boss isn’t that
bad.’’ As soon as he had said that he regretted it.
‘’ Not that bad? ‘’ There was an edge in Dazai’s voice but it wasn’t as apparent as before. There
was no anger in his words.
‘’ Do you remember when we were sixteen and we were supposed to have this big series of outside
missions that ended up never happening? ‘’
‘’ You had been shot in a solo mission prior to those.’’ Chuuya recalled, ‘’ Because you were still
being treated, the Boss had canceled the whole affair. I remember, yes.’’
Dazai flashed him a smile. An empty, hurting smile.
‘’ I would have been just fine, you know.’’ he said, a strange inflection in his voice. ‘’ But you
see…’’

SIX YEARS AGO

‘’ My subordinates were able to pull the heist off even if I-

‘’ Did you return injured? ‘’
‘’ I did, yes, but-.’’
‘’ Then that’s not a success, Dazai.’’

Mori Ougai wasn’t a person that tolerated inadequacy.

He wasn’t someone that could be easily pleased with mediocracy.
Mori Ougai strived for perfection. He strived for the top.
So if he said something wasn’t good enough, then that something was ought to be improved or be
disposed of.
If he said he wasn’t satisfied with a result then that result had to be changed immediately.
If he said someone’s efforts had been fruitless, then someone’s efforts had truly been in vain.

If he said Dazai had failed.

Then Dazai had failed.

‘’ Fortunately, the bullet isn’t that deep inside your leg,’’ Mori observed, already injecting Dazai’s
body with a syringe. ‘’ It will be a simple procedure.’’
Dazai looked at his leg which was still bleeding, and at the bullet hole on it. The pain hadn’t
subsided, but Mori was in front of him, so he was trying his best to show the man that he couldn’t
feel a thing. Or that if he was feeling something, he was capable enough to hide and ignore it.
‘’ Just put me to sleep already, ‘’ he whined, impatient to pass out and finally get some rest.
Anesthetics were the only thing that could get him to sleep anymore, so he always welcomed the
shots with open arms.
Mori’s lips tugged into a smile then, as he heard him speak. His smile told Dazai no good was to
follow.
‘’ Do you know how to perform surgery, Dazai? ‘’ The man asked his scalpel already in his gloved
hand.
Dazai shook his head to answer him, feeling it heavier than he should. He thought his fatigue was
catching up to him, but no, it could never have been something so simple.
‘’ Well then,’’ Mori traded his scalpel for a pair of medical scissors and some cotton. ‘’ Time to
learn.’’
‘’First things first, ‘’ he took the cotton and pressed it lightly into the wound. ‘’ Tell me Dazai, ‘’
he addressed his patient again, ‘’ How long does an anesthetic take to work? ‘’
The moment he said that Dazai realized what was wrong.
Ten seconds had passed,
If Mori had injected him with an anesthetic, he shouldn't have been able to hear him speak. He
shouldn’t have been able to watch him.
Dazai tried to move his body away but found out he couldn’t.
‘’ Oh, that’s right, ‘’ Mori spoke again, his voice sending a chill down his spine. ‘’ You can’t
answer me.’’ He said, ‘’ But I’m sure you’re wondering, so let me answer some of the questions
you may have, ‘’
Mori disposed of the blooded cotton, before taking back in his hands his trusted scalpel.
‘’ You weren’t given neither an anesthetic nor a paralytic.’’ The man said, touching the end of his
scalpel to the boy’s wound. ‘’ You were given a kind of narcotic that is able to paralyze your body,
yet not render you senseless,’’ Mori explained. ‘’ Which means, you can see, hear and feel, but you
can not move, speak, or sleep.’’
‘’ So if you want to learn, pay close attention to my every move.’’ He said, creating a bigger tear in
the wound so he could have a bigger opening to take the bullet out of. ‘’ This will serve as both a
punishment for your incompetence and as a lesson so you can be more careful next time.’’

Dazai wanted to scream.

He wanted to reach for the gun that was lying inside the third drawer of the boss’s office, and blow
Mori's brains out.
Or his own.
Whatever would make his suffering end faster.

He could feel his leg as it was being torn open in order for Mori to be able to reach for the bullet
that had penetrated his body, easier. He could feel the scalpel as it cut through the wound to make
the opening.
He could feel the cold metallic pair of tweezers as they touched his skin moments before finding
the bullet and pulling it out.
He could feel everything.
And it hurt.
It hurt so much that he was sure he would be passing out of pain any second now.
Yet he kept himself awake, observing the operation, telling himself that he had to learn how to do
that.
Telling himself that he had to keep watching.

He could feel the needle and the thread as Mori sewed the wound back together.
In, and out. In and out.
The pain wasn’t as horrible, but it was still bad.

The last thing he remembered was watching Mori walk towards his office, throwing his bloodied
gloves on the ground before reaching for the third drawer in his desk.

When he woke up again, he woke up to the feeling of blood oozing from his other leg. A sharp
pain hit him immediately before dissolving into a consistent wave of stings.
He looked down at his leg only to discover he had been shot again.
From the looks of the room, he was still inside the Boss’s office. In that stupid patient bed.
He looked to his left.
Laid in front of him, inside a small tray, were all the medical tools Mori had used to treat his
wound earlier.

That’s why Mori had been so adamant that he’d watch.

That was the punishment.

Dazai wanted to scream from the pain but he forced himself into silence.
The Boss wouldn’t be getting that satisfaction.

With shaking hands he reached for the cotton ball and the small bottle of rubbing alcohol next to it.
Step one, clear the wound.

He kept repeating the steps inside his head, trying to distract himself from the pain he was feeling.
He kept telling himself that it was fine.
That it didn’t hurt. That the pain was nothing more than his mind playing tricks on him.

He lied to himself so much that by the end of the whole affair, he had believed it.

He stitched his leg closed while humming a stupid, upbeat, little song. Then, after he had put
everything away, he walked, or rather, staggered, out of that room with his head held high.

Descending the stairs had been a nightmare, but he managed to reach his own office before long, so
it hadn’t mattered.
Once he was inside his office he collapsed to the floor.

All his willpower had vanished. Nothing in the world could have made him stand up again.
He had done it wrong.
He knew he had done something wrong. Something in between the steps. Something he had
misheard, or misunderstood. His leg was hurting so much more than when Mori had been done
with him.
He only hoped he hadn’t caused any irreversible damage.

If he could only stand up again, he could go back to the Boss’s office and he could ask him.
No.
Even if he could do that, he wouldn’t. He would rather die from the pain than have Mori treat him
again.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

The pain wouldn’t let him.

He swore to himself then, that one day, he would be the one behind the trigger and Mori would be
the one in front of the barrel of the gun.
He swore that he would make him suffer a hundred times worse than he had.

He wanted to get up and move himself to the couch.

The floor was too cold. It reminded him of the scalpel he had used minutes ago to tear a hole into
his own leg.
It was awful.
He wanted that memory gone. He wanted that memory burnt. But no matter how much he wanted
those things, the fact remained.
He couldn’t get up.

Because of that day, Dazai had learned three very important things.
One. Failure was unacceptable.
Two. Mistakes would be punished.
Three. How to perform surgery on a bullet wound.

After that ‘lesson’ from Mori, Dazai had made sure that no bullet would ever dare to graze his skin
again.

‘’ So because it was my first time attempting something like that, I messed up and accidentally tore
a tendon in my leg.‘’ Dazai laughed it off, like it was some kind of a joke.
Chuuya didn’t laugh.
‘’ But it wasn't that bad, right?.’’ Dazai continued, ‘’ Sure, I couldn’t leave my office for a whole
month and-
‘’ Stop.’’
‘’ -every step felt like I was dying but-
‘’ Fucking stop.’’ Chuuya pleaded, his voice slightly raised, ‘’ What I said was stupid, I get it,
okay? So fucking stop already.’’
‘’ Fine then, I’ll stop.’’ Dazai said, putting his hands inside his pockets and walking towards the
door of their building. ’’ I just find it funny that you think so highly of him, still.’’
Chuuya could neither read his tone nor see his face when he said that.
He wanted to open his mouth and deny the accusation, but no matter how much he was searching
inside his mind, he couldn’t find an argument that would support that claim.

Dazai was right.

He was still too respectful towards their old Boss. Still too loyal to him.
And it made sense, for the most part, didn’t it?

Chuuya hadn’t spent as much time with that man, due to the fact he was Kouyou’s apprentice and
not his, but from what he could remember, the man had always treated him with respect.
As a Boss, Mori Ougai had been nothing but fair to him.

Of course, Chuuya held no delusion that because of that Mori was a good person. He knew better
than to be such a poor judge of character.
Yet, for some strange reason, he still felt the need to defend his name and reputation as if he were
still his Boss.
Why? He didn’t know. His best guess would be that it was some stupid reflex that had stuck with
him from his days in the Mafia.
A stupid reflex that he apparently needed to get rid of.

‘’ Did that happen more than once? ‘’ Chuuya asked, the moment they were entering the
apartment’s threshold. ‘’ The Boss, disciplining you in such a manner,’’ he specified.
Dazai turned and raised his eyebrows at him. ‘’ You think I would be so stupid as to fail him, a
second time? ‘’ he asked, taking off his coat and throwing it on the hanger. ‘’ Trust me, I did
everything in my power to not let it happen again.’’
But it happened. More than once, more than twice, more times than Dazai could count.
Chuuya placed his coat on the hanger as well. ‘’ I see.’’ He said, heading towards the hallway
leading to their rooms.
‘’ Goodnight.’’ he called before opening his door.
‘’ Night~’’

It all made sense.

That was the thought that kept his sleep at bay.
Dazai’s perfectionism, his complete refusal to fail…All those traits he had made fun of so many
times…They had all been the results of Mori’s guidance.
Suddenly even the way Dazai had treated Akutagawa made sense.
He had wanted that kid to improve. To be better. Maybe because if he didn’t then the Boss would
have discarded him?
Chuuya knew it wasn’t fair to accuse Mori in such a way, but there was nothing that denied that
possibility.
It wasn’t such a reach to think that the Boss blamed Akutagawa’s incompetence on Dazai. Maybe
that was why Dazai would get so angry when he failed him. Maybe Akutagawa failing Dazai could
also be seen as Dazai failing Mori.

He tried to shake those thoughts away. He didn’t know whether they were true but something told
him that Dazai had been lying when he had said it hadn’t happened again.

His mind drifted to his good friend and colleague, Yosano. If she truly had been Mori’s
apprentice…Could she have been through something similar to what Mori had put Dazai through?
According to Dazai, if she were who they thought she was, then she would have been eleven at the
time.
Eleven years old and in a war.
He couldn’t even imagine it.

He wondered how she had ended up at the Agency. How had she managed to escape Mori, in such
a way, that he hadn’t persecuted her?
Had she run away on her own? Had somebody helped her? There were so many questions in his
head that would be left unanswered.
Questions concerning her, questions concerning Dazai, and questions concerning the Boss.
But now he was thinking about another question as well.
How had the Agency formed? He knew Fukuzawa had been behind its creation, and he knew it had
something to do with Ranpo and his ‘ability’ but other than that he knew nothing.
How had all the members come to work there?
How had Yosano come to work there?
Maybe he could ask her tomorrow. It wasn’t such a personal question as the others he had for her,
so why not?
If she chooses not to answer, well, at least he tried.

He turned to look at the clock on his nightstand.

How, in the ever-loving fuck, had four hours already passed?
Ah great. Yet another night where he couldn’t sleep.

Chuuya used to have no trouble sleeping, but ever since Dazai had told him about Fyodor and that
Book and his plans and everything, he had become…curious.
Curiosity had never been a trait of his. He wasn’t the kind of person that would go out of his way
to search for answers. All he had ever done was ask once, or maybe twice if he really wanted to
know. If he hadn’t received an answer then that was fine.
He didn’t care enough to explain things or understand them.
But of course, that had changed the day he met Dazai.
Dazai had been the only person he had ever put effort into trying to understand.
And that had come with a heavy price.

Curiosity.

A stupid need to get answers and explanations so you can understand things better.
Whether it was about their enemy, Fyodor, or the Book, or the ADA.
Whether it was about his colleagues or Dazai.
Chuuya craved answers, and that craving was the reason he couldn’t sleep anymore.

He wondered if Dazai had the same problem. If his life-long sleep issues and irregularities had
been caused by his mind’s inability to simply shut the fuck up.
It would make sense.
Oh, god.
If he thought he was having it rough because of a few questions he had, just how bad was it for
Dazai?
Dazai, who had spent his entire life calculating possibilities, dividing plans that considered every
outcome possible, no matter how improbable it was. Dazai who could even forsee the fucking
future, basing his predictions on patterns, behaviors, and events.

In all the years he had known him, he had never stopped to think about that.

He wondered if Dazai had ever caught a break from all of those thoughts.

The answer was probably not.

"Oi, Dazai." Chuuya banged on his door once, " we're gonna be late again." He said, knocking a
second and a third time.
" Dazai."
" Oh, for fucks sake."
Seeing Dazai wasn't answering him, he placed his hand on the knob and turned it to the right.

" Don't tell me you're still-" he wanted to ask if he was still sleeping, but entering the room, he
could clearly see that wasn't the case.
" What are you doing? " he asked, instead.
" Thinking."
Chuuya looked at Dazai, hanging from the ceiling, his head just centimeters away from the floor.
" About? "
" You." Dazai flashed him a grin.

With one swift move, Chuuya took his knife out and threw it at the rope Dazai was dangling from,
cutting it in half.
A moment later, his partner was laying on the ground.

" We have to go to work, you idiot, " he reminded him, staring as he stood up. " So get dressed and
let's go, already."
" I'm not going today." Dazai stated, seeming more annoyed than he should have been.
" Until I come up with something, I'm not leaving this room."
Chuuya raised his eyebrows in confusion. " So what? You'll spend the entire day hanging upside
down from the ceiling like a fucking bat? " he watched him as he picked up the rope.
" That's just stupid."
Dazai placed, or rather threw, the rope on top of his desk
" I spent the entire night like that, so what's the difference? "

Dazai had, without a doubt, stayed up the entire night.

His face was paler than a sheet of printing paper. His hair, a tousled mess, tangled and unattended.
Even the circles beneath his eyes had gotten darker.
His partner looked like he hadn't slept in days.

Well, that made them two.

" And you managed, what, exactly? " His question came off more condescending than he had
intended for it to sound. " Did you think of a plan? Did you figure out Fyodor's next move? Did
you-
" No." Dazai replied sharply, sitting down on his bed, clearly too tired to be standing up. '' The only
thing I managed to do was get a headache." He continued. His head falling on his hands." So
forgive me, but I'm not in the mood to go into a meeting without a plan."
" Not in the mood? " Chuuya repeated, the mockery clear in his voice." You think anyone gives a
damn about your mood? " he scoffed. " Seriously, Dazai. Sometimes you can be so-
" I can't go, Chuuya." Dazai raised his head so he could meet his eyes, " What don't you
understand? "

It was much more serious than Chuuya had originally thought

Fuck.
It wasn't about Dazai being in a foul mood and wanting to get out of work. It was about him not
being able to face the ADA without having a plan.
It was about him thinking he had failed them.

He felt bad for having made fun of him.

" Sure you can." He decided to take a different approach this time. " The others will surely
understand. No one is going to blame you for-
" For what? For being useless? " Dazai finished the sentence for him. " Is that what you were about
to say? "
Something in his eyes made Chuuya want to punch him.
He looked so defeated, so beaten.
Chuuya couldn't stand the sight. " I wasn't going to say that." He tried.
Dazai's eyes shifted to the floor then. His face devoid of any reaction to his words.

Chuuya thought about what he could say to make him feel better. To make him drop that 'defeated
and done for' attitude.
He could only think of one thing.

" But you know what, you're right. You do look pretty useless right now. "
Dazai's eyes snapped to him.
" Seriously, I mean, look at you. Refusing to go to work and acting like a spoiled little brat."
Chuuya remarked, his disgust clear in his gaze. " It's pretty pathetic, wouldn't you agree? "
Dazai didn't answer right away.
He didn't want to pick up a fight with him, not when he knew what he was trying to do.
" You don't get it." His voice was fainter than a whisper.

He could leave it at that and stay silent. Resume his unorthodox techniques and ignore him for the
rest of the day. That's what he would have done, once.
But Chuuya deserved better.

He had already called him pathetic, so what was the worst thing that could happen?

" I spent all night trying to think of a plan and I still came up with nothing." His gaze fell down on
his hands as he admitted that.

His head was screaming for him to stop talking. The voice inside him was begging for him to stop
admitting such embarrassing information and keep it to himself. Keep it all hidden, all concealed
from others.

" That's not like me, Chuuya."

Every word was making it more difficult for him.

Why was he even doing that in the first place?
Chuuya had no business knowing what a failure he was. He had no business knowing how stupid,
he had suddenly become.

" I wouldn't be having this much trouble normally." You know that, don't you?
" But If Dostoevsky is really messing with my head as you suggested…It would make sense…"

Chuuya knew he had been the one to come up with this theory but even to him, it sounded wrong.
If Fyodor was really doing something like this to Dazai…If he was really affecting his intelligence
and his way of thinking and processing information…
If he was really doing that…
He had crossed the fucking line, and Chuuya would make sure he would pay for that.

" What happens when you try to think of him? "

Chuuya wanted to understand.
He wanted nothing but to understand what was happening.
Unfortunately for him, Dazai couldn't explain something he himself couldn't understand.
" My mind goes blank."
It was the truth, and the best way he could describe it.
" As of before, my mind was able to calculate and show me all the different paths life could take.
What would happen depending on which path I took and how things would conclude."
" It still does that, but the moment I try to focus on Fyodor it just…stops working? "
" ..."
" I can't explain that to the Agency, Chuuya. So if I go to the office, what would my excuse even
be? "
" Why would you need an excuse? "
Dazai stared at him.
Why did he need an excuse?
The answer seemed to escape him.

Before he could open his mouth again, the phone on top of his nightstand rang.
Dazai reached for it.
" Hello~ " he greeted, his voice bubbly and friendly.
Chuuya wasn't surprised by the sudden change in his tone, but it still gave him the chills.
" The only reason I'm calling your sorry ass is because I know damn well, Nakahara is probably
behind your door or even inside the room, trying to get you to wake up, and so he wouldn't
answer." Kunikida spoke from the other line. " But you don't sound asleep, so why aren't you here
yet? "
" Oh, Kunikida, good morning to you too~"
" We don't have time for your stupid niceties, Dazai. You need to get your ass over here, now.
There have been developments."
Dazai's voice remained cheerful. " What kind of developments? " he asked, his mind coming up
with a million possibilities yet being unable to grasp even a single one of them for longer than a
second.
" We'll be discussing them soon, so both of you, get here, yesterday."

Kunikida gave them no chance to reply.

He hung up.

" Ey, Nakahara," Ranpo called to him, walking towards the two of them as they stepped inside the
main office of the Agency. Unlike the rest of them, he seemed to be in good spirits. Dazai couldn’t
understand why that was.
" Mind if I steal him for a bit? " he said, his eyes on Chuuya.
Chuuya turned to look at him, curiosity painted on his face.

Dazai really didn't want to have to talk to Ranpo that day, but unfortunately for him, Chuuya
seemed more than willing to toss him away.

" Not at all," Chuuya replied, flashing the detective a big smile, " here", he pushed Dazai towards
him. " He’s all yours."

Should it have been any other day, Dazai would have been fine with that.
Ranpo was a great colleague and the only person inside that building that could come even a little
close to his way of thinking. Talking with him was never boring.

" Dazai, " Ranpo greeted him with a smile. "If you please." He signaled for him to follow.

Dazai knew the conversation that was about to happen wouldn't be an exception to that rule.
From his voice alone, Dazai could already tell what Ranpo was about to say, and though he knew it
would be unpleasant, it would certainly not be boring,

" I’d be delighted."

" Since early in the morning, the Agency has received exactly five jobs." Ranpo started, not
wasting a single second introducing the topic. " I solved the first case, and Kunikida managed to
solve the second. Kenji, Tanizaki, and Atsushi are currently taking care of the remaining three."
" So what's so unusual? " Dazai inquired, knowing that things weren't as simple as they seemed. ‘’
You wouldn’t be telling me that if everything was normal.’’
Ranpo confirmed his suspicions by giving him a slight smirk.
" When I solved the case. A simple easy murder, where the victim had been killed as revenge for
having slept with the culprit's brother. I ended up with this in my pocket." He handed Dazai a
ripped piece of paper. " What's strange is that this was not in my possession before."
Dazai looked at the letters written on the paper.
ARE
" Where are the rest? "
" Once Kunikida had returned from his case, I searched his pockets, and as I had expected, he had
a paper on him as well."
He showed him the second piece.
YOU
" It's forming a question." Dazai observed.
" Do you think that could be Dostoevsky? "
" It could, potentially, yes."
" Hmm. I figured."
Ranpo moved closer to the only desk that was inside the storage room. He sat on top of it and
crossed his legs. He placed his hand beneath his chin and gently kept tapping it with his finger, as
if deep in thought.
" Just so you know, no one is expecting anything from you." he said, finally having put his
thoughts in order.
Dazai stared at him.
‘’ No one is expecting you to save our asses, you know. We’re an Agency. And I’m not the best
person to say that, but being in an agency means working with others. Cooperating’’ Ranpo
dangled his feet in the air, obviously fidgeting. ‘’ So no one is expecting you to figure out
everything on your own, even if that’s what you do.’’
Was Ranpo trying to help in a way? Trying to reassure him? It seemed like that.
" I don't know what exactly is going on, but Nakahara is worried about you, and that tells me
enough." Ranpo continued, his eyes moving on Dazai. " This message is most probably targeted at
you. So, how do you think we should proceed? "

This was such a Ranpo thing to do.

Say something nice and then immediately change the conversation so that the other person doesn't
have enough time to respond to that.
Dazai liked it. It meant he didn’t have to say anything to what Ranpo had just told him.

" I say we wait until we have the whole picture." Dazai replied, his mind trying to think of all the
possible directions that phrase could go. ‘’ We can’t be drawing conclusions from two words, now,
can we? ’’
" Well Atsushi is already back, " Ranpo said, jumping from the desk and landing in front of Dazai.
" And Kenji." Dazai added.
Ranpo nodded in agreement. " You're right. There was another pair of footsteps. You have quite
the good hearing.’’
‘’ I know.’’ Dazai grinned, ‘’ So then, shall we go greet them? "

…
" What does that even mean? '' Kunikida looked at the papers sprawled on the table in front of him,
then at his colleagues seated around the table. " And to who is this addressed to? "
" To whom."
" What? "
" It's 'whom'." Dazai corrected." Not wh-
He didn't finish the world. Kunikida hit him with his notebook in the head, before he could.
" Okay, to whom. Whatever," he switched the discussion clearly annoyed, " At any rate, we need
to figure-
" Actually, there’s no need for that." Ranpo cut in. " The message is from Dostoevsky, and it's for
Dazai. We shouldn't waste time on 'figuring' out such obvious things."
" Wait, is that true? '' Kunikida turned to ask Dazai.
Dazai could feel not only Kunikida's eyes nailed on him, but everyone else's as well.

As Ranpo and Dazai had expected, all three of the boys had shown up with one piece of paper each
when they had returned. Three more words that had completed the puzzle but had definitely not set
things straight.

Atsushi's word had been "GOING" and Tanizaki's word had been "YET"
The one word that had mattered, however, had been Kenji’s.
The kid had arrived right after Atsushi, and right before Tanizaki. His word had been the catalyst.

" Are you going crazy yet? '' Yosano repeated the sentence, clearly weirded out, looking over at
Dazai. " Do you have any idea what that could mean? "

How could he even respond to that?

He knew exactly what their enemy meant, yet explaining it to anyone else but Chuuya seemed like
the worst thing he could do

" He is trying to mess with his head. " Chuuya spoke for him before he had the chance. " Probably
some stupid mind game of some sort. You know, making fun of him for not having been able to
catch him and shit."

Dazai had never been more thankful for Chuuya.

‘’ But why would he say something like that? ‘’ Tanizaki questioned. ‘’ He could have said
anything else, so why use those exact words? ‘’
Dazai opened his mouth to answer him, but Atsushi spoke faster.
" You aren't going crazy, right? '' Atsushi said, completely ignoring the explanation Chuuya had
given, focusing back on his mentor-like figure. " Right, Dazai, sir? " he repeated, seeing that he
wasn't getting an answer.
" I've always been a little crazy, Atsushi." Dazai tried to reassure him in a playful manner.
" but I'm not getting worse, so you don't have to worry that much."
Atsushi wasn't convinced but he decided to drop the subject.
" Actually, Tanizaki does raise a fair question.’’ Kunikida spoke again, ‘’ Why did Dostoevsky use
that word? ‘’

Chuuya and Dazai exchanged a knowing look. For them, this message was nothing but
confirmation of their theory.
Are you going crazy yet
He couldn’t have made it more obvious even if he tried. Fyodor was definitely messing with
Dazai’s head.
‘’ I know why he did it.’’ Dazai decided to finally talk for himself.
‘’ Well, what are you waiting for? Share with the class, please.’’
Dazai refrained from cursing at Kunikida. Share with the class, yeah, cause it was that easy.
‘’ Well, there is a possibility that Fyodor is already altering reality.’’
‘’ But he hasn’t gotten his hands on the book yet.’’ Kunikida argued. ‘’ We were the ones that
stopped him from doing that. ’’
‘’ Yeah, the book is still very well concealed away from his reach.’’ Dazai said, ‘’ But Chuuya had
this theory that maybe he could have found a page, somewhere.’’
‘’ A page? ‘’ Yosano sounded distraught. ‘’ Okay. Say that has happened. How exactly would you
know that he’s already changing this reality? ‘’
Dazai swallowed his answer before he could say it aloud.
‘’ It’s something to do with you, isn't it? ‘’ Kyoka had never talked in a meeting before, without
having been addressed. So to speak so freely, there must have been no doubt in her head that what
she was saying was right.‘’ He’s affecting you.’’
Dazai’s eyes found the girl’s.
How could she have possibly figured that out?
‘’ Your reaction says her words are true.’’ Ranpo stated, seeing Dazai’s surprised face. ‘’ So why
do you think that? How exactly do you think he is affecting you? ‘’
‘’ Wait, hold on,’’ Kunikida chimed in, not letting Dazai answer first. ‘’ If Dostoevsky is really
affecting you, then how do we know that you’re speaking for yourself? ‘’
Everyone stared at him confused.
‘’ If Dostoevsky can somehow control Dazai’s mind, then how do we know he isn’t doing it right
now? How do we know he isn’t feeding us false information or-
‘’ That’s ridiculous.’’ Chuuya cut him, his voice sharp. ‘’ What could Fyodor achieve by doing
that? ‘’
Kunikida looked around trying to think of an example.
He couldn’t.
‘’ I don’t know, but-
‘’ You don’t know.’’ Chuuya interrupted him again by repeating his words. ‘’ That’s it.’’
‘’ No, no, he is right.’’
Chuuya’s attention shifted to his partner sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the table.
‘’ Kunikida is right. We don’t know that it is me who is talking right now. It could be
Dostoevsky.’’
‘’ Yeah, there is no way. I’m not buying that.’’
‘’ And your reasoning is? ‘’

Chuuya could feel the tension as it fell in the room. It was thicker than a fog in the early morning
after a rainy day in winter.
All eyes were on him.

‘’ Even if Dostoevsky could control what you say, he would surely make mistakes.’’
‘’ Mistakes as? ‘’ Dazai challenged.
‘’ The way you speak, the words you use, your stupid annoying jokes.’’ Chuuya explained,
‘’ Even if he could control what you say, he could never imitate all those things so perfectly as to
make it seem real. ‘’
‘’ And how would you know that? ‘’
Chuuya slapped his hands on the table letting out a very heavy sigh.
‘’ This conversation is pointless.’’ he concluded, his frustration visible to all. ‘’ We’re just circling
back to the same thing.’’
‘’ I agree.’’ Kunikida said, adjusting his glasses. ‘’ Nakahara’s reasoning is sound. Dazai hasn’t
done anything that could raise suspicions…yet ’’ he added that last word a few seconds later,
sending Dazai a sharp glance.
Dazai wanted to say that maybe Fyodor was doing it on purpose. Making him sound like himself
and leading them on, just so he could 'blind' them.
But why would he do that? Why was he even considering saying that? Why was he so ready to
challenge everyone and make them second-guess him?
He knew he was the one that was speaking. Those were his own thoughts, and theories, right?
So why was he doubting himself?

‘’ Nakahara and Kunikida made some good points, but the question remains,’’ Ranpo stood up so
that everyone could watch and hear him clearly. ‘’ Dazai, how did you figure out Dostoevsky was
affecting your mind? ‘’
Dazai looked over at Chuuya. Chuuya gave him a half-assed smile.
He took a deep breath before he answered.
‘’ I can’t really explain it,’’ he said, ‘’ but when I try to think of him and what he may be up to, my
brain goes blank.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ But you said you had a plan.’’ Atsushi reminded him. ‘’ You said you had a few things in
mind.’’
‘’ Yeah…that was a lie.’’ Dazai admitted. ‘’ I don’t.’’
‘’ Oh.’’

Dazai saw the moment Atsushi’s hopes and dreams for a better future shattered. He saw his eyes
darken as his despair took over.

‘’ Should we consider the message a threat, then? ‘’ Yosano asked with a serious tone in her voice.
She didn't need to stand up or slam tables to get everyone’s attention on her.
‘’ I mean, it’s targeted at Dazai, but Dazai is a member of the Agency. If Fyodor pulls any move
against him, it will be the same as attacking us.’’
‘’ I don’t think that’s gonna happen.’’ Dazai said. ‘’ I don’t think he’s gonna come after the
Agency as a whole.’’
‘’ You’re a member, you idiot, ‘’ Kunikida reminded him, ‘’ If he comes after you, no matter if it’s
in private, we will go after him. It’s simple.’’
‘’ I wouldn’t ask you to do that.’’
‘’ And you think I need your permission? ‘’

Dazai leaned back on his chair defeated. There was no point in arguing with Kunikida.
No point in arguing with anyone, for that matter.

The Agency, as weird as it was to admit it, seemed to care about him and his well-being.

That made Dazai want to jump off a roof and die.

The conference had ended in a stalemate, obvious to everyone that if Dostoevsky was indeed
planning something, no one had a clue as to what that could be.
There were no ideas being proposed, and no plans being conducted. Only mere accusations and
hypotheses thrown at the table, in hopes they would lead somewhere that wasn’t another dead end.
It was beyond aggravating. Neither Dazai nor Ranpo could see the bigger picture behind that
foreboding message.
They were supposed to be the brains of the Agency, and they had still come up with nothing. No
matter how much they had tried, they hadn’t been able to look past those five ominous words.
It had been catastrophic.
Despite having told Dazai that no one had been expecting anything from him, Ranpo knew that
wasn't true. No one would admit it on his face, but they had all secretly hoped Dazai would have a
plan when they had heard about the meeting that day.
Even Ranpo had hoped that.
Though he wasn't someone that depended on others, when it came to Fyodor Dostoevsky, he knew
he couldn’t deal with him on his own. He was very well aware that Dazai was a lot more suited for
that job.
So same as everyone else, he had expected Dazai to waltz inside the meeting room with his usual
nonchalant attitude, and run them down on what the plan was.
Unfortunately, no such thing had happened.

By the time Kunikida had dismissed them, nothing had changed, except for the fact that they were
all feeling just a tad more nervous than before.
A great development, that was for sure.

‘’ Would you walk with me, Atsushi? ‘’ Dazai asked the younger boy as they were exiting the
room. Atsushi nodded in agreement, following him to the main office.

Since Chuuya would be leaving with Yosano that night, Dazai figured it was a great opportunity to
have a little chat with the boy about a couple of things he had been meaning to discuss with him.

They said their goodnights to the remaining members, before leaving the building together.

Dazai looked upwards at the moon before directing his attention back to the boy that was
accompanying him. ‘’ Say Atsushi,’’ he began, ‘’ How was teaming up with Akutagawa? ‘’
Dazai had been wanting to ask him ever since the battle had ended, but with everything that had
followed, he hadn’t found the right time.
‘’ Awful,’’ The boy answered fast, disgust on his face. ‘’ I never want to partner with him again.’’
Dazai couldn’t help but let out a laugh. ‘’ Why is that? ‘’
‘’ We just don’t get along on a fundamental level.’’ Atsushi said, ‘’ He is selfish, impulsive and he
tries to stab you for no good reason.’’ he continued, ‘’ he’s also,
‘’ Yeah? ‘’
‘’ He said he wants to kill me in six months' time.’’
‘’ And what did you say to that? ‘’
‘’ Well, I’m sure you can guess, Dazai sir.’’
‘’ Sure, I have a vague idea.’’
Dazai thought about it. What could Atsushi have said to that? What could he have replied?
The answer was obvious.
‘’ I figured that’s what you’d say.’’
The boy looked at him. ‘’ Really? ‘’
‘’ You told him not to kill until then. Is that correct? ‘’
‘’ I just think that it could help him understand a few things.’’
Dazai smiled at the boy’s words.
‘’ So you are trying to help him, yet you’re also saying you won’t partner with him again? ‘’
‘’ Because he hates me.’’ Atsushi admitted. ‘’ Honestly, I can’t see us getting along, not now, not
ever. But even so, if I can do something to help him, shouldn't I at least try? ’’
Atsushi watched as his mentor put his hand in front of his mouth to cover up his laughter.
‘’ What is it? ‘’ he asked, confused, not understanding what Dazai had found so funny.
‘’ Oh, nothing,’’ Dazai smiled softly, ‘’ It’s just, I used to say the exact same thing about Chuuya.’’
‘’ About mister Nakahara? ‘’ Atsushi looked even more confused. ‘’ But you’re partners. You’re
inseparable. Sure you fight a lot but-
‘’ You don’t believe me? ‘’ Dazai’s question was laced with genuine curiosity.
Was he really living a life where people didn’t believe him when he said he and Chuuya used to
hate each other?
‘’ No, I do, I just-I find it difficult to imagine.’’
Difficult to imagine, huh?
‘’ Well, it’s true. When I first met Chuuya, he kicked me so hard, I broke my arm.’’
‘’ Really? ‘’
‘’ No. The kick had been hard but I only pretended I had broken my arm because I knew that would
make him feel even the tiniest bit sorry.’’
‘’ So you had a rough start? ‘’
‘’ A rough beginning, and an even rougher middle.’’ Dazai snickered.
‘’ But you’re good now.’’
‘’ I guess, we are.’’
‘’ So you think I could become friends with Akutagawa in the future? ‘’ Atsushi asked tentatively.
‘’ Even if he has tried to kill me like, at least a dozen times now? ‘’
‘’ All that I’m saying is that it’s not impossible.’’
‘’ Huh. I’ll keep that in mind then.’’

If anyone could help Akutagawa break away from that awful mindset he had, that would be
Atsushi.
The boy had already helped Kyoka break free. Maybe, just maybe, he could help Akutagawa in the
same way.

They strolled through the city together, walking in circles before they finally reached the
apartment complex Atsushi and Kyoka lived in. Kyoka was already there, sitting at the stairs,
probably waiting for Atsushi to appear.
Dazai greeted her, before saying his goodbyes, and leaving them on their own.

Kyoka looked so happy ever since she had joined them. Ever since she had met that boy.
Dazai wasn’t one to be hopeful, but he really hoped Akutagawa could end up like her one day.

He walked alone across the bridge and towards the apartment, the moon above him keeping him
company.
Tomorrow was a full moon. Maybe if it was a quiet night he could get Chuuya to walk the park
with him so they could see it, or pursue him into breaking inside some observatory.
Maybe he could get him to play a game later in the night, and make a bet so that they’d go out
tomorrow no matter what.
Or maybe he could just ask him. Be upfront for once and say he wants to go stargazing.
Nah, that sounded too lame, too pathetic.
It would be easier to make Chuuya lose in some game, and have him ‘obey his orders for a day’, or
something similar.

He was exiting the park, heading to his apartment when he felt it.
Someone was following him.
It wasn’t something new, he knew exactly what to do.
He got his phone out and typed a simple message before pressing send.

Chuuya looked around him, alarmed, trying to find anything that seemed out of the ordinary. His
eyes moving from the lamp post, to the bushes, to the alleys that stretched in front of him.
 ‘’ Hey, what’s wrong? ‘’ Yosano asked, nearing him.
Chuuya knew better than to speak aloud in cases like these, so he raised his hand and showed her
his phone. Yosano furrowed her eyebrows as she read the message. Her head, turning left and right,
her eyes searching.
Neither of them seemed to notice anything.
‘’ We should be going.’’ Yasano said, clearly shaken by the words she had read.
‘’ I think it’s time, we do.’’
Chuuya put his phone back in his pocket.

He and Yosano continued walking away from the bar they had gone to, their steps slightly quicker.
They decided to head toward the Agency. A common ground that was near both their houses.

When they were just a few blocks away from the Agency, he felt it.
From Yosano's surprise, he figured she had felt it too.
Someone was watching them.

He took his phone out as discreetly as he could and typed a reply.

Dazai’s message had warned him that someone would be heading his way.
So Chuuya figured he would let him know, that he had spotted whoever it was.

‘’ There’s someone following us.’’ Yosano whispered. ‘’ Should we confront him? ‘’

‘’ No.’’ Chuuya tried to think of the situation in a more rational manner.
Normally, he’d get up on that roof and beat the shit out of whoever had been stupid enough to
stalk. This time, however, he figured that would be stupid.
He had nothing to base his thoughts on, but he was ninety percent sure, it was one of Fyodor’s men
if not him.
‘’ I say we get to the Agency, and we stay there.’’ Chuuya replied,’’ You have the keys to the
office, right? ‘’
Yosano gave him a nod. ‘’ I do. They’re in my purse.’’
‘’ That’s good.’’

They turned the corner, the building of the Agency now visible to them both. Yosano took out her
purse, while they were still walking, and searched for the key.
Once they were near the threshold of the building she halted to put it in and unlock the door.
Chuuya stood a couple of steps behind her, waiting for her to open it.
His eyes wandered to the various rooftops close to them.
That’s when he spotted it.
The metallic glimmer of a sniper rifle.

He couldn’t see as clearly as he would like due to the distance but he was sure he could see the
shadow of the man that was holding the rifle. He could see that the gun was pointed at him.
Before he could turn to Yosano and tell her, he spotted another shadow.

That one was moving near the man that was targeting him. A strange spring in its steps.
Chuuya realized too late to who that shadow belonged.
‘’ DAZAI’’ He yelled, but it would have been impossible for his partner to hear him so far away.

The only thing he could do was stand there, idle, as he heard the echo of a gunshot.

Chapter End Notes

Me, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger???? Nooo

Jokes aside, I hope you enjoyed it!! <33

 Despair
Chapter Summary

Remember the fluff bomb that was chapter 7?

Well, it can't hold a candle to Chapter 14.

This is what I consider peak romance.

Enjoy.

Chapter Notes

Took me five days to write, but it is, without a doubt, one of my two most favourite
chapters up until now.
I poured my heart and soul into this chapter and it really is so sweet, so I'm sure you're
all gonna love it.

We get to see Dazai in a completely new light, and we also get to see his and Chuuya's
development so far in the story.
And of course, the development of their 'friendship'.

Things are going great for them.

Too great.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Chuuya heard the gunshot, and his legs started running, but before he could even take a few steps
toward the building, a blinding glow appeared on the roof.
He watched in horror as the explosion happened.
An explosion of blue and white light, blinding to the human eye. An explosion whose power had
been so strong, it had pushed his partner off that building.

The building was shorter than that of the Agency, so even if Dazai fell from the very top, he
wouldn’t be able to die.
That’s what Chuuya’s first thought should have been. But with only a few seconds to react he
hadn’t even considered it.

Chuuya had already sprinted to the spot where Dazai would be landing, his arms outstretched, his
eyes on his figure as it fell from the sky.

The impact Dazai’s body had on him hadn’t been as bad as he had expected.

Chuuya caught Dazai, with not much difficulty. Which was rather strange. He wasn’t as heavy as
he normally was.
No.
He wasn’t heavy at all.
Chuuya placed his body on the ground as gently as he could, keeping his head slightly raised.
‘’ Dazai? ‘’ He shook him, ‘’ Oi, are you there? ‘’ From what he could see, Dazai had already
passed out.
‘’ Nakahara, move,’’ Yosano ordered, rushing next to him before kneeling next to the man on the
ground. She put two of her fingers on Dazai’s neck, trying to find a pulse.
‘’ He’s alive,’’ Chuuya thought he ought to save her some time, ‘’ I caught him before he could hit
the ground, but-
His words died in his mouth, as a dozen butterflies appeared out of nowhere.
‘’ The fuck? ‘’
‘’ My skill.’’ Yosano sounded just as confused as he did, watching the butterflies fly around
Dazai’s torso.
Butterflies were the manifestation of her skill. If they had appeared, that could only mean it had
been activated.
But the patient in front of her was Dazai. It should have been impossible.
Chuuya kept looking at their wings as they came into contact with his partner’s skin, while Yosano
was removing his coat and his vest so she could better examine his wound.
‘’ My skill is working on him,’’ She observed, her eyes wide open moving from Dazai and the
butterflies gathered around him to Chuuya. ‘’ but how is that possible? ‘’

Confusion was painted across both their faces as Yosano took a better look at the injury. She
couldn’t afford to be surprised, she had to act professional.
‘’He needs surgery.’’ she stated, signalling for Chuuya to help her raise him up. ‘’ I can’t see the
bullet near the surface. It must be deep.’’
‘’ Another one? ‘’ It was a stupid question that required no answer. Dazai had been shot. Of course,
he would be needing surgery.
Chuuya wasted no time. He picked Dazai’s body in his arms and carried him to the Agency.
Again, he felt no weight.
It was weird.
His ability had never worked on him before. So why was it now?
What did it mean?

There was only one logical conclusion but Chuuya was ignoring it on purpose. If what he was
thinking had actually happened…
Things were bound to get really complicated real fast.

‘’ Go and wait outside, I can’t have you in the room.’’ Yosano said, discarding her blooded black
gloves from new, white ones. ‘’ I’ll call you as soon as he wakes up.’’
Chuuya wouldn’t have minded being there as the procedure was happening, but he could see
Yosano wouldn’t be allowing that.
‘’ Fine, I’ll be outside.’’

He sat down on the couch and took his phone out. He started to reread Dazai’s messages, trying to
find some clue as to what exactly had happened. There was none.
Someone had followed him, had stalked him, and then Dazai had gone to confront him?
But how had Dazai ended up like that?
And why the fuck was his and Yosano’s abilities able to affect him?

He moved to his desk and reached for the last drawer. He fished out a small bottle of wine and took
a few sips.
He wouldn’t drink too much, he wanted to be awake. Both to be there when Dazai would be
waking up, and to be able to stay alarmed in case their stalker decided to pay them a second visit.
He placed his phone on the table and sat back on the couch, his eyes on the door of the infirmary.
Given the story Dazai had shared with him the previous day, he didn’t think his partner was that
fond of surgeries and doctors. He wondered what he would think of Yosano, performing surgery on
him.
He’d most probably play it cool, saying it didn’t matter and that it didn’t bother him.

‘’ Chuuya~’’ Dazai smiled cheerfully as the redhead entered the room.

‘’ Really, Dazai,’’ Chuuya didn’t look as happy, ‘’ Taking a second bullet, so soon? Are you that
stupid? ‘’
‘’ Okay, ‘’ Yosano chimed in. ‘’ I think this is my cue to leave,’’ she said, heading to the door with
quick steps.‘’ Just, don’t make him laugh.’’ she added, before stepping out of the room. ‘’ His
stitches will come undone and yeah. That’s it.’’ she closed the door as if in a hurry.
Chuuya shifted his attention back to Dazai as if Yosano had never interrupted them.
‘’ What were you- ‘’
‘’ Can you make that tray fly? ‘’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’ With your ability. Make it fly. I want to test something.’’
Chuuya let out a sigh. He extended his hand and touched the silver tray. The moment his gloves
touched the surface, the tray was in the air.
Dazai reached for his hand then.
Chuuya expected to hear a clattering sound. He expected to see the tray falling to the floor.
Neither of those things happened.

He turned to face Dazai.

Dazai was grinning.
‘’ Your ability…’’ Chuuya’s words trailed off. He didn’t want to finish that sentence.
‘’ It’s gone.’’ Dazai spoke, his smile even wider than before, even brighter. ‘’ My ability is gone.’’
he finished it for him, clearly eager to do so.

Dazai’s face was the same as that of a kid who had just been told they had been removed from
Santa’s naughty list.
The relief, so clearly visible in his expression. In his eyes, that had lightened up the entire room.

‘’ My ability is gone.’’ He repeated, still processing the information. The phrase, strange in his
tongue, as if he couldn’t believe it himself.
‘’ Chuuya, you know what that-
He stopped mid-sentence.
‘’God, I’m hungry.’’ he muttered abruptly, grabbing his stomach a few seconds before it growled.
‘’ You are? But I thought you-
‘’ That’s what it is, no? When your stomach growls and it feels empty and you crave food? ‘’
‘’ Yeah, no, that’s it, I just- I thought you didn’t feel hunger.
" I want something sweet." Dazai declared, pushing himself off the patient's bed, and standing up.
Paying no mind to Chuuya. " Or maybe something salty? "
Chuuya stared at him, as he paced the room.
" Mmm, or rather a mix of the two? No, wait, I got it. Crab.’’
Chuuya raised an eyebrow.
‘’ I want crab."
What the fuck was happening?
" We can go to a tavern and order some seafood." His face lit up as if he had found the solution to
world hunger. "Yeah, that could work." It was like he was having a conversation with himself.
Dazai reached for his shirt that was on the chair next to the bed. He looked ready to leave.
" Wait, hold on." Chuuya was taken aback by that behavior of his." Could you maybe, I don't
know, tell me what happened, first?"
It wasn’t anger. Chuuya just wanted to understand.
‘’ Oh,’’ Dazai seemed startled. ‘’ I forgot to tell you. You’re right." He laughed it off, " Seems like
I got ahead of myself.’’
"..."
‘’ Well, like I told Yosano, the explosion was the result of a singularity.’’
Chuuya furrowed his eyebrows at him. A singularity? He knew what that was, but what were the
chances?
‘’ My ability is to nullify other abilities. That man’s is to steal others.’’ He explained, ‘’ So when
our abilities came in contact. When the bullet touched my skin. it created a singularity and that's
what caused the explosion.’’
" His ability works by shooting people? "
" From what I figured, yes. The bullets are not corporeal but rather a fragment of his ability. Which
is why the bullet vanished, as soon as it penetrated my skin."
Chuuya glanced down at the bandage around Dazai's abdomen.
" The wound remains, but the bullet does not." Dazai clarified, seeing Chuuya's curious eyes.
" You said it created a singularity."
" It did, yes."
‘’ So does that mean he has your ability now or? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know, but it’s a possibility.‘’ Dazai answered him with honesty, ‘’ that would be the case
normally, but because of the singularity, I can’t know for sure.’’
" I see." Chuuya lowered his head. " Still, I don't understand. Why did you get shot? Couldn't you
just dodge him? Like you always do? "
" He was after you, so I didn't think he would shoot me." Dazai admitted, albeit a bit embarrassed.
" His gun, or rather, the bullets inside it, are tied to his ability. It seemed stupid to waste them on
me when you were the target."
" Who was he? "
" He was sent by Fyodor, no doubt about that. But I don't know much else."

Something had changed.

Dazai was admitting not knowing things without an ounce of confusion or disappointment in his
voice.
He was throwing a tantrum yesterday, not even wanting to go to work because of that, yet he didn't
even care today?

Chuuya wondered if it had to do with him losing No Longer Human.

It had to, right? That was the only thing that had changed.

" And you're okay? " It was kind of a very standard, very safe question. Nothing wrong with asking
that.
" Yosano already fixed me up, so-
He would kill him.
" I meant with losing your skill, you idiot." Chuuya specified. " Are you really okay with that? "
" Oh," Dazai halted as he put his shirt on. " Yeah."
" You sure? "
" I wanted that thing gone since forever, Chuuya." Dazai confessed. " Believe me, I'm way better
than okay with that."
He believed him.
He wholeheartedly believed him.
Dazai looked so much lighter ever since he had woken up. So much, not happier exactly, but
relieved.
As if a burden that had been crushing him for years had finally been lifted off him.

" Hey, sorry, mind if I ask something real quick? " Yosano opened the door and popped her head
through, her eyes landing on Dazai.
" Sure doctor," Dazai kept his eyes on her for a single second before averting them. " go ahead."
" Much to my dismay, Kunikida asked me to write him a report, so. When you told me that the
man who shot you was after Nakahara, you only mentioned that Fyodor had been the one to send
him." Yosano reminded him, " Do we have a reason for that? A speculation? Anything that could
help make a case or start an investigation? "
" Wait, what time is it? " Dazai asked, turning to Chuuya.
" Four in the afternoon, why? "
" Okay, makes sense why Kunikida is here then. " He turned his attention back to Yosano.
" Hm, the only thing I can think of is simply wanting to 'defuse' Chuuya. His ability is one of the
strongest in Yokohama if not in the world, so it makes sense that Fyodor wouldn't want him to have
it."
" But if that was it, then why didn't the man chase him after he had shot you? "
" The force of the explosion pushed us both, but unlike me, he remained on the roof." Dazai said, "
I don't remember anything restricting him so he either was not capable enough to carry his mission
out, or I misread the plan and his objective was something different."

Again.
He was admitting the possibility of him having made a mistake and he wasn't thinking twice about
that.

Just in what way did No Longer Human affect him?

The moment it was gone, it was like Dazai was a different person.

" So you got shot in an attempt to save Nakahara? "

Dazai and Chuuya both looked elsewhere.
" I was under the impression the man wouldn't shoot me," Dazai answered, his voice tentative. "
But yes, I guess I did."
" Okay, that's all." Yosano considered him, the slightest of smirks on her lips.
" Oh, one more thing," she added, " Dazai, you can get the day off if you want, due to recovery
reasons. Nakahara, you can always ask Kunikida or the President, I'm sure they won't mind."
" Why for? " Chuuya asked.’’ I wasn’t injured.’’
" Dazai looks ready to leave this place," she indicated to Dazai, now fully dressed, the bandages of
the surgery still hidden beneath his shirt. " I thought you would be following him? "
The look she was giving him was making Chuuya reconsider his friendship with her.
" We'll see about that." It was the only thing he could answer her with a straight face.
" Great." She turned and exited through the door with no other word.
Dazai turned back to Chuuya.
" I want to go out." He said. A simple statement, that shouldn't have meant much.
No shit. Really? I didn’t figure.
" Out? " Chuuya echoed, his eyes following Dazai as he walked towards the infirmary's big
window.
" Yeah. I want to go out and eat something salty and then something sweet,’’ he replied.
‘’ And I also want to go to that amusement park by the port we never went to."
" That's Mafia territory."
" So? What will they do? Catch me? Pfft. As if."
Chuuya shook his head, not believing Dazai was saying all that stuff, and in such a way.
" If I want to go to a theme park, I'll go. If I want to go to the beach and watch the moon tonight, I'll
also go. If the Mafia comes after me, which they won't, let's be honest, I'll just make them regret
the day they were born. It’s quite simple."
Chuuya raised his eyebrows at him again, this time a stupid smile forming on his face.
What kind of power had taken over his partner?
He didn’t know, but he found the situation to be beyond amusing.

" Don't look at me like that.’’

‘’ Like what? ‘’
‘’ Like you think I’m crazy. I’m not.’’
‘’ Never said you were.’’
‘’ But you were thinking it.’’
‘’ I wasn’t.’’ Chuuya looked at him, ‘’ I was just trying to understand what kind of demon has
taken over your body.’’
‘’ Ha ha.’’ Dazai deadpanned. ‘’ Very funny.’’
‘’ Oh, come on, you’d be weirded out too if I started acting so strange.‘’
‘’ Strange? ‘’
‘’ Different. Whatever. I’m not gonna argue with you about a word.’’ Chuuya said, exasperated. ‘’
Look, I’m only trying to understand you, okay? To understand that…shift in your behavior? I don’t
know, call it whatever you want.’’
‘’ It’s not a shift.’’
‘’ Then what is it? ‘’
‘’ It’s the absence of my ability.’’
Chuuya’s eyes begged for him to elaborate, and Dazai wanted to comply but, explaining No
Longer Human…He wasn’t ready to do that.
At least not yet.
‘’ Ever since I woke up without it, my head has been clouded by wants and needs. By this desire to
do things.’’ He was trying really hard to explain it as best as he could.
‘’ Now, I don’t know about you, but I haven't felt that need so strongly since, well never. So
forgive me if I'm being a little…strange."

Chuuya kept staring at him, dumbfounded.

Completely awestruck by his words.

‘’ I have no idea what is happening inside of me right now. ‘’ he continued, ‘’ It’s like this voice is
screaming at me to get out, and do things and have fun, and-
Dazai was at a loss for words. He was so overwhelmed his mind couldn't bother to keep up with
his tongue.
" Go out, then. " Chuuya urged, " You heard Yosano. You already have the day off, so go out and
do all that stuff."
" It’s not that simple.’’ Dazai frowned, throwing himself on the chair, sulking his back on it. ‘’ We
have yet to formulate a plan and prepare for whatever-
" Oh, give yourself a break." Chuuya cut him off because if he heard Dazai say the word plan one
more time, he couldn't promise he wouldn't murder someone.

Two days now, all Dazai talked about were his plans. And while Chuuya understood why he was
doing that, he couldn't stand to see him so beaten because of them.
" But-
" Oh, for fucks sake." Dazia honestly needed a good smack in his head. " Fyodor attacked
yesterday. So the possibility of him attacking today as well is rather low, don't you agree? "
" Yes, but-
" But nothing." Chuuya cut him off again.
" I don't know how exactly your ability being taken resulted in you wanting to go out and stargaze
at the sea, but it happened. So all you can do for yourself now is follow up on those wants."
Dazai let out a sigh.
" Fine."
He had wanted to sound a lot more like he was settling with that, but he couldn't.
He wasn't settling. He was getting exactly what he had been wanting.
" Great." Chuuya smacked him on the back, pushing him towards the door. " Now go out, and have
fun."
Dazai stilled in front of it.
" You didn’t forget how to open doors, did ya? " Chuuya teased.
Dazai proceeded by neither opening the door nor laughing. He simply turned his body so it could
face his partner.
" Aren't you coming with me? "

Chuuya stared at him.

Oh.

Not even for a single second had the thought that he could have been invited, occurred to him.
Dazai had come off so strongly, saying that he finally wanted to do things and go to places and
have fun and all that.
He had made so many plans on the spot.
Chuuya hadn't even considered that he had been counting him in on those.
He felt stupid.

" You didn't think I want to do those things all by myself, did you? "
From Chuuya's expression, Dazai could very well tell that had exactly been the case.
" I'm hurt, Chuuya." Dazai frowned in a playful manner. " What kind of a dog owner do you take
me for? "
Chuuya rolled his eyes at him.
" I thought you had stopped with the dog jokes." He said, annoyed but also smiling.
Dazai grinned.
" Never."

Dazai had never been big on praying to a higher power, but when he was younger he had spent
countless days wishing for his ability to disappear.
It had been the one thing he had wanted. To wake up one day, and be normal.

He wasn't stupid. He knew his emptiness was a byproduct of his ability. He had connected the dots
as soon as he had learned he had one.

In his mind, No Longer Human was never a gift.

It was a curse.

Dazai had always felt as if he couldn't fit in with the rest of the world. So when he had discovered
he was an ability user, that feeling had only grown stronger.

He hadn't hated his ability, at first. In fact, he had thought it was cool.
But that was only until he had discovered the side effect it had on him.

His ability could nullify other abilities.

It could also nullify feelings.

Dazai had never been able to feel the same way as others did. For a very long time, he hadn't been
able to feel anything at all.
He had been content with that.
Early on, he had figured there was nothing he could do about it, and so as a kid, he hadn’t really
cared,

That however had changed when he had met Chuuya and Odasaku.

Although Dazai felt strongly for them both, his feelings would never have been enough.
They were too dull, too faint.

That was when he had first entertained the thought of finding someone that could take his ability
away.
Maybe then he could have shown them just how much he really cared. Maybe then he could have
been as open as he would have liked.
It wasn't an objectively bad thought, but for many reasons, it didn't stay in his head for long.

With time, Dazai had grown to hate his ability.

It completely alienated him beyond the human realm and it made him incapable of ever showing
the emotions he wished he could feel.
His ability was nothing but a heavy cross he had to carry.
Yet there was one saving grace.
One thing it did, that made him not want to give it up.

It could save Chuuya.

In a weird taste of fate, It just so happened that his ability was the only thing in the entire world that
could save Chuuya from the horror that was Corruption. The only thing that could bring him back
from that awful state.

Dazai would have been selfish if he had thrown that away.

Chuuya had been the only person to make him feel like perhaps, there was a reason he had been
born with such a curse.
So because of that, he had decided to keep it.

If it meant Chuuya got to live, then Dazai could suffer for a little more.

" So what are you thinking we should do first? " Chuuya asked, exiting the apartment and heading
towards his motorcycle.
" Food. " Dazai replied, following him. " I'm starving. So let's go somewhere to eat."
Chuuya tossed him a helmet. " That’s fine by me." He said, jumping on the machine.
" Seafood? "
" Mhm. "

With No Longer Human gone, Dazai's mind had become quieter.

The various thoughts that had suffocated him for years, were finally being buried beneath wants
and needs.
It wasn't half bad.
If it weren't for one specific, recurring bad thought, he would have been ecstatic.

This could be his only chance at a day without his ability. This could be his only chance to be
normal.
To be a human.
For all he knew, his ability could return the next day or even later that same day.
But it could also never come back.
The possibility of that had been haunting him from the moment he had awakened.

If No Longer Human wasn't in his possession and Chuuya for some reason was to use Corruption-
No.
It would return.
Sooner or later, it would return. It had to.
Otherwise, Dazai would go out looking for it.

There was no way he would do that to Chuuya.

No way.

" I hate this."

" Why? " Dazai gasped, his disappointment clear on his face.
" It's bad." Chuuya placed his fork and knife on the side of his plate. Then he wiped his mouth
with a napkin. " Lobsters are so much better."
" Said no one ever."
" How could anyone even like crab? It's weird."
Dazai took a big chunk of crab meat and put it in his mouth. " You're the weird one.’’ he said,
gulping it down.’’ This thing is divine."
" Divine my ass." Chuuya mattered, picking his tableware back up.’’ I’m only gonna finish it
because we’re at a tavern and not doing so would be impolite.’’
He reached for the piece he had yet to eat.
Dazai let out a snort. ‘’ Kouyou’s boy.’’
Chuuya tightened his grip on the knife. ‘’ Hirotsu’s boy.’’ He countered.
Dazai glared at him.
‘’ Your ‘counter’ isn’t even relevant.’’
‘’ So? ‘’ Chuuya scoffed, ‘’ Go cry about it.’’
‘’ Your arguments are stupid.’’
‘’ Oh, so they suit you. That’s good to know.’’ He flashed him a grin.
Dazai grabbed another piece of crab meat with his fork,‘’ And people say I’m the annoying one.’’
he muttered under his breath.
Chuuya reached for his glass.
‘’ And they would be correct.’’ he breathed before drinking his water.

‘’ So, should we hit the beach first, or the park? ‘’

‘’ It’s too hot to go to the beach.’’ Dazai reasoned. ‘’ So I say we go to the park first.’’
Chuuya put the tableware on top of his plate. Crossing them in a way that would show the staff he
had enjoyed his meal. ‘’ Aren’t the rides gonna be uncomfortable with this much heat? ‘’
‘’ They most certainly will, ‘’ Dazai replied, putting his silverware on the plate in no specific
order. ‘’ The seats of every ride are bound to be boiling hot with this much sun.’’
‘’ You fucking masochist.’’
‘’ I’m not.’’ Dazai lied. ‘’ Honestly, I can’t even see how you could draw such a conclusion.’’
‘’ Name one person from the Agency.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Just name one.’’
‘’ Kunikida.’’
Chuuya took his wallet and his phone out.
‘’ I bet you two thousand yen, If I call him right now, he will agree with me.’’
‘’ I’m not gonna bet on that.’’
‘’ Why? Cause you’ll lose? ‘’
Dazai wasn’t one to turn down a challenge. Even if he knew he would be on the losing side.
‘’ Fine. Go ahead. Call him and ask.’’
Chuuya dialled the number on his phone and pressed 'call'. When Kunikida had picked it up, he
pushed the button to put him on speaker.
‘’ Nakahara? Is something wrong? ‘’ Kunikida sounded concerned.’’ Should we send- ‘’
‘’ No, no, I just have a question.’’
‘’ What is it? ‘’ His concern turned into borderline annoyance
‘’ Do you think Dazai is a mazohist? ‘’
Kunikida didn’t miss a beat.
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Thank you.’’ Chuuya smirked, looking at Dazai.’’ You’ve just won me two thousand.’’
‘’ Is that all? ’’ He sounded so done with him.
‘’ Yeah,’’ Chuuya replied, ‘’ we were just disagreeing on-
Dazai heard the sudden beep emitting from the phone and immediately burst into laughter.
Chuuya stood there with his phone in his hand, and a disappointed expression on his face.
‘’ He hung up on you.’’
‘’ Shut up.’’

After Chuuya had taken his two thousand yen from Dazai, they had both walked out of the tavern
and into the street, heading towards the park that was only a few minutes away.

The sun was still high, the air was still hot and the pavement was still scorching. Dazai and Chuuya
were walking to the ticket booth, the smell of popcorn and of salted air accompanying them.

As they passed through the gates of the facility, Chuuya couldn’t help but be reminded of the day
they had gone to the Tanabata Festival earlier that year. Both settings were pretty similar.
Like in the Festival, the park was flooded with games and rides. With little shops and cafes and
even smaller stands from which you could get food. There were colourful decorations hung
everywhere, and there were fountains and waterfalls and big signs in every corner that told you
where exactly you were and showed you where you should go.
There were kids playing around, screaming and laughing followed by their tired parents who were
desperately trying to catch up with them. There were teenagers in big groups, laughing and joking
with each other, and even young adults like them, just enjoying their lives to the fullest. He could
spot a few groups of friends, waiting in line, and even some couples.

The whole atmosphere would be extremely similar to the Festival if it weren’t for one key
difference.
To Chuuya, Dazai seemed ten times more excited than then.

He wasn’t gaping at the rides and he wasn’t bouncing up and down like a toddler, but his
excitement was clear in his eyes.
They had a shine Chuuya had never seen in them before.
It was magnetizing.

‘’ You can’t be serious.’’ Chuuya looked at his partner who was now devouring a chocolate
waffle, just minutes after they had eaten fish and crab meat. The bare thought of those two flavors
interacting was making him reconsider going there with him.
‘’ Why? ‘’ Dazai asked, continuing to chew down on his waffle, fiddling with one of the cherries
by holding it from its stick and spinning it around like a little helicopter.
‘’ You just ate fish, man.’’
‘’ And? I told you I wanted something sweet.’’
Chuuya wasn’t a fan of mixing flavors together. In fact, he hated it. So every time Dazai would do
this he couldn’t help but be disgusted.
‘’ You’re making me sick.’’
‘’ I’ve heard that one before.’’ Dazai let out a laugh, ‘’ If you want to insult me, please, respect me
enough as to try and be a little more original than that.
‘’ Hmh,’’ Chuuya pretended to ponder over his request, ‘’ How about, you disgust me so much to
the point I want to jump off a bridge and die? ‘’
‘’ It’s...’’ Dazai made a gesture with his hands. ‘’ meh.’’
‘’ Your face makes me want to pour acid in my eyes so I can’t see it again.’’
‘’ Now we’re talking.’’

Dazai finished the rest of his waffle and immediately headed for what he thought would be the
greatest game in the park. Chuuya followed him there, trying to convince him that eating before
going on rides was a very bad idea. Dazai kept challenging him with arguments so stupid, he
couldn’t possibly have deflected.

According to Dazai and his calculations, the most interesting ride in the park seemed to be a weird
roller coaster, titled ‘The Devil’s Bargain’ with five loops and two very high scalings. It was the
ride with the longest and most loud cue, so by logic, it had to be the one that made people want to
return to it the most.
For Chuuya, the better choice was another ride that made you pass through a mini waterfall while
you were seated inside a canoe-like boat. Everyone that had come out of it had seemed to enjoy
getting water all over them, and the cue wasn’t as massive.
When his idea, Dazai told him that they would keep that as their last game there. His reason was
that he didn’t want to wet his bandages and have to deal with them being damp and all that.
Chuuya had thought it was a valid point, so he had agreed to go with his idea.

The ride wasn’t as thrilling or as exhilarating as Dazai had expected it would be, but he couldn’t
say he was disappointed either.
Sure, the loops and the scales, and the tunnels of all six rides, weren’t as imaginative or as unique
as he would have wanted them but was he really there for those?

‘’ Why are you insisting on dragging this thing wherever you go? ‘’ Chuuya eyed Dazai’s coat,
which was hanging from his arms. ‘’ It’s too hot today, why did you even bring this thing with
you? ‘’
‘’ It’s my coat.’’ Dazai answered as if that was a good enough explanation on its own. ‘’ I take it
everywhere with me.’’
‘’ Yeah but why? ‘’
‘’ Why are you wearing your hat even during the winter? ‘’
‘’ You know why. There are reasons.’’
‘’ Maybe I have similar reasons.’’

Chuuya gazed at the coat again.

Could it have been a gift from his friend?
No. The only present that he knew of was the pendant on his neck. Dazai had told him the story of
how he had got it.
He tried to remember if Dazai had ever mentioned anything about his coat that could be linked to
Odasaku. He couldn’t come up with anything.

‘’ Fine, keep your reasons.’’ Chuuya brushed the topic aside, ‘’ The sun is falling and we have
already done everything but the water ride, so shall we go there? ‘’
‘’ Should we also grab a smoothie before that? ‘’ Dazai tried.
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Oh, come on~
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Chuuya~
‘’ Uh, fine.’’ Chuuya gave up. ‘’ If you end up regretting it, I won’t take any responsibility.’’
‘’ Yay.’’

‘’ Using me as a shield? ‘’ Dazai laughed, pulling and twisting the fabric of his shirt so he could
get most of the water out. ‘’ Really Chuuya? ‘’
‘’ I didn’t use you as a shield.’’ Chuuya retorted, hitting his hat on a metal bar so as to dry it. ‘’ I
was simply seated behind you.’’
Dazai took one of his shoes out and turned it so that the water would fall down. ‘’ You pulled me
towards you so that my head could cover you.’’ Dazai laughed, doing the same thing with his other
shoe. ‘’ I’d say that counts as using me as a shield.’’
Chuuya put his hat back on his head, folding the pockets of his cargo shorts outwards.’’ Can you
prove that happened? ‘’
‘’ What do you mean prove? ‘’ Dazai started patting his bandages with the fabric at the bottom of
his shirt, trying to dry them.’’ You know you did it.’’
‘’ Nah, it doesn’t sound like something I would do.’’ Chuuya shook his head innocently.
‘’ We’re going to put your delusions aside for a minute cause now, we need to hurry or we’ll miss
it.’’ Dazai said, beginning to walk, his eyes flying upwards, searching for the exit of the park.
‘’ Miss what? ‘’ Chuuya asked, hurrying his step so he could catch up with him.
Dazai didn’t answer him. He simply smiled.

From ever since he could remember, Dazai had never had a love for sunsets.

To him, sunsets had never been anything more than a temporary state of the sky which occurred
when the sun was falling behind the line of the horizon.
Sure it was considered pretty because of the combination of the colors the sky changed to, but it
wasn’t anything special,
It wasn’t anything that inspired awe.

So it was quite the surprise when he had realized he had developed an affinity for the
phenomenon.

He didn’t know when exactly it had happened or how, but Dazai had found himself chasing after
sunsets.
He wouldn’t go out of his way on a busy day, but if he wasn’t doing much and he had the time, it
was more than likely that he would try to sneak a peek of the sky from some balcony or roof.
He found the golden color of the sky to be beautiful, but he wasn’t interested in that.
He was only there for that sweet orange aftershade that followed.
‘’ The view from up here is incredible. ’’ Chuuya said, his eyes glued to the sky. ‘’ That must be
the greatest sunset I’ve ever seen.’’
‘’ Yeah,’’ Dazai agreed, his eyes not on the sky. ‘’ I guess the view is not half bad.’’

He averted his eyes from Chuuya and that was when he realized.

It wasn’t the sunset that had grown on him, but rather a certain person.
It just so happened that the sunset was a reminder of him.

‘’ Not half bad,’’ Chuuya repeated in a mocking voice, turning to him.‘’ Would it kill you to admit
you like something? ‘’
‘’ It’s pretty but I don’t like ‘’ It was a simple statement. And Dazai supposed it was the truth.
Chuuya rolled his eyes at him, ‘’ If you don’t even like it, then why did we have to run all the way
here? ‘’ he said, half whining.
‘’ Cause I know you do.’’ Dazai flashed him a [Link] I may not like the sunset, but I do like
you.
He couldn’t say that aloud, but he wished he could.
‘’ So? ‘’
‘’ I came across this spot once while I was out, so I thought I would be a good person and share it
with you. It’s a sweet spot to watch the sun falling into the sea.’’
‘’ That’s true.’’ Chuuya scoffed, ‘’
‘’ It also makes for a good diving board.’’
‘’ A good wha-

Dazai’s touch hadn’t nullified his ability.

If he had wanted, Chuuya could have very easily flown away before his body had ever hit the
water.
He didn’t.
Dazai took that as his sign to let go of his stuff and jump after him.

By the time the two of them decided to swim back to the coast, the night had already fallen, the
moon was shining bright above them and the first stars were beginning to appear in the sky.

Dazai dragged his body out of the water, his bandages so wet, they were making him itchy.
Chuuya followed him, trying to squeeze the water out of his hat for the second time that day.

It had been such a dumb idea.

Diving in the sea fully clothed? Honestly, who would do that?
Your clothes get all wet and then they stick to you and you feel uncomfortable. The sand gets
absolutely everywhere. Depending on the fabric, the salted water could cause damages to your
clothes. And there are good chances you could get pneumonia if you don't change fast.

Objectively, it's a terrible idea.

But at the time it was happening, they had both found it hilarious.

Now that the cold night breeze was blowing on them, it didn't seem as funny.

‘’ Where the fuck did you say you say you put all the fireworks? ‘’ Chuuya asked, searching
through Dazai’s coat that was lying on the ground. Careful not to drop it into the sand.
‘’ Try the pocket on the inside.’’ Dazai advised.
Chuuya lifted the coat enough so he could reach the inner pocket. Soon enough in his hands were a
few firework sticks.
‘’ And the lighter? ‘’
‘’ Look around you,’’ Dazai said extending his arms open, ‘’ there are thousands of rocks waiting
for you to pick them up and-’’
‘’ Throw them on your head? ‘’ Chuuya said, pushing his own narrative. ‘’ Cause I’m not gonna
use them to light up a fire, I’ll tell you that.’’
‘’ Tsk.’’
‘’ Will you tell me where the lighter is? ‘’
‘’ It’s in my back pocket, the one on the left.’’
Chuuya followed his instructions and searched there. ‘’ Now, was that so hard to do from the start?
‘’
‘’ No,’’ Dazai admitted,’’ but it is less entertaining.’’
Chuuya ignored his comment, taking the lighter in his hands so he could light up his stick.
‘’ For someone that said he had a ‘plan’, this is really cheap.’’ Chuuya half complained, holding
the stick in his hands and moving it around so it could create the tiniest of fireworks.
‘’ Wait. You thought this was the plan? ’’ Dazai let out a chuckle, stepping ahead, so he could turn
his back on the ocean and face his partner. ‘’ Oh, how terribly far I must have fallen from your
grace.’’

The moment he said that, the real show began.

Chuuya watched as the sky behind and above Dazai changed into a million colors. From bright
reds and pinks to blues, and golds. Fireworks of every color and of every shape could be seen
covering the night sky, at that moment, each presenting its own little show.
The sky reminded Chuuya of a battlefield.
Both had that rare beauty you could only find in the darkest of places.

He moved his eyes lower and caught a glimpse of Dazai trying to light up his own little firework,
struggling with the lighter because of the strong breeze.
The fireworks in the sky were mesmerizing, and he knew he was missing them but his eyes had
decided to stay there. To stay and watch Dazai as he struggled with the lighter. To watch his smile
when he had finally managed to illuminate that little stick.

There were sparks all over the sky, but the only ones that interested Chuuya were the ones in his
partner’s eyes.

‘’ Hey, Chuuya,’’ Dazai called from where he stood near the water, ‘’ come over here.’’

When he was younger, Dazai remembered having this dark desire to die with Chuuya.
To commit with him the perfect double suicide, to leave the world with the one person that had
stayed with him throughout everything.
He used to think It would make for the perfect ending to the tragedy that his life had been.

That thought had consumed his days, always living in the back of his head.
What if something went wrong and he died during the mission with Chuuya on his side?
Oh, it would be ideal, wouldn’t it?

Now that years had passed and he was a lot older he realized just how stupid that thought had been.

Because now, as he looked at him, just standing there near the ocean with his eyes on the fireworks
that were lighting up the sky, he realized that he no longer wanted to die with Chuuya.
No.
He wanted to live with him.

He wanted to try and be his best self.

He wanted to be the man Chuuya deserved to have as a friend.
He wanted to--

‘’ The moon is beautiful tonight, isn’t it? ‘’ Dazai felt so stupid for saying those seven words aloud.
Then, he felt even stupider, when he realized Chuuya hadn’t heard him
‘’ The fireworks are great.’’ He said instead, unable to repeat the previous sentence. Chuuya
seemed to have heard that.
‘’ They are.’’ He agreed with a smile, turning to him.’’ Did you say something, before?’’ He
asked, ‘’ I think I heard you speak but it could have been the wind.’’
As much as he wanted, Dazai couldn’t repeat himself.
‘’ Oh, I just pointed out that it's a full moon. ’’
For a moment Chuuya’s expression seemed close to a disappointed one.’’ It is.’’ he said, his face
changing into a soft smile, his eyes moving upwards.

The last firework exploded in the sky and silence fell.

‘’ You can take my coat if you want.’’ Dazai said, lowering himself to the ground. ‘’ And don’t try
to play it tough,’’ he laughed, ‘’ I’d rather we didn’t argue for such a stupid matter.’’
Chuuya had really wanted to refuse, but his body was shivering, and so he decided, for this once,
he would let it slip. With a slight nod, he grabbed the coat and threw it on his shoulders before
sitting next to Dazai.
So close their shoulders were almost touching.

‘’ You know, the night we met was also a full moon.’’

‘’ Really? ‘’ Chuuya asked.
He tried to recollect the memory, but he didn’t remember being interested in the sky that day.
‘’ Yeah.’’ Dazai answered, ‘’ It was one of the very few times I ever paid attention to the sky. ‘’ he
continued. ‘’ Mori had me working overtime to come up with a scheme that would get you to join
us. I was so tired of him ordering me around, so I went out to catch a break. My eyes happened to
drift upwards and then I noticed it was a full moon.’’
‘’ Huh. That’s interesting.’’ Chuuya couldn’t remember it, but if Dazai could, that meant it was
true, so he would take his word for it.

Again that awful awkward silence, but why?

It wasn’t like they were on bad terms with each other or that they were fighting. They were having
a blast, so why?

‘’ Hey, Chuuya.’’
Chuuya turned his head to the right to face him.
‘’ Mind if we take a photo? ‘’
A photo?
‘’ I thought you didn’t like taking photos.’’
Dazai stared at him, blinking. ‘’ Why would you think that? ‘’ He asked, curious to know.
Chuuya shrugged his shoulders, accidentally brushing them with Dazai’s. ‘’ I’ve never seen you
take one. So I figured you didn’t like them.’’ Chuuya reasoned, ‘’ Many people don’t, it’s not that
weird.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ If you want to know, I quite do enjoy photography.’’
‘’ You? ‘’
‘’ Yeah.’’
Chuuya let out a snort, ‘’ I’ve been living and working with you for more than 7 years now and
I’ve never seen you take not a single picture.’’
‘’ The fact you haven’t seen me doesn’t mean I haven’t done it.’’ Dazai’s smirk was full of
mischief.
‘’ Okay, let’s say I believe you.’’ Chuuya started. ‘’ I’m going to take a photo with you only if you
tell me what you normally photograph.’’
‘’ That’s fair.’’ He said impressed. Chuuya’s negotiation skills had really improved.
‘’ So? ‘’
Dazai took a breath before he could answer, thinking of his response.
‘’ Stars.’’
‘’ Like the ones in the sky? ‘’
‘’ No, like the ones on the ground.’’ Dazai deadpanned, thinking he was clever for that one
because he was basically telling him the truth.
‘’ You’re such a jackass. ‘’ Chuuya, ever so kindly, said right before he reached for his phone. A
deal was a deal. And taking a photo with Dazai didn’t sound that bad.
‘’ Don’t bother,’’ Dazai stopped him. ‘’ There is a disposable camera in the front left pocket of my
coat.’’
Chuuya wondered how he hadn’t noticed that. The coat was draped over his shoulders, he should
have at least felt the weight of it.
‘’ Huh. You weren’t kidding me.’’ Chuuya fished the camera out of the pocket, holding it up.
‘’ Any particular pose? ‘’ he asked.
‘’ Do whatever you want,’’ He replied, ‘’ I don’t have anything specific in mind.’’
Chuuya looked at him and then at the camera.

The first thing that came to his mind as he looked at the camera was to lean over Dazai and-
Oh.
Oh.

OH NO.
There was no way that was happening. No way.
Chuuya shook his head violently to get the idea out.
No. No. No.

‘’ You okay? ‘’
‘’ I’m fine, I just-
Fuck.
‘’ My hair was in the front of my face and I was trying to shake them away.’’ good. That was good.
That was believable.
‘’ Oh, here.’’ Dazai reached with his hand, took a hold of a big strand of his reddish hair and
tucked it behind his ear. ‘’ Is that better? ‘’
Fucking hell, it was NOT.
‘’ Yeah, it’s fine.’’ Chuuya fought down every urge he had.
Nah. It was just a stupid thought. One of those intrusive ideas. Yeah. That’s what it was.
He made the mistake of looking at Dazai.

Dazai was still looking at him, his expression reminiscent of that he gave him two days ago when
he had called him smart.
Fuck.

Dazai looking at him fondly was the last thing he needed at that moment.

‘’ What if we light up two of the sticks that remain and we just held them? ‘’
‘’ That’s a great idea,’’ Dazai said, ‘’ here, give me the camera,’’
Chuuya handed it to him.
Dazai took it in his hands and did something with the settings. Chuuya reached for the coat, now
on the ground again, and took out two more fireworks sticks.
He let them both up and gave the one to Dazai.

Without much of a warning, Dazai snapped the picture.

‘’ I sneezed.’’ Chuuya complained, ‘’ and you didn’t even count to three.’’

‘’ Well, we only had one chance at it. Not my fault you blew it.’’ Dazai laughed, ‘’ Quite
literally.’’
‘’ Oh, fuck off.’’ Chuuya punched him lightly in his arm. ‘’ It’s gonna come out so awful.’’
he complained again.
‘’ Chuuya always cares about appearances.’’ Dazai said dramatically, ‘’ But pictures aren’t about
that. They are about capturing the moment.’’
‘’ You only say that shit because you managed to look decent.’’ Chuuya said, quickly getting up
before Dazai could reply with anything like ‘Aw, was that a compliment?’.

Dazai packed the things back in his coat and took it from the ground.

‘’ Are there any more stops I should know of? ‘’ Chuuya asked, wanting the answer so he could
calculate the chances of a very specific thought reoccurring.
‘’ As a matter of fact, there are two.’’

Finality. That was what he was feeling.

It was the same twist in his stomach he had felt the night he had last met up with Odasaku and
Ango before it had all happened.
The same nerve-wracking hunch that told him only bad was to follow.

Dazai had tried to ignore it.

He had tried to bury that feeling by keeping his attention on Chuuya and everything they were
doing together. By focusing on their conversations, on their jokes and their laughter. By enjoying
his time with him.

He thought that would have been enough.

Unfortunately, it hadn't.

When he had first proposed his idea of the outing to Chuuya earlier that day, he hadn’t anticipated
that it would have backfired so badly.

It was crazy just how much he had realized because of those past few hours.

‘’ The observatory? ‘’ Chuuya read the sign on the door aloud, looking at the entrance of the big
building in front of them. ‘’ Isn’t it closed at such an hour? ‘’ It was past midnight, the door was
shut and he could see no one around but a few security guards. He supposed it was a fair question
to ask.
‘’ It is closed.’’ He said, wearing his most cunning smile,’’ but I happen to have a few
connections.’’
‘’ What kind of a connection? ‘’
‘’ A printer connection,’’ Dazai said, casually taking the blueprints out of yet another pocket in his
coat.
Chuuya wondered just how much stuff he had brought with him. The coat must have had a limit,
right?
‘’ So we’re breaking in? ‘’ Chuuya leaned closer to observe the blueprints himself, ‘’ That’s not so
lawful of two respected detectives like us.’’
‘’ I never said we were breaking in. You made that assumption yourself. ‘’
‘’ Then what are we doing? ‘’
‘’ We are getting inside,’’ Dazai tested the waters, ‘’ by using some more alternative ways, that
people could potentially find controversial.’’
‘’ So we are breaking the law.’’
‘’ Yeah, pretty much.’’

No. It wasn’t crazy. That was the worst part.

Dazai hadn’t magically come up with new realizations caused by those past few hours.
He had simply accepted pre-existing ones.

And he hated to admit it, but he knew it was true.

He looked at Chuuya and all he could think about, anymore, was that he would do anything to not
lose what they had.
To not lose him.
He looked at his smile and all he could think was that he wouldn’t mind waking up to it every
morning for the rest of his life.
He heard his laughter and he thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world.

It was ridiculous.

When Dazai had first woken up without his ability, the first thing he had thought of was how the
absence of No Longer Human would affect his feelings for Chuuya.

For the longest time, before Chuuya had come inside that room, Dazai had dreaded the worst. He
had feared that his feelings would grow so much stronger, that they would spin out of his control.
That they would make him do something so foolish that would ultimately ruin everything.
To his bewilderment, that hadn’t been the case.
Desires, wishes, needs, urges. All those things had finally made their debut in Dazai’s heart.
But Chuuya?
Dazai had been pleasantly surprised to find he had already made his debut there, a long time ago.

" Hey, jackass," Chuuya called to him in a whispered voice once they had finally climbed out of
the venting system. " How many security guards did you say were there? "
He kept whispering, looking at at least two of said guards.
" On this floor? Two. One on the left wing and one on the right." Dazai said, reciting the
information.
Chuuya signalled for him to take a look at the two guards that were sleeping on the same table a
few feet away. A chessboard sprawled in front of them.
Dazai held his laughter in.
He hadn't expected anything better.
" Do we let them be or do we throw them inside some closet? "
" What do you suggest? "
" Closet." Chuuya didn't miss a bit. " It's funnier when you just shove them inside some supply
room."
Dazai agreed by nodding his head. " We could also draw faces on them. To find when they wake
up." He added fuel to the fire.
Chuuya grinned excitedly.
" Yes.."

Dazai had expected to look at Chuuya and experience this explosion of emotions that novels had
always described. This overwhelm that caused your heart to race wildly and rendered you
speechless.

He had been so naive as to think everything would change just because his ability was absent.

No Longer Human had dulled all his emotions.

That curse had made Dazai become so guarded, so closed off, so numb to everything around him. It
had pushed him to a life of solitude and loneliness. It had forced him to raise walls that reached
beyond the skies.
Impenetrable walls that would have kept everyone at bay shouldn’t Odasaku have come into his
life.

‘’ Now, this, is a refractor telescope,’’ Dazai said, pointing at the telescope on his right. ‘’ That
one,’’ he pointed in the opposite direction. ‘’ That one, is a reflector telescope.’’ He said, excited to
finally share that useless piece of information with someone that looked even the tiniest bit
interested.
‘’ What’s the difference? ‘’ Chuuya asked, looking between the both.’’
Dazai fought back a smile.
‘’ Well,’’ He moved closer to the one near him. ‘’ Refractor telescopes, like this one, use lenses to
bend light into focus, while reflectors, like the one behind, use mirrors to reflect light into focus.’’
Dazai explained. ‘’ Now, you could argue that there is a third type, however, the catadioptric
telescope is basically just a combination of the two, that uses both mirrors and lenses.’’
‘’ Yeah, I don’t care about their inner works as much as their functions, so mind elaborating on
that? ‘’
Dazai didn’t mind at all.
‘’ Okay. Refractor telescopes are used to observe deep-space objects like galaxies and nebulae.
Reflector telescopes are for observing larger and brighter objects like the planets and the Moon.’’
‘’ So since we want to take a look at the moon we’ll use the one there? ‘’ Chuuya’s eyes pointed at
the telescope located at the far end of the room.
‘’ Correct.’’
‘’ And you know how to operate it? ‘’
‘’ Also correct.’’
‘’ Why would you pick up such a skill? ‘’
The question startled Dazai. No one had ever inquired about his affinity with astronomy before.
Not that he had let it ever show, of course, but still.
‘’ I used to have a telescope when I was a kid.’’ He said with the slightest hesitation in his voice. ‘’
One of the maids of the house had bought it for my birthday.’’

Dazai would always be grateful to Odasaku for breaking that first wall.
For making the start.
Because of him, Dazai had learned the importance of friendship. The importance of opening up.
Though It had taken him quite some time, Odasaku had managed to tear down many walls of his,
when they had still been friends.
Dazai liked to think that if they had more time together, one day he would have torn them all down.

‘’ So you liked looking out into Space? ‘’

It was funny.

Dazai used to think that Chuuya kept asking him such questions because he was trying to
understand the enigma he had made himself out to be. Because he wanted to find an excuse or a
reason for why Dazai was who he was.
But it was clear to him now, that Chuuya was only asking because he wanted to know him better.

‘’ I didn’t consider it something I liked doing,’’ he answered with honesty. ‘’ More like something
I didn't hate doing or didn’t find that boring.’’
‘’ That’s why you’re always looking upwards when we walk during the night.’’ Chuuya said, ‘’
you still find the night sky fascinating.’’
‘’ I never said I found it fascinating, but yes, I do find it interesting.’’
‘’ Hm.’’ Chuuya smiled, ‘’ What else do you know? ‘’
Dazai's eyes widened by the invitation to share what he had thought would forever be useless
knowledge. ‘’ About what? ‘’
‘’ Space, telescopes, the galaxy, the moon, whatever.’’

If Odasaku could see him now, Dazai liked to think that he would be happy to know that even if he
hadn’t managed to break through his every wall, he had still made the start that had allowed
Chuuya to do so.
Dazai liked to think that Oda would be proud of him, for allowing something like that to happen.

‘’ Have you ever been to an observatory before? ‘’ Chuuya asked once Dazai was done explaining
to him the difference between a galaxy and a nebula.
‘’ No.’’ Dazai replied, the tiniest bit of melancholy detectable in his voice. ‘’ Although at some
point, I was on the way to one, my father turned the car back before we could have arrived.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
Dazai looked away, surprised at how little the memory bothered him now.
‘’ He found my ramblings about telescopes and space to be annoying and of a childish nature. The
observatory, you see, was owned by a business partner of his. So he didn’t want his son to
embarrass him.’’
Chuuya glanced over the telescope at his partner. ‘’ How old were you? ‘’ he asked, his voice
lowered.
‘’ Eight? ‘’ Dazai said, and it sounded like a question, a slight infection on the word. ‘’ But I could
have been older, I don’t remember.’’
That was a lie.
Dazai remembered the day of his eighth birthday all too well. How could he ever forget being
denied the one thing he had wanted as a child?

‘’ So what constellation is that,’’ Chuuya asked, pointing at the stars already visible in the night
sky.
Dazai crawled to where Chuuya was sitting so he could understand which set of stars he had meant.
‘’ Point again.’’ he instructed.
‘’ That one.’’ Chuuya raised his finger again, to indicate the same random combination of stars he
had pointed to before in order to distract Dazai from their previous conversation.
‘’ The one that makes a W? ‘’
‘’ The one beneath it.’’
‘’ Oh.’’ Dazai hadn’t expected to see that constellation so early in the fall. ‘’ That’s Perseus.’’ he
said.’’ Obviously named after the Greek myth.’’
Chuuya looked at the stars. He couldn't really see anything that could resemble the legendary hero,
but he decided to go along with it.
‘’ What’s so interesting about that? ‘’
‘’ It’s a rather malicious constellation.’’ That seemed to have grabbed his attention.
‘’ It’s a star. How could it be malicious? ‘’
‘’ Okay, you see how it kind of forms a very weird-looking capital E? ‘’
Chuuya tried really hard to see it. Like, really hard.
‘’ I think so, yeah.’’
‘’ Can you see its middle line? ‘’
‘’ Mhm.’’
‘’ It goes, one bright star, a second bright star, two very close even brighter stars, and then one
more star.’’
Chuuya could actually see that.
‘’ What’s special about the order? ’’
‘’ Oh, the order isn’t special, I just wanted you to locate the double star easier.’’ Dazai explained.
‘’ Its name is Algol and it’s supposed to stand for the head of Medusa in the myth. Because of that,
early astronomers named it the Demon Star.’’
‘’ That’s interesting.’’
‘’ It is, isn’t it? ‘’ Dazai leaned closer, ‘’ now, we are able to see it, but if we were here, say
yesterday, we wouldn’t have been.’’
‘’ Why? Does it disappear or something? ‘’
‘’ Actually yes. That’s basically what a variable star does.’’
‘’ That’s cool. ‘’ Chuuya nodded his head approvingly. ‘’Are there any more like them? ‘’

Dazai smiled and continued talking, wishing that the night would never end.

After breaking into the control room to delete all the footage from the security cameras, and after
having taken out the young men from the storage room, Dazai and Chuuya had left the
observatory, the same way they had entered.

They crawled through the vents and then walked to Chuuya’s motorcycle, which they had parked
just a few streets down.

It was already four in the morning.

Which meant Dazai and Chuuya had just spent more than four hours laying on the cold marble
floor of an observatory, talking while stargazing.

It had truly been incredible. The most fun Dazai had ever had.
Getting to see Chuuya being so excited about things that interested him. Asking questions and
genuinely wanting to know more.
It was a memory he knew he would cherish.

‘’ YOU FUCKING BASTARD,’’ Chuuya yelled, maniacally hitting the buttons on the panel below
him.’’ YOU CAN’T DO THAT- YOU CAN’T-
‘’FUCK.’’
Dazai grinned triumphantly, peeking above the machine.
‘’ Aww, you lost? ‘’ he teased.
‘’ The fight.’’ Chuuya stood up, so he could face him. ‘’ But I’m not going to lose the war.’’ he
said, trying his best to salvage the last remaining pieces of his dignity.
‘’ That’s the fifth fight you lost in a row.’’
‘’ Mm, yeah, ‘’ Chuuya agreed, ‘’ Maybe it’s because you keep doing the same fucking thing
you’ve always done.’’
‘’ Aww, and you still haven’t found a way to counter it? ‘’ Dazai’s mouth formed a straight line, ‘’
Sounds like, how do I put this nicely, you suck.’’ He grinned again.
‘’ Oh, I’ll show you who fucking sucks.’’ Chuuya challenged him, resuming his battle position.
Dazai’s fingers wavered over the ‘ready’ button.
‘’ Whenever you’re ready.’’ He called.
‘’ Bring it on.’’

The Arcade had been their last stop before they had headed back to the apartment.

That place carried with it some of his most treasured memories.

One last game with his partner had been exactly what he had needed.

Dazai wouldn’t have wanted the night to end in any other way than that.

‘’ Close your eyes.’’

‘’ Huh? Why? ‘’

Chuuya had parked the motorcycle near the entrance of the park as he always did, just a few feet
away from the apartment. While walking towards their building, his eyes had drifted upwards and
an idea had struck him.

‘’ Just close them.’’

‘’ Fine.’’ Dazai said, closing his eyes.
Chuuya took a deep breath before he spoke again. ‘’ Now take my hand.’’ he said, extending his
hand.
‘’ Huh? ‘’ Dazai couldn’t hide his surprise. Which made Chuuya rethink his idea.
‘’ Will you just do as I say? ‘’
Dazai reached forward and took his partner’s hand.
‘’ Now, what? ‘’
Before long Dazai’s feet had been lifted off the ground. It was a strange, ticklish sensation. In an
instant, he realized it was Chuuya’s ability.
‘’ You can open them now, but don’t let go.’’ Chuuya said, looking away.

Dazai opened his eyes.

‘’ Wait-
‘’ You mentioned you wanted to try this, so I thought now that you don’t have your ability-

Chuuya didn't manage to finish the sentence. The surprise of having Dazai's arms wrapped around
him was too big.

" Thank you."

Dazai retreated and looked around. Ηis eyes fell on his shoes.
He was standing on the cable of the utility pole outside their apartment.
He was defying gravity.

" It's nothing much." Chuuya said his head still turned away. " I just thought that you would like it.
That's all."
" I do." Dazai said, and he meant it. " I really do."
It felt so weird yet so thrilling.
His heart was beating like crazy. He was trying to calm it down, but he couldn't.

He jumped up and down testing the extent of Chuuya's power.

Chuuya stared at his hand as it bounced with his partner.
Then he stared at Dazai who was trying to hang upside down from the cable.
He looked happy.
He looked like he was enjoying this much more than any ride in the park.

Dazai bounced back, standing still.

He opened his mouth excitedly,’’ Hey, you know what we could do? " he asked, looking into
Chuuya’s eyes.
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ We could dance here." Dazai proposed.
" Absolutely not.’’
" Oh come on~"
" No."
" But why? "’ Dazai pulled his hand so Chuuya would come closer to him. " I promise, I'm a great
dancer." He whispered close to his ear.
" And I'm letting go of your hand if you continue." Chuuya said sharply, withdrawing and turning
his body away.
Dazai let out an exasperated sigh. " Alright, alright. No dance." He said with a frown. ‘’ You’re
missing out though, I’ve been told I’m quite the dancer~ ’’
" You're also quite annoying~
" You hurt me."
" Hmm, how about this? If you become less annoying, I might dance with you." Chuuya offered,
knowing that would never happen.
" Really? "
" Maybe one day." He whispered, making his way toward the apartment's window. ‘’ You never
know.’’

Dazai smiled but his smile didn't reach his eyes.

‘’ Are you tired yet? ‘’ Dazai called, moving himself to the main couch inside the living room.
‘’ No, not really.’’ Chuuya responded, sitting down on the seat next to him.
‘’ Are you up for a movie, then? ‘’
‘’ Yeah. Why not.’’

Chuuya was in fact, not up for a movie.

He ended up sleeping around the one-hour mark.

Dazai looked to his left, careful not to move his body. Chuuya had fallen asleep with his head on
the back of the couch, but after a few minutes, his head had dropped to his partner’s shoulder.
The movie hadn’t been that good, and it had been a very tiring day, so Dazai didn’t blame him.

If only he could sleep as easily.

Moving very quickly and gently, he placed his head on top of Chuuya’s. He closed his eyes
thinking back on the day.

Only a few minutes had passed before sleep had knocked on his door.
Dazai had welcomed him with open arms.

Chuuya woke up, feeling like he was falling. Before his head could hit the cushion, he had stood
up.
He rubbed his eyes and yawned, feeling quite refreshed after a good night’s sleep. Once his vision
wasn’t as blurry, he looked around.
Dazai was no longer seated on the couch. Chuuya’s first thought had been that he had gone to sleep
in his room.
It was the most logical assumption.
Without making much noise he walked to the Kitchen to get himself a glass of cold water. He
reached for a nearby glass and opened the fridge.
‘’ Ah, that bastard.’’
Unlike what he had said he would do, Dazai hadn’t refilled the water bottles, which meant that
Chuuya was now forced to endure a glass of mild water straight from the tap.
He looked at the empty bottles and ignored them.

If Dazai wouldn’t refill them neither would he.

He stepped out of the kitchen, his eyes drifting to the clock on the far wall.
Fuck.
WORK

He rushed back to the living room and found his phone that was laying on the ground.
2 missed calls from Kunikida.
Oh fuck.
It was 12. They had already been late for more than four hours. Kunikida would kill them both.

‘’ Dazai.’’ He yelled, his voice loud enough to be heard from his bedroom. ‘’ Oi, you bastard, we
have work.’’ He yelled again, walking towards his own room in order to grab some fresh clothes so
he could wear them after a quick shower.
‘’ Dazai ‘’ He knocked on his door.
Oh, this is getting ridiculous.
He turned the doorknob and burst through the room. ‘’ Dazai-
He was nowhere to be found.
Chuuya took a hold of his phone and dialled his number. He could hear Dazai’s phone ringing
from inside the living room.
He ran back there, but again, his partner was nowhere to be found,
‘’ Dazai? ‘’
He whispered, not expecting an answer.
 He sat down on the couch in an attempt to clear his mind and think.
He could be anywhere, there was no reason to panic. Nothing bad could have happened while he
had been asleep.
Right?

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

As he stood up, he noticed something had fallen from the couch.

He kneeled and took it in his hands.

It was a piece of paper. He turned it around.

Come and get him.

There was an address below he didn’t recognize and then a signature.

- A friend from Russia,

Chuuya felt his heart as it dropped.

Chapter End Notes

HE HE HE HE HE

*Evil laughter*

Oopsss, my fingers slipped...

 Do You Really Want To Save Him?
Chapter Summary

Dazai has been kidnapped.

There is no time to waste thinking of a plan.

Chuuya finds the location and storms in.

Things don't go according to his expectations.

Chapter Notes

Chapter 15 is only 5k words, I know. But that's because it acts as more of a bridge
between chapters 14 and 16 than an independent chapter.

Still, I really hope you will like the approach the story is taking as well as my
portrayal of Fyodor and Nikolai. I'm not used to writing them and be as familiar with
them as skk, so my characterization could be a little more off than I would have liked
it to be.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

It’s a funny feeling, the one you get when you lose the ground beneath your feet.

The first thing you experience is confusion.

Your heart is suddenly racing. Your brain is on overdrive. All kinds of questions flood your head at
the same time, making it impossible for you to grasp a single one.
What happened? How did it happen? Why? When? Who is responsible?

It’s all so overwhelming, so shattering. You know it would be better to calm yourself first, and then
focus on them, but your brain won’t let you.
No.
Not until you are in the second stage.

Once the initial confusion has passed, that’s when you come to a realization.

You look around and you take the sight in. You may not have all the answers yet, but you’re now
aware of what the outcome of everything was.
If a person isn’t in the frame, then you understand they are missing. If a note is left behind by
someone other than them, you understand they have been kidnapped.

Realizing is the first step you need to take in order to figure everything out. If you don’t realize that
something has happened, that something is wrong, then you’re not aware, and thus you won’t be
able to do anything.
Realizing, however, doesn’t equal accepting.

There are many people in this world that, for their own reasons, choose to stay blissfully unaware
on purpose. Those who think rationally, however, tend to skip that step.
Denial is, after all, only a happy delusion for those not strong enough to face the facts.
The evidence is all there. The results are in your face. You can either lie and delude yourself or you
can accept them and move on.

Moving on means being in a state where you can finally think of ways to solve the problem.
Where you can look at the situation as a puzzle that needs solving rather than something that
affects you.
Where you can take a step back, sit down and plan out what your next move is going to be.

If someone has been kidnapped, you start thinking of ways to get them back.

Unless you’re Chuuya.

Then you don’t waste time thinking.

You storm in.

Should it have been any other that was kidnapped, Chuuya knew he would have waited until Dazai
had come up with a plan before he had done anything.
Unfortunately, he couldn't afford that this time.

He looked at the paper once. The image of it imprinted itself on his head before he could even
finish reading it.
He closed his hand and crumbled it up on a ball.
Fuck.
He threw it across the room.
FUCK

He could feel his heart beating faster. He could see his palms getting sweatier.
His head was spinning and his legs were weak.

He was nervous.

He knew what troubled him wasn't that Dazai had been taken, but rather the fact he had been taken
straight from inside their own apartment.
And while he was asleep.

Dazai had no ability now, and yet Chuuya had let himself sleep.
It was stupid.
A teleporter was on the loose, hunting them and he had let his guard down

He should have been more careful.

Questions were starting to flood his head but he ignored them.

He didn't need answers.
What he needed was to find Dazai and bring him back.

He ran out of the building and towards his motorcycle. He jumped on the seat and put his hands on
the brakes.
The address he was given wasn't that far away.
He would be able to reach the destination fairly quickly..

He clenched his fists and started the engine.

He would get him back.

Like he had done when they were sixteen. Like he had done so many times.
He would get him back.

Because if he didn't-

He couldn't even think what would happen then.

He spotted the building and stopped.

A rundown, abandoned, half-destroyed half-burned from the looks of it, warehouse.
No, it wasn't a simple warehouse. There were definitely more layers to it than what a passerby
could see.
Something in the way it was constructed told Chuuya the warehouse was just a front for what was
going on under.

Entering from the main gates, he would most probably find only an empty space.

Well, who cared?

He pushed the doors with such force they flew to the other end.
If anyone had been waiting for him to step inside, they would have been smashed by the force.
Still. The one he was up against was Dostoevsky. He could have accounted for that.

Not hearing any guns shooting or any clamor issuing, he walked in.
True to his expectations, the room, excluding some wooden boxes laying around and in stacks, was
completely empty.

He reached its center, raised his leg into a straight line, and with as much force as he could muster,
he brought it down.
The ground shook and immediately gave out.
He found himself falling in the middle of another room.

This one was white as snow.

He looked around at the debris he had just created. His eyes bypassed it and focused on the doors
lying ahead. He turned back.
There were no doors on the other side, which could only mean that the sector’s entrance must have
been in the center. Judging from the few metallic pieces he could spot, now shattered on the
ground, he came to the conclusion that he had broken it.

He kicked some of it away and rushed to the doors.

" Nakahara Chuuya,"
The moment he pushed his hands outwards to open them, he was greeted by a voice calling out his
name.
His eyes tried searching around the room for the person that was speaking, but he found no one.
That's when he spotted the speakers.
" Welcome."
The word was said with such a heavy and strong accent. One that could only belong to someone
from the North.

Chuuya knew he had heard that voice once before.

‘’ Dostoevsky you bastard, where is he? ’’

If Dazai had been there he knew he would have shaken his head disapprovingly.
Chuuya's voice betrayed his anger. His emotions.
By doing that, he had already lost the game before it had even begun.

Or had he?

‘’ Oh? ‘’ The speakers echoed. ‘’ You think you have enough power over me to behave in such a
manner? To call me names and demand answers? ‘’ the voice paused. ‘’ That’s foolish.‘’

Maybe that's what he wanted.

To be perceived by Fyodor as this reckless hot-heated man that doesn't think and allows his
emotions to guide him.

‘’ You either tell me where he is or I swear-

But if he could make Fyodor underestimate him, then maybe, just maybe, he could have a chance.

‘’ What? ’’ The speaker urged. ‘’ Do tell me. What are you going to do? ‘’

Chuuya thought of a couple of answers, like bringing the place to the ground and smashing him
into bits, but he didn't speak them aloud.
Instead, he chose to remain silent. To show Dòstoevsky that he wasn't much of a thinker.

‘’ I see you have no answer."

The double door at the end of the room opened, and a man with black hair stepped in.
" In that case, should we discuss matters over a meal?’’ The man proposed. " We can try and figure
out your next move together if you would like. I'm sure you'll find our conversation to be very…
enlightening."

Chuuya swallowed his answer before he could give it to him. He thought about what Dazai would
do in such a scenario if he were in his place.
He would go along.
There was not a doubt in his mind about that.
Dazai would let Dostoyevsky lead the conversation and then he would try to gather as much Intel
as possible. The more information you had, the more your chances of succeeding increased.

‘’ Alright.’’ Chuuya replied, taking a few cautious steps towards him, ‘’ But if I go with you, you’ll
tell me where he is.’’
The man flashed him a smile.
‘’ I like you.’’ he said, ‘’ You’re at a big disadvantage yet here you are, trying to strike a deal with
me. No real leverage in your hands.." He paused. " You’re not afraid to demand things even if you
have no authority. That’s quite the rare quality to have.’’
Chuuya said nothing in response to his words.

As he walked with him he tried to think of a plan. Or to be more exact, improve the one already
forming in his mind.
Dazai had told him that even though they didn’t know what his ability was, its nature was in his
touch. In other words, physical combat wouldn’t do a thing to him.
Chuuya had to use his wits.

He tried to think back on everything Dazai had told him about their enemy.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t much.

‘’ Here we are, ‘’ Dostoevsky announced after a few minutes of walking through empty hallways
and pushing all kinds of doors open. ‘’ This is the dining room, so please, feel free to make
yourself comfortable.’’

The room they stepped into was as big and spacious as a ballroom. It was also as empty as one.
Inside, was only a table, two chairs and two doors. The one they had come out of and another one
on the side opposite, probably leading to more hallways and rooms.

Without wasting time looking around, Dostoyevsky walked to the chair on the head of the table
and sat down. Flicking his hand gracefully, he indicated for Chuuya to sit on the one across from
him.
With his eyes on the table, Chuuya moved closer to the seat.

The table that lay before him was long but narrow, and it seemed to have enough space for more
than twenty chairs to fit around. Its dimensions reminded him of a similar table. A table that could
be found in the center of the Executive meeting room back in the Port Mafia Headquarters. The
only difference was in their color.
This one was white.
Like everything else inside that room.

Chuuya had been to places like underground meeting spots, and holding cells and creepy
basements and warehouses more times than he could count. The emptiness and the quietness of a
room weren’t enough to unnerve him. An unreasonable amount of white, however, posed a
different story.

‘’ I take it you don’t like the room? ‘’ Dostoevsky observed, his eyes staying on Chuuya.
‘’ Why is it so white?’’ Chuuya asked.
It was a simple and completely out-of-topic question but maybe it could help?
There could be a reason for the whiteness. It could be there to hide something or maybe trick him.
Chuuya thought Fyodor wouldn’t mind answering that.

‘‘ It could be to appear polished and cleaner.’’ Fyodor replied. ‘’ But the one who built this place
isn’t me. So I wouldn’t know if there was a more interesting reason for their choices.’’

The white walls and the white table and the white chairs made it look polished and clean, that
much was true. But it also made it look off-putting.
‘’ Who built it then? ‘’
‘’ Can’t say.’’ Fyodor replied. ‘’ It goes against my contract.’’

A contract?
What kind of contract?
Does Fyodor have an employer?
But who could it be? And why would they-

‘’ Hellooo boys,‘’ A voice interrupted his thoughts. ‘’ Sorry I’m late but at least the food is finally
here~’’
From the other set of doors, a man burst in.
A man with a very high-pitched voice, who was wearing an outfit that could only be appropriate
for a clown or a jester.
Chuuya saw as Dostoevsky lowered his head.
‘’ Our other guest is sooo talkative,‘’ the man complained, going around the table so he could
place one of the plates in front of Fyodor and the other in front of Chuuya. ‘’ He kept guessing
things about me when I hadn’t even told him my name.’’ He threw his hands back as if exasperated
by the interaction. ‘’ Honestly, Dos, couldn’t I have been in charge of him? ‘’ He pointed at
Chuuya, ‘’ he doesn’t seem to be as chatty and as intrusive as that Dazai is.’’
Dostoevsky seemed to glare at him. Chuuya considered the possibility that he wasn't very fond of
the man.
‘’ Of course, that's not me questioning your choices. ’’ The man reassured him, the slightest of fear
detectable in his voice.’’ You know, I will only do as you say ‘’
Fyodor flashed him a warning smile.
Without another word, the man raised his cape and disappeared.

‘’ Sorry for…that,’’ Fyodor spoke again. ‘’ Nikolai can be-

‘’ I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF,’’ The man, Nikolai apparently, appeared again out of
thin air, creating a small golden portal behind him.
‘’ Me telling you is boring, so, would you like to guess my name? ‘’ He asked, challenging Chuuya
‘’ You can have three tries, but for each mistake you make I’ll cut one of your limbs off. ‘’ He
reached into his cape and pulled out a saw.. ‘’ with this.’’
Chuuya wasn’t given any time to answer or even register what the man was saying and doing. He
simply watched the chaos unfold before him.
‘’ I’m kidding, I’m kidding,’’ he laughed, waving his hands around, putting the saw back in his
coat,’’ I will not make your hands nor your legs disappear.’’ He beamed, jumping down the table,
‘’ We can do something else instead.’’
Chuuya raised his eyebrows.
The man was going miles faster than him.
‘’ Oh, I know what we can do! ‘’
Trying to speak over him and failing to catch up with his train of thought would only be a waste of
time.
‘’ Dos over here, is going to tell you a little story regarding a very well-known and very sought-
after artifact, whose origins and purpose remain a mystery. Once he is done with that boring stuff,
I’ll offer you to play another game with me.’’ He extended his hands, posing in such a way that he
was displaying himself. ‘’ This one however will have a way worse punishment than some
mutilation should you fail.’’ He laughed, putting his hand behind his back and taking a deep bow,
‘’ So, have you guessed my name, yet? ‘’ he looked up at Chuuya, waiting for him to answer his
question.
Chuuya considered answering ‘Nikolai’ but something told him that was not the answer the man
was expecting.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Fyodor mouthing a word, looking at him as discreetly as he
could.
Why would he be helping him? What reason did he have?

‘’ You have ten seconds to answer or-

‘’ Gogol.’’
The man looked surprised.
‘’ My, my, you’re correct.’’ With a graceful movement, he brought his hand closer to Chuuya so he
could shake it. ‘’ My full name is Nikolai Gogol. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’’
‘’ Nakahara Chuuya, ‘’ Chuuya said, mirroring him, extending his hand and reaching for his.
‘’ Likewise.’’
The moment their hands came into contact a mild electric shockwave went through his body.
‘’ Aha! So the other one is the brain.’’ Nikolai observed aloud, continuing to shake his hand. ‘’ It
seems you were right.’’ He turned to say to Fyodor.
Dostoevsky let out a sigh.
‘’ Don’t you have another guest you need to be entertaining? ‘’ He recalled, his eyes landing on the
man with the long coat.
‘’ I do, I do, that is true.’’ The man said, raising his cape once again. ‘’ Well then, my good friend,
Dos. Chuuya. See ya later~’’ he saluted and vanished.

Chuuya looked at the plate in front of him, its contents hidden behind the metallic cloche. He had a
feeling that the meal inside of it wasn’t actually much of a meal but rather some kind of test or even
a part of the game Nikolai had talked about.

He did his best to keep a neutral expression and not betray his confusion, as he tried to put
everything he had just learned in order.

Dazai was in the same facility as them and Nikolai was the one supervising him.

Nikolai was most definitely the teleportation ability user that had messed up Dazai’s plan and had
resulted in Dostoevsky escaping them. He seemed to have a rather interesting and chaotic
personality. Made sense. Dazai had described him as Fyodor’s wild card.

His relationship with Fyodor seemed to be a little more complicated than that of an employee and
their employer. At least for Nikolai. Fyodor hadn’t looked that thrilled or excited when he had
appeared. Though he also didn’t seem like he detested him.

Nikolai said Fyodor would tell him a story about a very well-known artifact. Could he have been
referring to the Book?
And what kind of punishment would be awaiting him should he lose? Something worse than
mutilation, could it be death?

" Now that he's gone," Dostoevsky started, his attention shifting back to him, " What do you know
about the Book? "
" It can rewrite reality."
" Good. What else? "
Chuuya took a few seconds to think of his next answer. " It can be destroyed by neither ordinary
means nor any ability."
" Good, excellent. Now, why am I after it? "

According to Dazai, Fyodor wanted the book so he could get rid of all people with abilities because
he considered them to be sins.
He wanted to play god and 'fix' their world.

" You want a world without skill users." He carefully threaded, " You want the book so you can
write abilities out."
Fyodor nodded his head to show him he was correct.
" Let’s proceed with a more difficult question, shall we? " Fyodor brought his chin forward so it
could rest on top of his intertwined fingers. " Why are you here? ‘’

Chuuya had expected a question related to Dostoevsky’s ultimate goal, or the morality of his plan.
He hadn’t expected him to ask something so…straightforward?

‘’ You aren’t answering.’’ The man observed. ‘’ Why is that? ’’

‘’ There is no need for me to answer.’’ he replied, ‘’ You already know why I'm here.’’
" To save Dazai." Fyodor seemed intrigued by his own conclusion, yet not the slightest bit
surprised. He had the same look on his face Dazai always got when a theory of his had been
confirmed.
Then something in his expression changed.
" But do you really want to do that? "
What?
‘’ Do you really want to save him? ‘’
" I don't know what kind of sick mind game-
" I'm not trying to do anything." Fyodor raised his hands as if surrendering. " I'm simply asking
you a few questions."
Asking him a few questions?
Okay.
Then he better return the favor.
" Why did you take him? " he asked, his voice controlled. " You stole his ability. You messed with
his head. If you made your move and started searching for the book he wouldn’t be able to
retaliate, so why-
" It's not my plan.’’
Huh
‘’ I'm simply following the instructions I was given."

So Fyodor was just a pawn?

No.
That didn't make sense.
If someone like Dostoevsky was simply a puppet…Who was the master behind him?
And why would they need to capture Dazai if they had already taken his ability?
Why would they lure Chuuya there?

" Why am I here? "

" I asked you that just a couple of minutes ago." Fyodor replied, " You didn't answer but you
agreed with me when I said it was so you can save Dazai."
" I mean, in this room." he clarified.
" It's part of my contract. I need to explain a few things to you before I let you make your choice."
" What choice? "
" If you want to save Dazai or not."

If this had happened a few years ago, Fyodor's head would have been smashed on the table by now,
while he would be lying on the ground either dead or unconscious.
His patience would have run thin, the moment Fyodor had invited him to the room. He wouldn't
have been able to hold such a civil conversation with him while Dazai was still being held captive.

" Save him from what? "

They kept saying he needed to save him, but neither Nikolai nor Fyodor had specified from what.
Or from whom.
‘’ I can’t say."

Chuuya tried his best to suppress his frustration.

" You said you needed to explain things before I make my choice."
" I did."
" Then start."

The only question now in his head was why he needed to have 'things' explained to him before he
decided if he wanted to save Dazai or not.
Of course, he did.
It was the reason he was there in the first place.
What could possibly make him change his mind?
Dazai was his partner, his best friend.
Why wouldn't he want to save him?

" Did you know? " Fyodor started, a beguiling smile on his lips, " When the Book comes in contact
with No Longer Human, it creates a very interesting phenomenon."

What? How could he know that?

To his knowledge, Dazai had never been in possession of the book, and thus he couldn’t have used
his ability on it. If he hadn’t used his ability on it, then how would Fyodor know that it caused
some kind of reaction?

The realization dawned on him.

Dazai had never used his ability on the book, but that didn’t mean someone else hadn’t.
No Longer Human had been stolen from him.
The ability could have easily ended up in someone else’s possession.

‘’ It Is a kind of singularity, whose effects are rather troublesome to control or predict. They vary
depending on the person and the circumstances.’’
Chuuya listened to his every word, trying to understand where he was getting at.

‘’ The very nature of No Longer Human creates a rift within the Book. And that rift makes people
able to travel between its pages.’’

Huh?

‘’ If it is affected by its nullifying nature, the Book can act as a link between different realities. A
portal, of some sort, between worlds.’’

Chuuya was lost.

He could understand what Fyodor was saying but he couldn’t quite register his words.
Traveling between realities?
That should only be a work of fiction.

‘’ What does that have to do with anything? ‘’ he couldn’t find the connection.
Why was Fyodor telling him all that?
Why did he need to know?

‘’ Oh, it’s quite simple.’’ Fyodor announced, putting his hand on the handle of the Cloche in front
of him.‘’ It will help with your decision.’’

Chuuya watched in shock as Fyodor lifted the metallic piece and revealed what was beneath it.
‘’ You have it.’’
It was the only thing he could say.

He hadn’t seen the Book before but he would bet his life that was it.

‘’ Indeed, I found it.’’

No.

‘’ Well, I wasn’t the one that found it, but nevertheless, it is now in my possession.’’

‘’ Why are you telling me that? ‘’

‘’ Because you need to know before-

‘’ Before what? ‘’

‘’ Before you go in.’’

‘’ What is he planning to do with him? ‘’ Dazai asked for the tenth time that hour. ‘’ Why would he
leave him a note to come after me? Why would he want him to be here? ‘’ he kept asking all those
questions despite not getting any answers from his jailer. ‘’ If he was after his ability I would
understand that, but his eyes had been set on mine from the very beginning. Having the hitman go
after him was only to lure me out and-
‘’ God, you talk SO much,’’ Nikolai complained, throwing one of his knives at him, barely
scraping the skin of his neck. ‘’ and that’s coming from me.’’ he threw his head back in frustration.
‘’ Maybe if you answered me, I wouldn’t keep asking.’’ Dazai remarked, a sarcastic smile on his
lips.
‘’ But I told you already,’’ Nikolai moved closer to him, ‘’ I’m not answering you. No matter how
many times you ask, that won’t change.’’
‘’ Yeah, but what if it does? ‘’
‘’ Dos doesn’t want you to know, so I’m not telling you.’’
‘’ What if you do? ‘’
‘’ I won’t.’’
‘’ Yeah, you say that, now, but let’s see what happens in a few minutes~’’ Dazai kept provoking
him, making sure he kept his smile and his carefree demeanor intact.
‘’ Ughhh ‘’
Nikolai threw another knife at him, this one scraping his ear.

There were fifteen knives surrounding Dazai at this point. Nikolai threw one every time the man
annoyed him. To Dazai’s surprise, Nikolai had proven to have an excellent aim.
Not a single knife had caused him an injury bigger than a simple scratch on the surface. And not a
single knife, had missed him.
If it weren’t for the poison draped all over the daggers, he would have been in a perfectly fine
condition.

‘’ Why do you want to kill Dostoevsky? ‘’

‘’ I don’t.’’
‘’ Liar.’’
Nikolai moved closer to the wall and banged his head against it. ‘’ If you continue talking, I’ll
drive this blade through your heart.’’ he warned, in hopes Dazai would stop.
‘’ People say I don’t have one,’’ Dazai said with his casual charm, ‘’ you can try, but I don’t think
you will succeed.’’
By Nikolai’s expression, Dazai came to the conclusion that the man was seriously and thoroughly
considering doing it.
‘’ You have to stay alive. Those were the orders.’’
‘’ Given by who? Dostoevsky isn’t working alone, so who is behind all this? ‘’
‘’ It’s driving you crazy, isn’t it? ‘’ Nikolai seemed to regain the attitude he had when he had first
brought Dazai inside that cell. ‘’ Not being able to figure it out. Dos said it would make the game
much easier for us. It took some of the challenge out but, eh, what can you do.’’
‘’ You keep referring to it, but you aren’t telling me what that ‘game’ is.’’ Dazai was growing
frustrated. He wouldn’t let it show, but he could feel the worry and the fear as it crept in and he
really didn’t like it.
‘’ If I told you, where would the fun be in that? ‘’ The Clown laughed, ‘’ I supposed I could if I
wanted, but even if you knew, you wouldn’t be able to stop what is coming.‘’
That sadistic smile was his last straw.

‘’ If Dostoevsky does anything to hurt him, I swear to you, you will both live to regret it.’’
Even if he was chained up against a wall, with poison slowly killing him, and blood dripping down
his clothes, Dazai’s threat managed to make Nikolai shiver.
‘’ If I were you, I wouldn’t worry about Dostoevsky as much.’’
‘’ Then who should I be worried of? ‘’
Nikolai offered him no answer. He simply smiled. A taunting smile that could only be offered by
those who were in possession of answers but wouldn’t share them.

If those were regular handcuffs Dazai would have been able to get out. But Fyodor had accounted
for that. Of course, he had.
So now, with suckles binding both his feet and hands Dazai was completely unable to do anything
to save him.

‘’ Why did he want Chuuya to be here? ‘’ He asked again, deluding himself with the possibility
that Nikolai would actually tell him if he annoyed him just enough.
‘’ Don’t know.’’
‘’ You do.’’
‘’ Even if I do, I’m not telling you.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Why would I? ‘’
‘’ Because you’re a good person and you want me to save my friend? ’’ Dazai smiled, batting his
eyelashes.
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Worth a shot.’’
‘’ Just give up, already.’’ Nikolai instructed, sitting down at the chair closest to the wall Dazai was
chained on. ‘’ Everything will be revealed in the next hour or so.’’
‘’ I just want to understand.’’ Dazai said in a low voice, trying to appeal to whatever emotion he
could get out of the man.’’ The person he wanted to stop was me. And he caught me. So why did
he have to involve him in his plans? ‘’
‘’ I told you, it’s not his plan.’’
‘’ Then whose is it? ‘’
‘’ I CAN’T ANSWER.’’

God, it was frustrating.

No matter what he did, no matter how many times he asked or how much he challenged him
Nikolai wouldn’t be giving away the answers he so desperately needed.

‘’ Why? ‘’

But even if that was the case. Even if the man would never tell him, he had to try.
He had to try until he couldn’t.

‘’ Because I can’t. ‘’
‘’ Yes, I get that. But- ‘’
‘’ Why hasn’t the poison knocked you out yetttt? ‘’ The man seemed to be in agony.
Dazai decided he would take it upon himself to make his condition worse.
‘’ Poissons, anesthetics, paralytics, all those kinds of medical concoctions. They work slower on
me.’’ he said, ‘’ so your little poison will work, but later than you would have expected.’’
Nikolai hadn't asked for one, but Dazai thought he would give him an explanation.
‘’ When I was younger you see, I used to mix medicine and poisons and really everything together,
so I could drink the mixture and die.’’ he smiled at the memory. ‘’ Made wonders to my immune
system.’’
Nikolai stared at him baffled yet amazed.
‘’ Dos was right. You really are something.’’ he said, looking at him
‘’ Aww, why, thank you.’’
‘’ It wasn’t a compliment.’’
‘’ Sounded like one.’’

Dazai watched as Nikolai paced the room nervously, probably waiting for some sort of message
from Fyodor, or for some hint that would tell him the next phase of their plan had begun.
Seeing him pace so anxiously, Dazai couldn’t help but be reminded of his own worry he had been
trying so hard to suppress.

He and Chuuya were both in unknown enemy territory. They were split and unable to reach each
other. Dazai didn’t have his ability anymore and Chuuya was all alone with Fyodor.
A person that could kill him by touch alone.
And if that weren’t bad enough, Fyodor wasn’t the one behind all this. There was a bigger
mastermind, one Dazai couldn’t figure out.
It was aggravating.
The whole situation was completely out of his control.

If he could only figure it out. If he could only connect the dots like he always did and come to a
logical conclusion.

Maybe then they would stand a chance.

‘’ Why would I do that? ‘’ Chuuya was appalled by the idea.

‘’ It is the only way you can save Dazai.’’ Fyodor replied, thinking that was enough of an
explanation.
‘’ But Dazai isn’t in there. How would me going inside the Book correlate to-
‘’ Once you return, you’ll be given the chance to save him.’’
‘’ What if I don’t go in there? ‘’
‘’ Dazai dies.’’
Why was he even doing this? What had they ever done to Fyodor for him to want to play such a
sick game with them?
Nothing made sense.
His plan was to get the Book and clear the world from ability users. Well, now he had the Book,
yet he wasn’t doing that.
Instead, he was wasting his time playing games with them.
Why?
Was it revenge? But for what?

‘’ We don’t have much time, so are you accepting or not? ‘’

‘’ What do I have to do? ‘’
He figured the more he knew the more it would help him.
‘’ Nothing. You get inside, travel between a few pages, come back, I ask you a question, and
depending on your answer Dazai lives or dies.’’
‘’ What will the question be? ‘’
‘’ If you want to save him or not.’’
‘’ You asked that already. I told you I-
‘’ You told me you want to save him, yes. But that can change.’’
‘’ It can’t.’’
If Chuuya was sure of one thing, that was it.
‘’ What are you afraid of, then? ‘’ That sardonic smile of his reminded him of someone. That
coldness in his gaze, that calculated grin.
‘’ I won’t get trapped inside, right? ’’
‘’ No, you won’t. I assure you.’’
‘’ And once I return and answer your stupid question you will let us both leave.’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ How can I know you will keep your word? How can I know that you aren’t lying? ‘’
‘’ You can’t.’’

Fuck.
Things were looking pretty bad for him. For them.

‘’ But what is life without a little risk? ‘’ The man continued, ‘’ Place your trust in me, and I assure
you, you and Dazai will both walk out of this place alive.’’

He was being honest, but something was wrong, something in his words was so wrong it made his
stomach twist in knots.
‘’ Fine.’’ he said, getting up and walking closer to where Fyodor and the Book were.’’ I’ll do it.’’
‘’ Excellent.’’

At that moment, the doors opened up and a man stepped in.

‘’ He is the-
‘’ Yes, yes, he’s the hitman I sent after you.’’ Fyodor rushed his words, ‘’ He is also the current
placeholder of No Longer Human.’’
‘’ He is here to activate the Book.’’
‘’ Yes.’’

The man walked to them and placed one hand on top of the book. Immediately, a bluish light
radiated from it as it opened.
The man signalled for Chuuya to put his own hand on one of the pages.
Chuuya tried to get a glimpse of what was written on it before he did, but he couldn’t.
The words upon it weren’t formed by any language known to man.
 Chuuya could feel his heart racing.
He was making a mistake, he knew it.
He could feel it deep in his bones.

He raised his hand and reached for the page.

Something was telling him to stop what he was doing. To keep his hands away from that thing. To
run away now while he could before it was too late.
Whatever it was he ignored it.

His fingertips brushed the smooth paper of the page.

He was making a mistake he knew it, but that was the only way he could save Dazai.

With his hands slightly trembling as he held the page, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for
the worst.

Chapter End Notes

Thanks for reading, really hope you enjoyed it.

Now, grab your tissues and buckle up cause the next chapter is one I've been DYING
to write.
 Like Interwined Stars
Chapter Summary

Chuuya finds himself inside the Book.

Trigger Warnings: Death and blood ( and HEAVY Angst )

Chapter Notes

I AM SO SORRY IN ADVANCE FOR WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO READ.

When I said that there wouldn't be a chapter bigger than Chapter 10, I thought I was
telling the truth...
ANYWAY
This 20k words monstrosity is a product of six sleepless nights where my only
recurring thought was,
'' How do we make this worse? ''
I think it worked.

Grab your tissues and enjoy<3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Chuuya didn’t know what he had been expecting but this was definitely not it.

Before he could even open his eyes he felt the water around him. He tried to move his arms, to
move his legs but he couldn't.
He thought about opening his eyes, trying to see what was happening he couldn’t.

It was like his body was out of his control. It was like Corruption but somehow stronger.

He couldn’t see and he couldn’t hear, but the feeling of water suffocating his lungs was there.
Was he drowning?
And if he were, how? What had resulted to that?

‘’ Chuuya,’’ The voice brought him out of that trance. He could now hear the sound of the water as
it surrounded him. The sound of hands banging against walls.
‘’ This is my farewell to you too.’’

It was Dazai.

There was not a doubt in his head that the voice wasn’t Dazai’s.

Even if he hadn’t meant to, he opened his eyes.

Red.
His vision was tainted red like when he used corruption but this time it was different.
The red was darker, and with it came this strong hunger.

He tried to look around but his head wasn’t moving in the direction he was thinking. Instead, it
moved to the roof above him, and to the man desperately trying to not drown beside him.

‘’ It’s a shame things turned out like this.’’

What was Dazai saying? Why was he in a room with Dostoevsky? Why was the water suffocating
him?

He tried to keep his head afloat, to keep his mouth from consuming any more of the liquid. It
wasn’t water, not exactly. It was heavier.

‘’ Seven years since we met and we’ve done nothing but quarrel with each other. But…’’

Flashes of red and of blue and of every color possible filled his mind as his memories came back.

Waking up in the middle of an abandoned road. Getting found by some boys and girls of a younger
age. Getting taken to their place. Growing up alongside them, protecting them. Stealing goods and
killing for them.
Attacking a boy and an old man.
Bickering with the boy on your way to a mission.
Finding Arthur Rimbaud. Telling him who you are. Killing him.
Getting manipulated into joining the Mafia. Abandoning your friends, having them think that you
betrayed them.

‘’ Now that I think about it, ‘’

Two kids bickering as they officially join the mafia.

Meeting the flags, becoming friends with them.
Witnessing their deaths a year later. Witnessing Albatross dying in your arms.
Meeting Verlaine. Meeting Adam. Meeting N.
Getting tortured by N to the point you couldn’t even feel the pain anymore. Finding the real
Chuuya and seeing him die in your hands.
Getting out of the lab
Fighting with Dazai and alongside him. Witnessing Adam sacrificing himself to save you.
Using corruption to defeat Verlaine and save Yokohama. Getting saved at the last minute by your
partner.

‘’ There were some moments where our hearts reached to each other.’’

Becoming a Port Mafia Executive.

Becoming a force to be reckoned with. Becoming part of Twin Dark.
Watching as Dazai loses interest in your partnership.
Watching as he chooses Oda and Ango over you, time and time again. Watching as you two drift
so far apart no one would even know you were partners.

‘’ Like that time-’’

Watching as he leaves the Mafia and you behind.

Not bothering to pick up your calls or text you back or let you know that he is alive.
Watching your car getting blown up as a goodbye.
Waiting for him to return for days and weeks and months, before finally realizing he isn’t going to.
Spending four years drowning in work just so you and all the other Executives can make up for his
absence. Going to all kinds of missions, in Japan and out of the borders. Getting to be the best
Martial Artist in the organization. Getting to be the strongest ability user.
Spending four years without a word from him, trying to convince yourself that he hasn’t died only
to find him captive in the dungeon, waiting for you.
Watching as he scrutinizes you, as he makes you look like a fool. Utterly oblivious to the damage
he had caused when he had left.

‘’...’’

Getting to bicker and fight with him like old times, just to be reminded of what you can never have
again.
Watching him get his way like he always did.
Spending the next couple of months in denial of his existence, trying to understand why he acted
the way he did. Why he left without a single word. Why he joined the side of good and why he
became a detective, of all things.
Reuniting to defeat a common enemy.
Being reminded again of all that you lost. Of all that was.
Using Corruption.
Having him save you once again.

‘’ Sorry, there weren't any! ‘’

Watching the Port Mafia being under attack.

Watching the Armed Detective Agency being branded as terrorists.
Watching as Yokohama spirals out of control, not knowing what and who to believe.
Watching as the Vampire outbreak happens. As all of your subordinates die one after the other,
turning into blood-thirsty creatures.
Watching as Akutagawa and Gin and Hirotsu and Higuchi and everyone turns into a monster.
Watching as Kouyou is being attacked.
Doing your best to stop it from happening.

‘’ Well then, ‘’

Waking up just a few minutes prior.

Seeing yourself drowning beside Fyodor Dostoevsky in a prison in France.
Being unable to keep the water out of your mouth.
Hearing as Dazai says his last farewell to you.

‘’ Goodbye~’’

Feeling the water fill up your lungs.

Feeling the thirst fade away.
Seeing your vision turn blurry as you close your eyes for the last time.
Feeling your heart stop.

Goodbye.

Dying with more than a million questions torturing you.

~~~

When Chuuya opened his eyes again he was in a room he had never thought he would get to see
again.

The familiar run-down brick walls and the curtains that divided the space. The smell of rainwater,
coming in from various holes in the roof. The humidity, visible on the walls, the cracks forming
shapes, messily fixed with tape.
The broken bed, that was now just a mattress on the floor. The blue sheets that had kept him alive,
and out of the harm of the cold winter.

‘’ Chuuyaaaa ‘’

Was that Shirase? Considering they were inside the base of the sheep, it had to be.

‘’ What is it? ‘’ The words came out of his mouth before he could even think of them. ‘’ You woke
me up, so it better be important.’’
Shirase’s head popped out of the door frame, he looked tired. He was huffing and puffing, trying to
catch his breath.
Had he run to him? If he had, it must have been important.
‘’ So? ‘’ Again, he spoke before he could have thought of the words.
It was as if his body was controlled by someone other than him and he was just a spectator.

‘’ I have some bad news,’’ Shirase said, his expression falling. ‘’ You won’t like them.’’
‘’ What happened? ‘’ Chuuya asked cautiously, completely oblivious to what had transpired those
past few hours he had been asleep.’’ It can be that bad.’’
Shirase averted his eyes, taking interest in the broken window on the left wall.
‘’ Dazai is gone.’’ he announced.
‘’ What? ’’ Chuuya stood up, ‘’ What do you mean gone? ‘’ he asked again, his eyebrows
furrowed.
‘’ He left to join the Mafia.’’

Dazai in the sheep? Leaving to join the Mafia?

Just what the hell was going on?

‘’ What? ‘’ It was more of a laugh than a question. The idea of that happening seemed too stupid
for Chuuya to believe. ‘’ If this is some April Fools-
‘’ It’s September…’’
‘’ If this is some kind of prank or joke, I swear-’’
Shirase looked at him, his expression told Chuuya it was no joke.
‘’ It is a joke, right? ‘’
The boy shook his head, unable to cause Chuuya any more pain with his words.

He felt like he was living someone else’s life.

All the words he said, all the moves he made, all the feelings he experienced. They weren’t his but
at the same time, they were?
It was such a bizarre sensation.

‘’ HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? ‘’ he screamed, with a foreign anger ‘’ Where is he now? Why
didn’t he say anything? Why-
‘’They offered him a job and he took it.’’

He had no idea what was going on, yet he had?

He couldn’t remember yet, all that had transpired in that life, but the feelings were there. The pain
the news brought him, the confusion, the anger.
The feeling of betrayal, all too familiar.
Yet not?
‘’ When did that happen? ‘’
‘’ While you were asleep.’’
‘’ And why didn’t you wake me up? ‘’
‘’ I just did.’’

Fuck.
His emotions were blending with the person’s whose body he was occupying.
It was like the night he had fled the Mafia all over again, but worse? Why was it worse?

‘’ Hey, you good? ‘’

Chuuya waved away Shirase’s concern with a slight nod. ‘’ Fine.’’ he said, ‘’ just a bit surprised,
that’s all.’’
‘’ That’s good.’’ Hearing his words Shirase let out a breath of relief. ‘’ I thought you would do
something reckless like going after him or something.’’
‘’ Who said I won’t? ‘’
Shirase’s eyes widened,.’’ It’s the Port Mafia,’’ he reminded him, ‘’ It’s one thing to fend ourselves
against them, and entirely other to go looking for trouble.’’
‘’ I’m not gonna go look for trouble,’’ Chuuya retorted.’’ I’m gonna go look for Dazai.’’
‘’ That’s literally the same thing.’’
‘’ Haha, good one.’’ Chuuya deadpanned already on his way to the door.

Was he?
Was he really going after the Mafia to look for him? Just what was their relationship in this
timeline?
He couldn’t figure it out.
He tried to access his memories, to recall even one encounter with him but he couldn’t.
Why?

‘’ If you go, you’ll jeopardize everyone.’’

‘’ And if I don’t go, we lose one of our most important members.’’

Was Dazai really that?

He spoke words he couldn’t know. It was beyond weird.

‘’ Chuuyaaaa.’’ Another set of footsteps running, another familiar voice.

‘’ If you’re here to tell me Dazai has left, Shirase has already beaten you to it.’’
‘’ I wasn’t ‘’ The girl said, taking a moment to catch her breath. ‘’ I was bringing you this.’’
Chuuya looked at Yuan and then at the envelope in her hands.
‘’ What’s that.’’
Yuan looked at the floor, as Chuuya took the envelope in his hands. ‘’ Dazai gave it to me this
morning. He said not to open it until later.’’
‘’ If he gave it to you, why are you handing it to me now? ‘’
‘’ He gave it to me to give to you.’’
Chuuya ripped the upper half of the envelope and took out the paper neatly folded inside.
‘’ It’s blank.’’
Why would Dazai leave him a blank piece of paper?
‘’ Is it? ‘’ Yuan leaned closer, so she could look at the paper herself and come to her own
conclusions about it.
‘’ Yeah.’’
‘’ Why would he-

As he looked at the paper a memory resurfaced.

Two boys, sitting in a room, a dozen or so blank pages sprawled all over them.

‘’ Why do we need to make codes? ‘’

‘’ In case something happens.’’

It was him and Dazai. Younger. A lot younger. If they were fifteen now, the memory had to be
from at least two years ago. Yet not much had changed. Both appearance-wise and personality-
wise.

‘’ This again? Yesterday we were coming up with names for different attacks. What kind of codes
do you want us to make today? ‘’
‘’ Emergency codes. You know. In case we need to tell the other if something serious has
happened.’’

Dazai was lying on the floor with his legs on the wall, while Chuuya was sitting with his legs
crossed, beside him. They could barely see each other, given that the only light inside the room
was that of a few candles’. There were no windows, no lamps. Not much furniture besides a desk
and some chairs.
It took Chuuya one second to pin that place down as one of the few ‘rooms’ in the sheep’s hideout
inside the sewage canal.

‘’ If we want to say something to each other, how about, hm, I don’t know, use our fucking words?
‘’
‘’ Sharp as a marble, I see. Like always.’’
‘’ Oh give me a break.’’
‘’ What if we can’t use our words? What then? ‘’

Chuuya ignored him, focusing on the papers he had given him when he had first come through the
door. Most of them were white, but there were a few that were colored.

‘’ Okay, you win. We’ll make a few codes.’’

‘’ Yay.’’
‘’ BUT. After we are done I expect you to leave me alone for the rest of the day. My headache is
getting worse, and trust me, you’re not helping.’’
‘’ But if I’m not with you, who will I annoy? Shirase? That guy can’t take a joke to save his life.’’
‘’ Dazai...’’
‘’ Pfff, fine. You got yourself a deal.’’

The boys sat down and got to work.

Like the previous day, the first thing they did was brainstorm situations and circumstances. Once
they had those, they decided what color would correspond to each one.

With that memory, a hundred more flooded his head.

‘’ That bastard.’’ His voice came out as hardly audible.’’ This is a fucking goodbye.’’ he said a bit
louder, clenching his fist, crumbling the paper and throwing it on the wall.
Shirase and Yuan both stared at him confused.
‘’ A goodbye? How can you tell? ‘’ The girl finally asked, seeing as Chuuuya wasn’t that willing
to elaborate on his own. ‘’ There is nothing is written on it, not a single word.’’
‘’ Exactly.’’
He said it as if that would help them understand better. From the look they gave him, it was clear
as day that they hadn’t.
Chuuya let out a breath.‘’Some years ago, Dazai and I made up a few codes in case of an
emergency.’’ He began explaining, slowly walking towards the entrance of the room.
’’ Different colored papers mean different things, and white, basically means don’t ask questions,
don’t go looking for answers.’’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’ In short, he is telling me not to go looking for him.’’
‘’ You don't say.’’ Shirase voiced, his eyes trailing Chuuya who was clearly trying to move himself
out of the room. ‘’ There is something me and Dazai can actually agree on? Who would have
thought...’’ His snarky remark earned a grimace from Chuuya but not a verbal response. ‘’ Oh,
don’t give me that look. I’m only admitting to agreeing with him this once. You really shouldn’t go
to the Mafia Headquarters by yourself.’’
‘’ If he left, he must have had his reasons,’’ Yuan added, trying to ease the tension.’’ I mean, does
it really surprise you? We all know how he is...’’
‘’ The fuck does that mean? ‘’
‘’ I’m only saying it’s in his character..’’ she explained herself,’’ Dazai is the kind of person that
always does things on his own, not caring about what others would say or feel.’’
‘’ You know shit about him You can’t say that.’’
‘’ I’m not saying I know him I-
‘’ Yuan is right.’’ Shirase sided with her. ‘’ Partially at least. Dazai is the kind of person that would
run away without an explanation, isn’t he? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ it was such a desperate attempt.’’ No, he isn’t.’’ he knew he was lying but at that moment
he just wanted to believe that. ‘’ He would say something. Would explain something.’’
‘’ Yeah, right.’’
‘’ He wouldn’t leave like that.’’ He wouldn’t leave me like that.

Chuuya could feel the frustration brewing inside him, threatening to eat him alive. It was a feeling
he had felt once before when Dazai had fled the Mafia.
When that had happened, Kouyou had come to talk to him. To see how he was dealing with it
beneath that happy celebrating facade he had created as a front.
He had told her the same exact thing as he had just told Yuan and Shirase. Same words, same tone,
same emotion.

‘’ Chuuya…’’
‘’ I’m not hearing anything.’’ He was quick with his response.’’ I’m going to find him and demand
an explanation.’’ he said, ‘’ I’m sure he has one.’’
‘’ Going there is stupid. Even he says that.’’ Shirase tried to convince him,’’ If you won’t listen to
us, listen to him.’’
‘’ Listen to him?‘’ Chuuya chuckled at his words.‘’ When have I ever done that to do it now? ‘’
And with that, he was gone.

Everywhere he looked, he saw another memory.

It was so perplexing.
He could remember close to nothing about this life of his, yet the moment he saw even the most
ordinary of things, a dozen different memories started flooding his brain.

It was the first ‘world’ he was ‘visiting’, so he didn’t know exactly how it worked yet, but from
what he had figured, entering the Book had made him capable of acting as a spectator to a life that
wasn't his own, yet kind of was?
It was a different reality, but he was still himself, at least in a sense. And this specific life seemed
to be a lot similar to his own.

The Sheep had still found him when he had come into consciousness after escaping the lab, and he
had still joined them, but this time Dazai was also there.
How had that happened, he had no clue. It would seem that the memory hadn’t been unlocked yet.

The familiar streets of Yokohama, leading to the Port, were enough to reveal some more memories
of his. Memories of him and Shirase and Yuan all hanging out while on various little missions.
Memories of him and Shirase discussing plans and the future of the sheep while grabbing
something to surprise the other members with.
Memories of him and Dazai bickering as they came back from missions. Always successful, and
always laughing.
Like the memories of them coming up with codes and attack names, these memories also painted
Dazai in a different light. He seemed a lot more aloof compared to the Dazai in his world. A lot
more there.’’

Why would he leave then?

It was the same question burning both his head and the ‘Chuuya’s’ whose mind he was occupying.
Dazai had seemed a lot healthier, and a lot more content with his life here. So why had he left?

He thought about what the answer could be as he headed towards Headquarters, taking the same
route he had always taken. It was a route that passed through the darkest and most dangerous of
alleys. Those with the worst reputation possible. Those whose names were always accompanied by
a warning.
It had always been his favourite route to walk. No one had ever dared to bother him, not when he
was the king of the Sheep and definitely not when he was a Port Mafia Executive.

So it came as a surprise when someone approached him from behind.

‘’ I knew you’d come here.’’ said the familiar voice, closing the distance between them.
‘’ Of course, you did.’’ Chuuya simply replied, not bothering to turn around and face him.
‘’ You called, didn’t you? ‘’
A snicker escaped Dazai. ‘’ I’m pretty sure I asked for the opposite? ‘’ he reminded him.
‘’ Yeah. But you knew I wouldn’t listen to you.’’ Chuuya reasoned. ‘’ So really, you were just
telling me to come here.’’
‘’ That’s fair. I suppose.’’
‘’ Well, I’m here now, so care to explain? ‘’ His voice had a certain edge to it. He wasn’t angry,
not exactly. He just wanted an explanation.
‘’ I can’t stay with the Sheep.’’ Dazai’s voice softened as he looked at him. ‘’ I’m sorry.’’
‘’ Wait, why? ‘’
‘’ I don’t really fit in with the rest of you,’’ Dazai said, lowering his gaze to the ground. ‘’I'm more
fit for a place like the mafia.’’
‘’ You can’t mean that. That’s bullshit. ’’
‘’ Is it? ‘’ Dazai challenged, but not with his usual smugness. ‘’ Shirase basically hates me, and he
is the closest we have to a leader if we exclude you. Yuan thinks the lowest of me, no matter what
I do to help the organization grow. And don’t get me started with all twelve members of the
council.’’ Dazai’s voice remained factual, but Chuuya could tell he was more bothered than he let
on. ‘’ Most of them can’t even stand the sight of me. They just keep me around because I’m a big
help to them.’’
‘’ You could try and fix that instead of joining the fucking Mafia.’’ Chuuya countered. ‘’ You
accepted to join, right? Why? You perceive people better than anyone, I know. So don’t try and tell
me you didn’t know that would be their attitude from the very beginning. ‘’
‘’ Why I joined? ‘’ Dazai echoed, a grin appearing on his face.’’ You don’t know? ‘’
‘’ I invited you. You said no. I invited you again. You said yes. You never told me what changed
your mind. And I didn’t ask. So how would I know? ‘’

So he had been the one that had invited him.

‘’ You asked me to join your little group and I told you no. Right? ‘’
‘’ Yeah…’’
‘’ Then you asked me the same thing again, two weeks later. Right? ‘’
‘’ Again. Yes.’’ Chuuya looked at him confused. ‘’ Where are you getting at? ‘’
Dazai let out a sigh. ‘’ What do you think changed in those two weeks? ‘’
Chuuya stared at him, his mind running in circles trying to figure out the answer.

That’s when the memory of their first meeting hit him.

‘’ Wow, are you okay? ‘’ Chuuya asked, walking towards the kid laying injured on the ground.‘’
Wait, you’re bleeding.’’ He observed with concern, seeing the blood as it leaked through the
bandages the boy was wearing down his forearms. ‘’ Fuck, that’s a lot of blood, what the hell
happened to you? ’’
‘’ I’m fine.’’ The kid finally spoke, his eyes staring off at the wall at the end of the alley.
‘’ Nothing happened. You needn’t concern yourself.’’
The kid’s dormancy was making him curious, Thick lines of blood were trailing his arms, yet he
was doing nothing to stop it. Why was that?
‘’ You don’t look fine to me,’’ Chuuya said under his breath before taking a step closer to him. ‘’ I
happen to have a spare roll of bandages on me if you need it.’’ He raised his hand slightly to show
him the bag he was carrying.
‘’ I have nothing to give you. I’m not interested in your offer.’’ The boy continued answering him
with the same vacancy in his eyes. With the same robotic tone.
Was he really that disinterested in helping himself?
‘’ I’m not trying to sell it to you.’’
All Chuuya ted was to help him. As a member of the Sheep, it was his obligation to help other kids
like him that seemed to be down on their luck.
‘’ Yeah right.’’ the boy muttered in response.’’ You want me to take up on your offer so I can feel
indebted to you. Then one day, when I least expected, you’ll come here and ask me to do
something for you, calling upon that ‘favor’ you once did me. Knowing myself, I’ll initially refuse.
That’s when you’ll proceed to guilt-trip me by reminding me of this very day. In the end, I will be
too tired to fight you off and I’ll simply give in.’’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’ Oh, you’re a dumb one. Should have figured.’’ Dazai rolled his eyes.’’ I don’t want anything, so
you can stop pretending like you care and just leave me alone, already.’’
‘’ The hell is your problem? ‘’
‘’ The hell is yours? I could be a drug addict with a knife in my hands. Why drop your guard so
easily in front of someone you just met? ‘’
‘’ You look to be the same age as me, and you’re literally bleeding. I don’t think you’re much of
a-’’
Before Chuuya could finish his sentence, a dart passed right beside him, its force blowing a strand
of hair away from his face. He lifted his hand and caught it before it could proceed any further
away from him.
‘’ Oh, I see now.’’ Dazai seemed more interested in their conversation than before. ‘’ That’s why
you go around dropping your guard so easily.’’
‘’ You just threw a dart at me..’’
‘’ It wouldn’t have hit you. I have an excellent aim. All I wanted was to confirm a suspicion of
mine.’’
‘’ What kind of suspicion? ‘’
‘’ Why, you care? ‘’ Dazai said with a grin,
‘’ You know what, you can sit there and bleed to death, for all I care. I’m honestly so done with
you.’’ Chuuya turned around to leave.
‘’ Whatever you say…Chuuya.’’
His eyes shot open and he turned to him again. ‘’ How the fuck-
‘’ There are rumours about a gravity manipulator being in the Sheep. They say he is still just a kid
but his power is enough to evoke fear wherever he goes. Not hard to connect two dots.’’
Chuuya didn’t know if he was impressed or terrified by him. Probably a mixture of the two. ‘’
Okay, I’m Nakahara Chuuya, the gravity manipulator,’’ He admitted, ‘’ and you are? ‘’
‘’ Intrigued.’’
Chuuya couldn’t help but roll his eyes.’’ Will you tell me your name or will I have to call you 'the
weirdo'? ‘’
‘’ Why should I? Are you planning on talking to me again? ‘’ That smirk of his was like an
invitation to a challenge.
Chuuya had never backed out of a challenge in his life. He wouldn’t start now.
‘’ Maybe.’’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘’ So. 'The Weirdo' or…
‘’ Dazai.’’ the boy said, ‘’ Dazai Osamu.’’

‘’ We became friends.’’

They had.
Chuuya could see now why himself in this universe was in such turmoil. Dazai and he had been
friends since they were thirteen. Him leaving the Sheep so suddenly had hit him like a brick wall.

‘’ Which means I joined because…’’

‘’ Of me? ‘’
‘’ You’re my friend Chuuya. I don’t want to lie to you.’’ Dazai said, his voice neutral. ‘’ The Sheep
is your thing, but it’s not mine. Two days ago, a man came up to me. He told me he had heard a lot
of things concerning my character. He offered me a job at the Mafia and I accepted.’’
‘’ You just accepted it? Not even telling me about it, first? ‘’
‘’ It’s a good opportunity.’’
‘’ We hate the mafia Dazai. Have you-
‘’ You hate the Mafia. I don’t feel anything towards it.’’ Dazai admitted. ‘’ I’ve tried so many
times to explain it to you. I care about nothing and no one.’’
‘’ No one? ‘’
‘’ No one.’’
‘’ So you consider us to be friends but you don’t care.’’ Chuuya swallowed hard. ‘’ Okay.’’
‘’ Chuuya-
‘’ Go to Hell, Dazai.‘’ His words were sharper than any knife. ‘’ Go and fucking kill yourself, for
all I care.’’
‘’ I guess that’s goodbye, then.’’
‘’ You guess? ’’ Chuuya let out a laugh. A hurting laugh that concealed what he was really feeling.
‘’ Wow, you are such a fucking- You know what? I don’t even care.’’ he turned around. Even the
sight of him was making him nauseous.
’’ Goodbye.’’

That was all they said before each walked away from the other.

Chuuya found himself grieving for a friendship that wasn’t even his. He felt so bad for himself in
this world. Dazai had acted like a total douche.
But even if that had been the case he couldn’t but wonder if there had been another reason why he
had joined the Mafia. If the person that had offered him the job was Mori. If he had blackmailed
him or forced him into going to that place.
The Chuuya of this world wasn’t sharing his thoughts.
All he could feel was anger, frustration and sadness. Chuuya couldn’t blame him.

Was that why Fyodor had him enter the Book?

So he could see a word where Dazai had been awful to him? So he could experience some negative
feelings caused by him?
He couldn’t have actually thought thatthat would be enough to ruin their friendship, right?

‘’ Chuuya? ‘’

When he let go of his thoughts, Chuuya found himself back at the base, surrounded by most of the
members of the Sheep.
They all gave him curious glances, probably waiting in anticipation to hear what had transpired
between him and their now ex-member, Dazai.

He looked around trying to find Shirase and Yuan,

He couldn’t.
All their faces looked blurred. Looked fuzzy.

He couldn’t tell who was who.

~~~

‘’ Chuuya? ‘’

He opened his eyes, only to be greeted by the faces of all his past friends.

‘’ Chuuuuya~ You there? ‘’

He couldn’t believe it, but the voice was coming from Albatross. It took him a few moments before
he could accept that he was actually alive, and was standing right there, in front of him.

They all were.

‘’ Hey man, is something wrong? ‘’

‘’ I’m fine.’’ He spoke before he could even register what was happening. ‘’ Just, not in the mood
for parties, i guess.’’

He looked around at the cheap celebratory decorations. At the balloons tied to the furniture, at the
confetti bathing them. At the party hats they were all wearing and at the hand-made panel hung
from the ceiling. Nine words written on it.
HAPPY THREE YEARS IN THE MAFIA, MISTER EXECUTIVE CHUUYA.
Oh.
So in this reality, the Flags had lived.

Chuuya tried to speak to them all the words he was thinking, but soon found he couldn’t. He could
neither speak nor move in his own accord.
Was that how the Book worked? It was his first time going to an alternative world, so he couldn't
know.

‘’ Told you he wouldn’t want a party today.’’ Doc chastised Albatross in a low voice.’’ Why would
you think it was a good idea? ‘’ he asked him in an even lower one.
‘’ You were there. He agreed to one just a few days prior. And besides, I thought it would help
cheer him up.’’ Albatross countered, whispering.’’ He’s been a wreck ever since you-know-what
happened. I thought a party would do him good.’’
They seemed to be under the impression that Chuuya couldn’t hear them. Lippman seemed to catch
up on that.
He coughed loudly, to get their attention, then he pointed at Chuuya with his eyes.
They finally realized that he had been listening and so they stopped.
‘’ You-know-what? Really? ‘’ Chuuya regarded him, his eyebrows lifted.
‘’ I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.’’ Hearing Albatross speaking, both Lippman and Doc
had to cover their faces from the embarrassment. Albatross was never afraid to ask the questions
everyone had on their heads. Not even when they concerned Chuuya.

But what had happened? Chuuya tried to remember but he couldn’t.

The Flags were all alive, so what could have possibly made him so upset to the point they had
called him a wreck?

‘’ It’s fine. You can say it how it is. I won’t try to kill you if you do.’’
Pianoman looked at Chuuya wearily, before looking back at Albatross. Albatross seemed to be
considering his next words more carefully.
‘’ It’s natural that you feel like that.’’ he said. ‘’ Dazai was your partner for three years now.’’

Oh.

This was why he wasn’t feeling up for the party.

Dazai was-

‘’ One week shy, from three years.’’ Chuuya corrected him without missing a beat.
‘’ Whatever. Point is. Feeling sad because your partner left is understandable.’’ Albatross’s words
were surprisingly mature for him. ‘’ You could have been honest with us and just tell us that you
didn’t want a stupid party in the first place.’’

He wasn’t dead.
A strange wave of relief washed over him.
Dazai wasn’t dead.
But he had still left.
Why?
Oda.
The same thing must have happened with the Dazai of this world. Oda must have died earlier that
week. Dazai must have left to follow his advice.
But if that were the case…
A week had already passed. So why wasn’t Chuuya with him?
‘’ It’s not stupid. It’s great. And you know that I enjoy our annual parties, even if I pretend I
don’t.’’ he admitted, ‘’ I said yes because I needed a distraction, and a party sounds like a fucking
good one. So why don’t we go out for some drinks? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know’’ Pianoman chimed in on the conversation.‘’ Are you sure you want that? Last time
we went for drinks we had to drag you away from a bar fight because you almost beat a guy to
death.’’
‘’ Oh, I remember that.’’ Albatross laughed.’’ That was so fucking funny, man.’’ Pianoman glared
at him.
‘’ Okay, but what if I say drinks are in the house? ’’ Chuuya tried to play the negotiator.
Albatross jumped to him, putting his hand on his shoulder, and passing it to the other.
‘’ That’s why Chuuya is my favourite.’’ He said laughing, ruffling his shorter friend’s hair.
‘’ Hey, stop it.’’

Chuuya had missed that.

He knew he could never have them back but it was nice knowing that at least they were alive and
well in this universe.

‘’ If it’s in the house, I guess we don’t really have a choice.’’ Iceman spoke, removing the cup of
coffee from his lips.
‘’ I must agree.’’ Lippman added with a smile.

It was such a familiar setting. All of them joking with each other, laughing, going out for drinks.
Chuuya had never thought he would get to relive it.

‘ Oi, Chuuya,’’ Albatross gave him a little push to get his attention.
‘’ What is it? ‘’
‘’ If we do get drinks, are you sure you won’t end up calling that bastard again? ‘’ he asked with
his usual aloof attitude.
Chuuya’s eyes shot wide open. ‘’ I told you never to speak of that again.’’ He reminded him,
giving him a jab on his rib.
‘’ Just making sure.’’ Albatross teased, exiting the room with Chuuya on his side.

He was with the Flags, yet the only thing he could feel was a crippling numbness.
He wanted to scream at the Chuuya of this world. To yell at him to not take them for granted.
To not take their friendship for granted. To never dare do that.
He couldn’t.
But even if he could, he knew he wouldn’t.
He understood the pain of losing his partner all too well. He couldn’t blame him for being hurt.

As he passed through the corridors leading to the Port Mafia garage, all kinds of memories started
playing in his mind.

Was that how traveling through the Book worked? You entered a specific time in ‘your’ life of this
world, and you re-lived it with no memories until they started popping out of nowhere?
It was confusing, but he would figure it out.
He had to.
He had to understand why Dostoevsky had sent him there.
Like a broken record playing, he could hear distorted voices all around him as he walked through
the empty corridors. Like in an old torn movie film, he could see blurry images, slowly forming
together to tell a story.
He could see himself younger, talking with Albatross as they made their way to the garage, always
excited to ride with him on that vibrant pink motorcycle of his. Asking him if he could borrow it to
drive around, one day.
He could see the rest of the Flags following them, moving towards their own vehicles, always
compromising to take one car at a time, fighting each other for who gets to ride shotgun.
The fight was always between Iceman and Doc since Pianoman was the one driving. It was quite
entertaining to watch. The way Iceman would immediately run up to the car, pulling out his gun to
defend his spot. The way Doc would avoid it, and just look so done with him, as he got on the
backseat.

They were all happy memories.

As he saw those flashes, as he felt that happiness and laughter, Chuuya couldn’t help but be
reminded of the state the Flags were in, in his world.
He couldn’t help but remember the day he had found them all dead at their usual gathering place.
He couldn’t help but remember Albatross’s last words, his desperation to get Chuuya to save Doc.
He couldn't help but recall the state their bodies had been in when he had found them…
So broken and so mistreated that the mortician had needed more than eight hours to make them
look somewhat presentable for their funeral.
It had been sickening.

‘’ Oh, come on, I can drink more than a few glasses.’’ Chuuya complained, trying to reach for the
glass Lippman had rudely taken away from him.
‘’ You’ve already drank four.’’ Lippman said, putting his hand higher, knowing very well that
Chuuya’s height would make it impossible for him to snacth the glass away.
‘’ I’m not a kid anymore.’’
‘’ Ya sure sound like one.’’ Albatross remarked, a smirk on his lips as he looked down at Chuuya
and then at Lippman. He extended his hand acting as if he were stretching, before grabbing the
glass with a quick move from his friend’s hands.
‘’ Here.’’ he said, passing it to Chuuya.’’ But it will be your last for tonight, okay? ‘’
‘’ ’Okay."

He didn’t feel envious of this world.

His life back in his own world was great and he wouldn’t trade leaving with Dazai and joining the
ADA for anything.
But there was something about being able to see the Flags all happy and alive again, that tugged at
his heart in the best yet worst way possible.

" Chuuya…"
" One call and I'll give it to you." He tried to reason with his friend, already typing the numbers on
his phone.
" It's not a good idea." Albatross tried to take it from him, but Chuuya turned his back on him so he
wouldn't.
" One time." He said, " I'll call him once and then I'm done."
Albatross let out a sigh, falling back on the stool he had been occupying. " He isn't gonna answer
ya, man…"
" You don't know that." Chuuya's denial was too much for him to handle. He took another sip of
his drink and watched as his friend put the phone to his ear.
Nothing.
His call wasn't even going through.
" Maybe I typed wrong." He said, lowering the phone so he could look at the screen.
" Here, let me check." Albatross said and took it away from him.
He didn't check.
Instead, he put the phone inside his pocket.
" You shall have it at the end of the night." He declared, flashing him a smile.
" Bastard." Chuuya's words trailed off, as he jokingly punched him in his arm.
Before he could say anything else, his head was on the counter and he was snoring.

There were two questions burning inside his head.

The first one was how on Earth had the Flags been saved from Verlaine.
The second one was why the fuck hadn't Dazai come back.

He tried to remember but all the paths of his mind led him to a dead end.
He didn't have those memories yet. So no matter how much he wanted, he couldn't know.

" Oi, mister Executive," Iceman shook him so he could wake up." Chuuya." He shook him even
harder.
Chuuya opened his eyes, surprised by the voices speaking to him. " Wha? " he tried to speak but
his words came out half.
He looked disoriented and sleepy.
" God, you're a mess." Albatross jokingly said, watching as Iceman threw him on the couch located
in his Executive office. " But you'll be alright come the morning." He placed his phone and a little
glass of water on the table next to the couch, for him to find when he’d wake up.
" See ya then." He laughed and they left him.

After hearing the door closing, he tried to get up.

His head was spinning and his stomach was growling.
Just how much had he drunk?

The only thing he could remember was him and the Flags going out to a bar to have a drink.
And then Iceman and Albatross bringing him there after, as they often did.
Did he have work the next day?
Who knew.

Watching ‘himself’ in that pathetic drunken state was more than embarrassing, but he couldn't do
much about it.
It was part of 'his' day, so by the rules of the Book, he had to live through it.

Chuuya got up and reached for the cup of water on the table. He raised the glass and downed it. It
wasn't enough to cure his hangover, but it made his head feel just the tiniest bit heavier. Which was
better than nothing.
Coming to the very rational conclusion that his hangover would leave him if he stayed awake, he
decided to sleep.

He turned over so his back would be aligned with the back of the couch and closed his eyes.
That's when his phone rang. Without thinking, he reached for it.

" Happy three years in the mafia~."

Dazai’s voice brought back the memory he had been searching for all those hours.

The memory of how the Flags had managed to survive Verlaine.

Chuuya was standing on the roof of a dark tunnel, after having finally escaped the android
There were so many thoughts circling his mind. Thoughts concerning the Flags and thoughts
concerning the android and Verlaine.
He thought he needed his protection? Really? He was a mafioso. He was sure he could handle him.

As he counted down almost a minute and a half, his phone rang. He picked it up immediately
without a second thought, thinking that Pianoman or the others wanted to tell him something or
update them on the job the mailman had given them.
‘’ Yeah? ‘’
‘’ Hey, Chuuya~’’
Oh, God, not him. Not now.
‘’ The fuck you want, Dazai? " he asked angrily, readying himself to end the call.
" Can’t really talk right now, so it better be something-
‘’ It’s important.’’ Dazai dropped his cheerful act. That was enough for Chuuya to know he was
being serious.
‘’ Okay. Be quick.’’
‘’ You need to act surprised.’’
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ When you come face to face with Verlaine, he will show you something. Act scared and angry.
Act as if what he is showing you is real.’’
‘’ The fuck are you talking about? How would you even know that Ve--
‘’ Trust me.’’
‘’ But-
‘’ Just do it.’’

Chuuya could hear the engine of a car roaring beneath him. If he stayed there any longer he would
jeopardize his position and that stupid android would be able to find him. He couldn’t afford to
think over what Dazai was saying.

‘’ Is that all? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
And with that, he hung up.

Chuuya was a hundred and one percent sure that conversation had never happened in his world.
Dazai had never warned him about Verlaine that night. He would remember it if he had.
Similarly to his own world, the car that parked next to him had been Verlaine. Adam had caught up
with them soon after.
Everything had gone exactly as they had in his world. Him being confused, Verlaine trying to talk
to him and pursue him into joining him in a world of killing. Adam saving him by taking control of
the car and driving it to a wall.
Everything had been the same.
Everything except one thing.
When Chuuya had asked about the Flags and Verlaine had opened the trunk to show him what had
happened to them, Lippman’s body wasn’t the one that had fallen out of it.
Instead, it was someone else’s.
Someone who Chuuya didn’t recognize.

That’s when he remembered Dazai’s words.

Chuuya saw as he acted out all the emotions ‘he’ had experienced that night. As he put on the best
performance of his life, his script being his worst fears that had unfortunately been ‘his’ reality.

It had worked. Verlaine had really believed he had killed them.

‘’ You…alive? ‘’ His words were messed together, and he could barely speak.
‘’ Yes. But do me a favor. Never call me again. That's the only thing I wanted to tell you.’’
‘’ Wai-
Before he could tell him to wait, Dazai hung up on him.

Thinking it was only a hallucination caused by the wine, Chuuya slept off thinking nothing of it.

While this Chuuya was asleep more memories resurfaced.

Memories of him and Dazai.

Particularly, memories of them fighting and being distant.
From the way Dazai treated him, anyone would have guessed Chuuya had done something truly
awful to him.
But he hadn’t.
That was the thing.
Chuuya couldn’t find not one memory where he had done anything bad to Dazai. On the contrary,
knowing that he had saved the Flags from Verlaine, Chuuya had tried to be friendlier with him,
kinder.
But Dazai had completely shut him out after the Verlaine incident.
It made no sense.
Why was Dazai so angry at him? Why did he look at him with such loathing in his eyes?

‘’ Wakey, weaky neighbour~’’ Albatross shook him, waking him up.

Neighbour?
Wait. Did he still live at the apartment complex? Hadn’t he moved in with Dazai after the
Dragonhead conflict?
No. If Albatross had been alive, he would have no reason to move away.
Did that mean Dazai had continued living in that stupid container? No, surely not. He must have
gotten an apartment on his own. Yes.

‘’ Hearing your voice first thing in the morning? ‘’ Chuuya groaned, turning over, ‘’ What have I
done to deserve this? ‘’
‘’ Oh come on,’’ Albatross pulled him towards him, throwing him down.’’ We have a job today, so
get ready you grumpy old man.’’
‘’ You’re older than me, but whatever.’’ Chuuya countered, rubbing his eyes and yawning the
morning sleepiness away.‘’ What kind of job is it? ‘’
‘’ A blast from the past.’’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’ Give me your phone and I’ll show you.’’ Chuuya complied, He reached for his phone and
handed it to him.
‘’ Wait.’’ Albatross looked at the screen once before looking back at Chuuya. ‘’ Dazai actually
called you back? ‘’
‘’ He did? ‘’ Chuuya seemed to have trouble recalling the interaction.
‘’ I thought he wasn’t speaking to you, for months now.’’ Albatross observed confused. ‘’ What
did he say? ‘’

In this world, Albatross was his most trusted friend. He was the one Chuuya always confined in.
The first person he called when he needed to get something out of his chest.

A thousand recollections played in his brain, of moments when Albatross had been the perfect
friend to him. Of moments where he had laughed with him so hard his stomach had hurt and where
he had complained to him about Dazai and their mission for hours on end.

‘’ I don’t remember.’’ Chuuya said, his words a whisper. ‘’ I must have been too drunk. I don’t
even remember picking up the phone.’’
‘’ Oh, shit.’’ Albatross looked concerned for him. ‘’ Well, the call lasted only some seconds so you
mustn’t have said that much.’’ He tried to make Chuuya feel better about the situation.
‘’ What if he told me the reason he left? ‘’ Chuuya asked, what ifs circling his head. ‘’ What if he
called to say goodbye? ‘’
‘’ I’m gonna be frank with ya, okay? ‘’ Albatross said, giving him his phone back.’’ That bastard
refused to talk to you even when you planned a surprise party for his fucking 18th birthday. I get
that he was your partner, and at some point even somewhat of a friend, but he wasn’t that anymore.
And you know it.’’
‘’ I know.’’ Chuuya said, anger in his words.’’ It just sucks that I don’t know why that happened.’’

Did Albatross know? Maybe he would finally get the answer to his second question.

‘’ I wish I knew so I could tell you, Chuuya. I really do. But I don’t.’’ he admitted. ‘’ I could look
into it though. If that would help.’’

Fuck. Albatross didn’t know either.

‘’ He has a friend that works in the Mafia, right? ‘’ Albatross tired, ‘’ The redhead you kept
complaining about, two years ago? The low-ranked member who Dazai used to talk with. ‘’
‘’ Oda? ‘’
‘’ Yes, him. I could try and ask him if he knows anything.’’
‘’ Didn’t he leave the organization? I haven’t heard anything about him in years.’’
‘’ Did he? I don’t know.’’

Didn’t they know that Oda had died a few days ago?
Or wasn't that the case here…
Did Dazai leave for another reason? Could Oda still be alive in this world as well?
More questions formed in his head.

Albatross and Chuuya soon left the room to go to the mission the Boss had given him.
The mission was actually quite simple. All they had to do was take a boat, sail until they found a
big ship northeast of the Port. Embark on it, find the ‘Gray Association’, a smuggling ring, and
convince them to work for the Mafia because their ship could reach the Port.

On their way back to the mission more memories started to appear in front of him.
Memories of all the times he had completed missions successfully. Some, were with Albatross and
Lippman and the rest of the Flags, others were with Dazai and there were a few where he was by
himself.
He was quite accomplished as an Executive.

That was the same as in his word.

The memories with the Flags were always filled with loud cheers and congratulations. Those with
Dazai however weren't,
He looked like he was forced to work with him. Like he hated it. He never spoke unless it was for
the plan and he never joked.
Just what the Hell had happened to them?

After arriving back at the apartment his eyes closed.

When he opened them again it was as if the Book had made him skip a couple of pages. More than
three days had passed since the mission on the shp.
He opened his eyes and found himself in the apartment yet again.
His phone rang.

In hopes it would be Dazai, he looked at the screen before answering.

Albatross.
‘’ What is it? ‘’
‘’ Will you open up? ‘’ the man asked, ‘’ I’ve been knocking on your door for about a quarter of an
hour now.’’
‘’ I was sleeping.’’
‘’ You aren’t anymore.’’
Chuuya shook his head, put down the phone and moved toward the locked door. He found his
keys, unlocked it and opened it.

‘’ It’s morning and I don’t have work today.’’ Chuuya glared at him. ‘’ It better be something
important.’’
‘’ Before I get into it, are you free tonight? ‘’
‘’ Yes, why? ‘’
‘’ Good, Pianoman said to meet up at the usual spot for a good old pool tournament.’’
‘’ Fine, sure.’’.Chuuya looked at him confused. ‘’ Now what was important? ‘’
‘’ Remember when I told you I would go to talk to Dazai’s ex-friend? ‘’
‘’ Yeah…? ‘’
‘’ I can’t.’’
‘’ That’s okay. I don’t-
‘’ No, no.’’ Albatross tried again, ‘’ I can’t because he is dead.’’
So Oda hadn’t lived in this universe either.

‘’ In fact, he’s been dead for two years now.’’

WHAT.

‘’ Really? Dazai never told me that...’’

‘’ And I think I know why.’’ Albatross’s face changed into a more sympathetic one. ‘’ You
remember how Dazai had been the one to save us from Verlaine, right? By ordering to have five
low-ranked members sent into the location instead of us, so that Verlaine could kill them instead?‘’
‘’ Yes…? ’’
‘’ Oda Sakunosuke had been sent among them.’’ Albatross revealed. ‘’ And I don’t think Dazai
knew he would…’’

Before Chuuya could find out ‘his’ reaction to the news Albatross had already faded away.

~~~

When Chuuya came into consciousness again, he was drinking.

He looked at the bottle in front of him and at 7 more laying around on the table. They were all
empty. That was strange. Normally he would be feeling lightheaded after drinking only a few
glasses.
He was feeling nothing of it.

Was that how the Book worked? Couldn't he feel anything?

He tried to reach for another bottle to examine it but soon realized that was impossible. He had no
autonomy over the body he was trapped in.
Could he speak then?
He tried to.
He came to the conclusion he couldn't.
He seemed to be nothing more but an observer.

" You must be Chuuya." It was a familiar voice for him yet not for the person whose body he was
occupying.

Why was that?

Wasn't he friends with Dazai in this world? Didn’t he know him?
He tried to remember what their relationship was but nothing came up in his head.

" It's Nakahara for you." Chuuya corrected him coldly, not caring enough to turn around and greet
the person.
" I know what your surname is, but our leader said it was better to call everyone by their first
names, soo "
That sparked his interest.
" He did? " He asked, doubting him," I’ve heard nothing about that."
" It's a new semi-rule.’’ the man explained, ‘’ An advice if you must. It will act as an enabler for us
members to get closer to each other so we can work better as a team."
Chuuya scoffed at his words, ‘’ Whatever.’’ He said coolly, taking another long sip of his drink. " I
have no interest in befriending anyone."
" Good thing I'm not anyone, then." The man came and took the seat next to his, not waiting for an
invitation that would never arrive." I'm Osamu." He said, extending his hand. " Dazai Osamu."

Osamu? Chuuya thought he hated that name. Dazai had told him so. So why was he using it so
casually in this reality? Why was he using it as his preferred name?
And where were they? That place and their outfits...It looked nothing like the Mafia or the ADA so
just what was going on?

Chuuya looked him up and down, trying to remember if he had seen him before.
" You're the suicidal brat that's always causing trouble for the medics." He said with a half smile,
passing him the near-empty bottle instead of shaking his hand. " Gotta admit, you got some pretty
wild stories surrounding you."
Dazai laughed it off, taking the bottle in his hands, " What have you heard? " he asked, putting it
aside, focusing his attention on him." And from whom? I thought you didn't want friends."
" I don't. But talking to people doesn't necessarily mean I want to befriend them, does it? I usually
just sit and listen to whatever nonsense they have to say until they can see that I'm not that talkative
and leave on their own accord. It's quite funny to see them always find the most obvious of excuses
just to not seem rude."
" You’re admitting to that, yet, here you are, talking to me." The man challenged him, a smirk on
his lips. " What does that mean? "
" I don't know, but I might stop doing it if you continue this." Chuuya gave him a smile, murderous
intent in his eyes.
" Fair enough," Dazai raised his arms to show him he was surrendering. " So, what's with all these
bottles?"
" Why do you wanna know?"
" I have a curious mind."
Chuuya slightly arched his brow at him.
" Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds? " he warned.
" They get into trouble." Dazai replied factually. " But what if that's what I'm after? "
Chuuya didn't know what to make of this person. He could tell not a single word that he could be
thinking. Dazai had clearly made it his practice to not let any emotion show on his face.
But why?
" Sorry to disappoint, but the reason I was drinking was because I simply wanted to test my limits
after the surgery. "
Dazai gave him an understanding nod." Does it affect alcohol consumption? I hadn't looked at the
side effects all that much." He admitted. " I just went there and got it."

Surgery? And they both had it? But they looked fine. Just what kind of surgery would have you
question if you could drink more alcohol after it?

" What?" That seemed to surprise Chuuya." The side effect list is more than five full pages. The
surgery literally messes up everything inside you." He explained. " Didn't you care about what
would happen to you if you took it? "
" I mean, not really." Dazai said in a lowered voice. " If it had killed me, that would have been
ideal. I knew there was a chance it could have happened, but unfortunately, as you can see, I wasn't
that lucky."
Wasn’t that lucky?
‘’ So I take it your suicide attempts aren’t just something you do to pass time and entertain yourself
and others? ‘’
‘’ No. Contrary to popular belief, I do want to die. It’s just that I can’t.’’ Dazai admitted, ‘’ It’s
such a bummer. It’s the reason I ended up here.’’ he said, showing the place around them.

At an empty bar?

‘’ That would have been my next question.’’ Chuuya continued,’’ How did you manage to wind up
as a Hunting Dog? ‘’
As a what now?
Chuuya had only heard of the group called the Hunting Dogs only once or twice in his life. The
only thing he knew about them was that they were the best amongst ability users and that they
served the military.
They were a top-secret organization. No one could touch them. Even an audience with them was
impossible.
Just how the fuck had he become one?
He and Dazai, separately.

‘’ Kind of a personal question, don’t you think? ‘’ Dazai avoided answering, fidgeting with the
bottle Chuuya had given him earlier.
‘’ If you tell me, I’ll share my story too.’’
‘’ Why would I care about that? ‘’ Dazai asked, but Chuuya could see he looked more intrigued
than what he let on.
‘’ You said you were a curious mind.’’ he reasoned. ‘’ Maybe the answer could satisfy that
curiosity?’’
‘’ You do make a valid argument..’’ Dazai seemed to consider his offer. ‘’ Fine. I’ll tell you. But
just so you know, my story isn’t all that interesting.’’
‘’ It all started when I was fourteen. I tried to kill myself by jumping off a bridge into a river on a
cold winter night. To my dismay, a man found me and saved me from death. He ended up being
the doctor of an organization called the Port Mafia.’’

Chuuya was no stranger to the Mafia in this world, either.

‘’ Long story short, we devised a plan, he was able to kill the Boss that was at the time, he claimed
the leadership, and I become a pawn of his.’’ Dazai let out a short-lived laugh. ‘’ He tried to get me
to join the Mafia, but for a year I refused, acting only as an accomplice and counsellor from the
shadows. When I was sixteen, he tried asking again. Two years had passed and I was too bored, so
I figured why not.’’ He didn't seem all that happy about the development of his life. ‘’ I became an
Executive the moment I stepped foot inside the building. I worked hard for the Port Mafia and
made the organization what it is today.’’
‘’ Some months ago, a man came and found me. He told me word had gotten out. About my ability
and about my various other talents. He asked me a couple of questions to see what my moral
compass was and where my loyalty lied. After I answered him with honesty, he asked me to join
him and his group. I was bored out of my mind, and a friend of mine had recently been killed, so I
accepted his offer.’’
‘’ Wait. Who was the man that recruited you? ‘’
‘’ Jouno.’’
‘’ Jouno? They say he almost never invites people…Not all that interested my ass.’’ Chuuya
mumbled.’’ So the rumours are true. You are Jouno’s protege and an ex Port Mafia Executive.’’
Chuuya couldn’t hide his fascination with this newfound knowledge.
‘’ Yeah, yeah, I am. But enough with me.’’ Dazai brushed the topic aside.’’ Now it’s your time to
share your story.’’ he said, obvious to Chuuya he was much more excited to hear rather than to
speak.
Well, a deal was a deal.

Finally, he would get some answers.

‘’ I don’t have much of a story.’’ Chuuya confessed.’’ I was found by the government when I was
just a kid, so I grew up being tested and experimented on. I was trained to control my ability the
best I could for years. I was taught all kinds of martial arts. I was basically raised to become a
Hunting Dog. Then when I turned eighteen, just a week ago, I was called here to have the surgery
performed on me and officially join the group.’’
Oh…
So the Sheep had never found him.
And neither had Dazai ever asked him to join the Mafia.

Echoes of screams and of him yelling filled his mind before pictures started terrorizing his
memories. Flashes of him being in agony for most of his childhood. Needles always picking at his
skin, tubes always attached to him. Doctors and scientists, always circling him like vultures ready
to attack.
He could feel the pain and he could feel the hopelessness. The devouring sensation that nothing
would ever change.
The Sheep had never found him. Dazai had never made him join the Mafia. He had never met the
Flags, he had never met Verlaine. Nothing was the same.
Absolutely nothing.
Compared to the Chuuya he was seeing, he was lucky.
Lucky enough to have known what friendship was. Lucky enough to have experienced things other
than constant pain and suffering.
Lucky enough he had lived.

If he could, he would have thrown up.

More memories started appearing.
More torture, more abuse, more cruelly. Even thoughts of wanting to die popped up in his head.
No, they weren’t just thoughts. It was a need. A need to end this never-ending ache he was feeling.
It was beyond nauseating.
He had never felt luckier for his life than he did as he saw those memories. And it was cruel he
knew, but he couldn’t help it.
Compared to him, life had treated him good.

‘’ So you didn’t have much of a choice.’’ Dazai observed aloud.

‘’ I didn’t have any choice.’’ Chuuya corrected him. ‘’ I didn’t even want to take that fucking
surgery.’’
‘’ Because it makes you a slave of the government…’’
‘’ No, because it hurt.’’ Chuuya deadpanned in a pathetic attempt to lighten up the subject.
‘’ It makes you a fucking puppet, Osamu. Who in their right mind would even say yes to that? ’’

Osamu.
Dazai’s first name coming out of his mouth felt so weird. So wrong. He didn’t like it not one bit.
He didn’t like anything about this situation as a whole.

‘’ Personally. I could neve seem to find what I’ve been looking for, so being a puppet of someone
always worked for me.’’ Chuuya stared at him. ‘’ It gave me a purpose, I suppose. Killed my
boredom at times, even.’’
‘’ If you ask me, you’re stupid.’’ Chuuya stated, looking at him. ‘’ You shouldn’t have said yes to
Jouno. There is absolutely nothing interesting here. Nothing that could help kill that boredom of
yours.’’
Dazai let his eyes wander elsewhere for a moment.
‘’ I don’t know about that.’’ he said, the ghost of a smile on his lips. ‘’ don’t feel bored right
now.’’

Chuuya had thought that Dazai and him would have become friends after that encounter.
He had thought that maybe perhaps, the suffering his ‘self’ in this universe was feeling, would
have finally come to end.
He thought a friendship with Dazai would have helped him.

He had been so wrong.

Dazai and he had become friends and Chuuya had been happy for a while, but that hadn’t lasted
long.

‘’ Hey, Chuuya, ‘’
‘’ Hm? ‘’
‘’ Would you want to run away with me? ‘’ It was a simple question but it made his heart skip a
beat.
‘’ Run away with you? ‘’ he laughed, entertaining the thought. ‘’ Even if I wanted…we can’t. We
would die after only a month.’’ As pessimistic and as sad as it was, it was the truth.
Chuuya had no reason to delude himself with the promise of a forever unattainable future.
‘’ It would be over in a month,’’ Dazai echoed, ‘’ But until then, we would get a chance to live
free.’’
Chuuya hated that he was considering it.
‘’ A life of being forced to kill for the government or a month of freedom.’’ he laughed again,
‘’ Truly great choices we have.’’
‘’ Haha, indeed.’’ Dazai joined him. ‘’ We’re in quite a predicament.’’
‘’ Between the Devil and the deep blue sea.’’
‘’ Well, if you asked me, ‘’ Dazai’s eyes found his. ‘’ I would much rather drown.’’

Screams and fighting erupted in his ears before he could even form an opinion on what was
happening.

Chuuya found himself even more confused than when he had come into this reality.
It was the first one the Book had decided to show him.
Why? What was so special about it?
Why had Fyodor, or rather his employer, insisted so much for him to see that?

Without a warning, the scenery in front of him changed. Dazai disappeared.

2 Years passed.

‘’ Chuuya,’’ Another familiar voice. ‘’ Have you seen Osamu today? ‘’

What the fuck was Tachihara doing there?

he hadn’t been there when he and Dazai had entered the group a few years ago, that was for sure.

‘’ Haven’t seen him since yesterday, why? ‘’

‘’ He hasn’t signed his name yet.’’

To overgo the monthly surgery you had to sign your name the day prior. If you didn’t, you had no
right to have the surgery performed on you.
That rule could only be bent if the reason for your inactivity was either a mission or if you were
undergoing another surgery due to an injury that occurred during work.
‘’ He hasn’t? ‘’ Chuuya asked, confused. ‘’ Are you sure? Maybe he signed as Dazai? ‘’ he offered
a reasonable alternative.
‘’ Nope. Searched the paper thoroughly. Well, as thoroughly as you can search ten names.’’
‘’ Once I find him I’ll let him know. He must be sleeping or something.’’
Tachihara shrugged his shoulders, ‘’ I only informed you.’’ he said and left.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard to imagine Tachihara being a Hunting Dog.

Maybe he was one in his world as well. In an undercover mission, infiltrating the Mafia as a
member of the Black Lizard.
The thought was quite far-fetched but there was just something so right, in seeing him wearing that
green uniform, that told him it wasn’t impossible.

‘’ Why the fuck haven’t you signed yet? ‘’ Chuuya asked, climbing up the roof of the small hut so
he could sit beside him. ‘’ If you don’t sign today you-
‘’ I’m not signing.’’
‘’ …what? ’’
‘’ I’m not signing.’’ Dazai repeated, his eyes distant. ‘’ I’ve made up my mind, Chuuya. I’ll be
gone before sunrise.’’
‘’ You…You can’t.’’ Chuuya stumbled over his own words, unable to process what was
happening. ‘’ You’ll be a walking corpse if you do.’’
‘’ But what if that’s what I’m after? ‘’ There was a cruel honesty behind that smile of his that made
Chuuya want to punch him. ‘’ What if death is what I want? ‘’
‘’ Then I don’t give a crap about what you want.’’ He was being selfish, he knew, ‘’ You can’t go,
Osamu. ’’ but if it came to that, he was ready to beg him.
He was ready to throw away all his remaining dignity and beg him to stay.

Dazai had been his first friend. The first person that had made him think that maybe life was worth
living. That maybe the suffering could end.
He wouldn’t let himself lose him.

‘’ Look, Chuuya,’’ He lowered his voice and his gaze.’’ I’m leaving tonight, okay? Whether you
like it or not. You can either come with me, or you can stay here. Your decision will not, in any
way, impact our friendship. I promise you that.’’
‘’ Won’t impact our friendship? Is it so easy for you to fucking lie to my face? ‘’ Chuuya raised his
voice.’’ The fuck kinda friendship will I have with a fucking corpse? Huh? ‘’
‘’ Chuuya…’’
‘’ Don’t ‘Chuuya’ me.’’ he tried to control his anger. To lower his voice so he wouldn’t scream at
him.
’’ If you leave I will never forgive you.’’

Chuuya had wanted to stay there for a bit longer. To hear what Dazai had replied.
Unfortunately, the scenery had changed yet once more, before he could have heard the ending of
that conversation.

In the memories that appeared after, he could see Chuuya and Dazai meeting up by the entrance at
nightfall.
He could see them leaving together.

It was an incredible month that followed. A month filled with laughter and joy. A month filled with
all kinds of adventures and experiences.
Dazai took Chuuya everywhere. From the beach, to the mountains, to the city. He took him to the
finest restaurants and to the best cantines Yokohama had to offer. He took him to the best bars and
the best cafè. He took him to museums and amusement parks and even places like all-day running
arcades.

Chuuya had never thought a person could make you feel that happy.

Dazai had promised him he would take him to see the world.
He shouldn't be surprised he had kept his word.

Stealing cars and driving around aimlessly after the sun had fallen. Eating noodles while sitting on
roofs while watching the moon and the stars. Running around the city, daring each other to do all
kinds of risky dares.

It had been incredible. Every day had been better than the last.

Watching the sunset while diving off rocks into the sea. Playing video games in that old arcade,
cursing and yelling at each other. Going to concerts of various small artists just so they could have
a bit of fun, judging the songs and the people attending.

He only wished it could have lasted longer than a month.

Playing the struggling singers and performing on the streets just for laughs. Vandalizing the city by
graffiting walls and painting stupid shapes across walls. Going to big parties and pretending to be
rich businessmen from abroad. Sleeping in Parks mid-day after having been up all night.

30 days had been enough to make him feel happy, but he wanted more.

Chuuya hadn't liked how the story of them had ended.

The last two days hadn't been as fun or exciting. The absence of the procedure was starting to affect
them.

Only a day remained before they died.

" I changed my mind," Dazai said, looking at him. " We should go back."
Chuuya considered his words carefully before he spoke. " Why?" He smiled," You don't want to
die anymore? " he challenged him, his voice weak.
" You could say that."

They had both agreed to go back into the Hunting Dogs. To ask their leader for forgiveness. To let
them sign. To let them have the surgery.

It was funny.
Funny in a way that makes you question if anything was worth it.

Chuuya had no problem being welcomed back into their ranks. On the contrary, the whole team
and especially their leader had been happy about his return.
Dazai on the other half…

He hadn't been accepted back.

Chuuya could feel the pain as he watched his face grow paler. As he watched his body become
frailer, weaker.

Dazai hadn't been accepted back.

Dazai hadn't been allowed to sign.

He watched as his friend smiled his last smile.

They weren't letting him have the surgery.

Chuuya had learned that only after he had gone through with his.

He watched as he walked to the door. His legs, staggering, his arms reached for something to lean
on.

Dazai was dying.

And he couldn't do a thing to save him.

" Goodbye, Chuuya." He whispered with his eyes on the door and his back on him. " I'm sorry."
He opened the door and walked out.
In his shock, Chuuya hadn't said anything in response.
He hadn't even managed to say goodbye.

He rushed to the door and reached for the handle, his hands shaking.

It was too late.

The world was already gone.

~~~

When Chuuya stepped through the door he found himself face-to-face with his worst fear.

No. No. No.

This couldn't be happening.

He moved faster than ever, reaching the bathtub and kneeling beside it.

No. No. No.

He grabbed his hand into him and with his fingers circling it he tried to search for a pulse.
When he couldn’t find one, he put them on his neck.

Please. Please. Please.

He pleaded to anyone who would listen.

‘’ Dazai? ‘’ He tried calling his name, as he shook him, in hopes his eyes would open.
‘’ Dazai, please.’’ In hopes, they would shine brightly once again.
‘’ Dazai.’’ It was no longer a plea but rather a goodbye.

His skin was already pale. His temperature was colder than the water surrounding him. The blood
running down his arms had hardened into thick lines. The water had turned red.
Chuuya wasn’t stupid.

He didn’t need to find the razor fallen on the ground or see the cut etched on his skin to understand
he had died.

He couldn’t do anything else but look at him. At the peaceful smile on his lips and at his closed
eyes.
If you could only ignore the blood all over his clothes and his paper-white skin tainted by red, you
would think he was asleep.
You would think he was finally able to catch a break and have a good night’s rest.
You would think that he was smiling because his dreams were happy.

There would never be enough words in the universe to describe the pain he felt then.
The hopelessness.

He hadn’t found Dazai dying. He had found him dead. There was a big difference.
If he had found him dying maybe he would have had time to save him or even say goodbye.
Now, like Dazai, that possibility no longer existed.

He sat there frozen, staring at his friend. His hand still on his,
Why?
Why had this happened?
He thought he was getting better. He thought he had stopped.

Dazai’s smile had never managed to fool him, not until that day.

He had said he was better. He had said he was happier.

But looking at him now, Chuuya could understand he had been lying.
He hadn't been getting better. No. He had been getting worse.

When his eyes had finally managed to drift away from his body, he noticed the morbid writing on
the wall.
I’m sorry, Chu
The letters looked messy and unfinished. But what made Chuuya want to throw up was the fact he
had died writing his name.
The big handprint gliding down the wall after the third letter of his name was enough to paint the
picture.

Dazai had died thinking of him.

Chuuya couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Was that really the first thing he had to see upon entering that god-forsaken Book?
Was that desperation, that unfathomable sadness the first thing he had to feel?
Dazai had looked no older than sixteen.
He had looked no older than sixteen.

Why had it worked? Dazai’s attempts never work. That’s why he can see them as a ‘joke’ most of
the time. His attempts had never worked so why? Why was he staring at his dead body now? Why?

He tried to piece it together. To understand their relationship, to understand the setting.

Since he had no recollection, no memories of this life, he thought he would start off by searching
for clues.
It didn’t take him long to understand that he couldn’t control the body he was in.
And it didn’t take long to understand he was only but a mere viewer, incapable of effecting or
intervening with the narrative that was being presented in front of him.

As ‘himself’ from this world pulled Dazai out of the bathtub, he finally noticed those blood-stained
clothes he was wearing.
It was a school uniform. A simple school uniform for kids that were lucky enough to be able to go
to school.

When he caught glimpses of himself in a mirror, he noticed he too was wearing a school uniform.
Had they been classmates? Had they been friends? If Dazai had written his name as he was dying,
something told him they had. But if that had been the case…
Why was Dazai dead?
It would seem in this world, abilities weren’t a thing. Or if they were, they didn’t have them.
They were normal teenagers attending school. So what could have possibly led to this?

‘’ Chuuya? ‘’

The bathroom walls broke down tile by tile. The mirror and the sink slowly dissolved. The bathtub
vanished in the blink of an eye.
Everything had disappeared, but the blood from his hands.
That had transformed.

‘’ That’s your name, right? ‘’ He looked up to find a wide-eyed kid staring at him. Brownish hair
and brownish eyes. ‘’ Here, you can use this.’’ The boy handed him a towel.
‘’ That’s my name, yeah,’’ Chuuya took it and started wiping his hands with it, ‘’ Thanks.’’ he
said, scrubbing the red paint off his skin.
‘’ Did you know? The paints actually have a small needle in the inside of their cap,’’ The boy said
unprompted. ‘’ Maybe next time you could try tearing the seal with that, instead of smacking it on
the table and trying to bite it off.’’
Chuuya didn’t know whether he was being condescending or helpful. He wanted to believe it was
the latter.
’’ I’ll keep that in mind.’’
‘’ Also. Warm water would help with the stains.’’ the boy continued.‘’ The towel can only do so
much.’’
Chuuya looked down at his hands. ‘’ Oh, okay.’’ Most of the paint had already been wiped clean
but redness still remained. ‘’ I’ll go ask miss Shotano if I can go to the bathroom to wash it off,
then.’’

They couldn’t have been younger than six.

‘’ You should. I heard once that if paint stays on your skin for too long it could actually kill you.’’
Chuuya looked worriedly at the red spot on his skin.‘’ Really? ‘’ he asked, slightly concerned.
‘’ No.’’ The boy flashed him a quick smile.
‘’ You’re mean.’’
‘’ I know.’’

Was that how they had met in this universe?

In kindergarten? As lousy six-year-olds?

‘’ Hey,’’ Chuuya rushed out of the school and after the boy, his hands all washed out now,
‘’ You never told me your name.’’
The boy looked first at the car waiting for him at the side of the pavement and then at Chuuya.
‘’ I’m Dazai.’’ He said before walking up to the woman that was waiting for him by the car.

Knowing how their story ended, Chuuya could help but feel sad about those two boys.

‘’ Was that your mother? ‘’ Chuuya asked, swinging his legs back and forth. Dazai turned his head
so he could look at him.
‘’ Who? ‘’
‘’ The blonde woman that took you yesterday. Is she your mum? ‘’
Dazai turned his head forward again. ‘’ No.’’ he replied.’’ That was Kiye. My aunt.’’ he continued
swinging his legs, now trying to swing higher than the other boy.
‘’ Who picked you up? ‘’ Dazai returned the question. ‘’ I wasn’t here so I didn’t see.’’
‘’ Oh, that would be my brother.’’ Chuuya smiled. ‘’ Verlaine. He is great.’’

Verlaine?
There was a world where he and Verlaine were actual siblings? Where he hadn’t murdered his
friends and hadn’t tried to take him away from the only home he had ever known?
Was such a thing possible?

‘’ What’s so great about him? ‘’ Dazai asked, wanting to learn more about his classmate.
‘’ He is French.’’
‘’ Really? ‘’
‘’ Yeah. His parents were too. I’m not though. I was adopted.’’
‘’ How big is your difference? ‘’
‘’ Fourteen years. He is a college student... He is also the one that’s been taking care of me ever
since our parents died.’’
‘’ When did that happen? ‘’
‘’ Four years ago.’’

So there was really a universe where Verlaine was nothing but a human.
Where he was a hundred percent sure he was a human.

‘’ I’m sorry for that.’’ Dazai tried to be as sympathetic as he could.

‘’ What about your family? ‘’
‘’ My family? ‘’ Dazai echoed unsurely. ‘’ My father is a politician and a businessman, so he’s
never at home. And my mother…she is heavily sick.’’
‘’ So that’s why your aunt was the one that picked you up.’’
‘’ Mhm.’’

Dazai’s life didn’t seem to be any different than the one in their world.

‘’ I hope your mother recovers soon.’’

‘’ Thank you, but I don’t think that will happen.’’

From what he had understood the way the Book worked was simple.
Once you entered it, you were thrown into a specific moment that meant a lot. Then, once that
moment ended, you were thrown into other memories and moments.
It was the first reality he was visiting, so that theory could be way off, but as of now, he would go
with that.

He was sitting quietly in his chair, watching as his new classmates entered through the door. It was
the first day of primary school. He was quite excited to see how the day would go.
But he was more excited to see if a certain kindergarten classmate would make his return.
The school he was attending was the closest to the kindergarten, so by logic, he should be
attending here as well.

He watched as all kinds of kids walked through that door and took their seats. Some looked
nervous, trying to keep to themselves and not make noise. Others looked beyond excited, entering
the class and immediately greeting and meeting people.
Chuuya remained seated on his chair, his eyes moving between the desk next to his, whose seat he
had already secured with his bag, and the door.
Soon enough, the person he had been waiting for showed up.

‘’ Chuuya! ‘’ the boy exclaimed, walking up to him. ‘’ Oh, is this seat taken? ‘’ He asked, looking
at Chuuya’s bag on the chair.
The boy with the red hair snatched the bag away. ‘’ By you.’’ he said with a smile.
Dazai smiled back at him, showing him he appreciated the gesture.
‘’ How was your summer? ‘’
‘’ It was great.’’ Chuuya replied, ‘’ My brother and a friend of his from college decided it would be
a great idea if we all went together to France.’’
‘’ So you went to France? ‘’
‘’ Mhm. It was truly great.’’ He started. ‘’ We went to all kinds of places, and we went to see the
Tower of Eiffel and the Louvre, and we went to a wine cellar as well.’’
‘’ A wine cellar? ‘’
‘’ I accidentally drank a few sips thinking it was juice,’’ Chuuya laughed.’’ My brother was further
ahead of us so the one that panicked for me was Arthur, his friend.’’

Arthur? As in Rimbaud?
He had gone to France with Arthur and Verlaine? And they had a good time?
Would that be what sparked his love for wine in this world? His brother taking him to a cellar in
Meursault?

‘’ That sounds like a fun time.’’ Dazai said, changing his position so he would be more
comfortable in the chair.
‘’ It was. So, what about you? How did you spend your summer? ‘’
‘’ Just existing in my room. Nothing special. ‘’
‘’ Read any good books? ‘’ Chuuya tried. ‘’ The one my aunt got me for my birthday. But it wasn’t
all that great.’’
‘’ What didn’t you like? ‘’
‘’ It fell flat.’’ Chuuya arched his eyebrows, silently telling him to elaborate on what that meant. ‘’
The characters in it bothered me the most.’’ He explained, ‘’ They lacked depth.’
‘’ I see…Didn’t anything else happen? ‘’
‘’ No, nothing of importance.’’

Chuuya felt bad for the boy in front of him. He was so similar to his Dazai yet so different. He had
the same vacancy in his gaze and the same emptiness in his eyes but not quite.
He wondered why that was.
‘’ Okay, so, who do you want to prank? ‘’ Dazai asked, a mischievous smile on his lips. Chuuya
looked at him as he drank his second bottle of water. ‘’ with your hot pepper cookies? ‘’ he asked,
the spiciness still tormenting his mouth. ‘’ hmm, I don’t know. Maybe Kunikida? ‘’
‘’ Kunikida? Why him? ‘’
‘’ He is the one always telling in on us when we talk during class.’’ Chuuya reasoned. Dazai
considered his reasoning.
‘’ That’s right. And he’s also the one always wanting the class to be quiet and remain in our seats
even when the teacher isn’t here yet.’’
‘’ But does he really deserve the hot pepper torture? ‘’ Chuuya asked, suddenly getting cold feet
over his idea.
‘’ Oi, Dazai. Chuuya. Keep it down,’’ The blonde boy yelled at them from over his desk.
‘’ Some of us are trying to get some extra credit in maths.’’
Chuuya and Dazai exchanged a knowing look before Dazai walked up to him.
‘’ Hey Kunikida,’’ He smiled, extending a small red box. ‘’ Would you like a cookie? ‘’

Kunikida was their classmate?

It made sense, they had the same age as him, but it still felt wrong.
He was studying maths. Even in this universe, he would grow up to be a teacher.
Well, that was if he survived them…
He wanted to feel happy for all three of them but he couldn’t. Not when the image of Dazai lying
dead in his bathtub was still so fresh in his mind.

‘’ Hey, Kunikida~’’
‘’ Don’t even try to talk to me, Dazai.’’ The boy glared at him. ‘’ Not you either.’’ His glare
extended to Chuuya even though he hadn’t said anything.
‘’ Oh, but come on. We’re all stuck here, so why not have some fun? ‘’
‘’ You shouldn’t have ‘fun’ in detention.’’ Kunikida chastised him. ‘’ You should think about your
actions that led you here, and repent.’’
Dazai rolled his eyes, shaking his head disapprovingly. Chuuya just looked at the boy curiously.
‘’ What if I don’t want to repent? ‘’ Dazai challenged, turning his body around and leaning his
arms on the back of the chair. ‘’ What if I don’t feel bad for what I did? ‘’
Kunikida let out a sigh before continuing to look at his unfinished homework in front of him. ‘’
Then you have no conscience.’’ He said, not taking his eye off the papers.
‘’ Would that make me a bad person? ‘’
‘’ In most cases, yes.’’

There was something about the way Dazai was asking him that question that was off-putting.
It wasn’t to tease him or to joke. He genuinely wanted to know.

‘’ So you feel bad for smacking me with your book? ‘’ Dazai changed the topic, or rather got to the
point he had been wanting to make.
‘’ It was a reflex. You gave me that cookie, I burned my tongue, I smacked you in the head with
my notebook.’’ Kunikida recalled, ‘’ I understand it wasn’t the most appropriate of reaction.’’
‘’ So you’re sorry? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
Dazai turned to Chuuya with a ‘can you believe this guy’ look. Chuuya just shrugged his shoulders.

It wasn’t a bad life.

If he didn’t know what happened to Dazai later he would have thought they would grow up to
become really good friends.
The three of them, not only he and Dazai.
It was strange but in this world, the three of them seemed to have a lot of potential to become good
friends.

‘’ Didn’t you sleep last night? ‘’ Chuuya asked, seeing Dazai lean his head on the desk, his eyes
closing.
‘’ I have had some trouble sleeping for two weeks now.’’ He said, trying his hardest not to yawn or
close his eyes.
‘’ Is it because of the third-year tests? or did something else happen? ‘’ Chuuya asked, leaning his
head on his own desk so their faces could be parallel to each other.
‘’ My mum is getting worse, and there is this stupid Christmas party that is to be hosted in our
house in a few days. So every day is just a constant cacophony of servants running around either
preparing things for the annual party or tending to my mother.’’
‘’ Oh.’’
‘’ Yeah. But it gets worse.’’ Dazai continued. ‘’ My aunt died a week ago, and yesterday was her
funeral. I wasn’t allowed to go because of my age.’’
‘’ But you’re nine. You’re not at all young to go to a funeral.’’
‘’ I know. It had more to do with the fact my father wasn’t particularly fond of her. I’m sure.’’
‘’ That sucks.’’
Dazai nodded in agreement.

Dazai was so open in this world.

It made sense.
When they met, he had still been six. He hadn’t had the time to learn how to hide himself or build
walls. He hadn’t made it his default to avoid people as much or lie all the time.
He was a much more honest and much more open version of Dazai.

‘’ My condolences for your aunt.’’ Kunikida decided to join in on the discussion. Slightly turning
his head back so he could look at them.
‘’ You little eavesdropper,’’ Chuuya amused. ‘’ Are you spying on us or something? ‘’
Kunikida fixed the glasses on his nose. ‘’ I was writing down a problem, and I just happened to
hear. ‘’ Kunikida said, defending himself. ‘’ I’m not an eavesdropper.’’
‘’ Hard to believe.’’
Dazai laughed at that. Then his attention shifted to the other boy. ‘’ Thank you.’’ he said, ‘’ and
don’t take what Chuuya or I say literally,’’ he added, ‘’ we’re just messing with you.’’
‘’ I know that. Still, I have a reputation to uphold.’’
Chuuya burst into laughter. ‘’ As what? ‘’
‘’ As the future class president.’’
Both boys looked at him askance. ‘’ The election is in two years.’’ Chuuya reminded him.
‘’ I know, they are close. But have already planned everything out.’’ He showed them his
notebook. ‘’ Inside this, I’ve written down my whole campaign plan for the next two years and a
half.’’

He was the same.

He was exactly the same person he was in his world.

‘’ If you become President,’’ Chuuya offered, ‘’ can you make me your vice President? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Can I be then? ‘’
‘’ If Nakahara has minus twenty points, you have minus a hundred points.’’
‘’ Why am I lower than him? What kind of blatant favouritism is this? ‘’

The student desks, the chairs and the chatter of teens in the background disappeared. Bright neon
lights, machine noises and screaming replaced them.
Time had moved forward by at least two years.

‘’ Hey, Chuuya.’’ Dazai spoke to grab his attention. Chuuya raised his head to look at him.
‘’ Mind if I crash at your place tonight? ‘’ he asked.
‘’ It’s the day after New Year's. Are you sure you don’t want to be at home? ‘’
‘’ My father had to postpone the annual Christmas party for today because my mother died a week
ago. .’’
‘’ Wait, what? ‘’
‘’ My father you see wasn’t here for my mother’s funeral but you bet your ass he came home in
time for that freaking party.‘’
It wasn’t a secret that Dazai hated the Annual Christmas party his father always hosted in their
house. Over the years they had known each other, he had made his hatred for the occasion quite
clear.
‘’ He wanted me to write a eulogy to recite today so he could make a spectacle out of my mother’s
death. He said people would try their best to be sympathetic at these trying times. Said it would
help close more deals.’’
‘’ You’re father sounds like an asshole.’’
‘’ He is.’’ Dazai agreed, ‘’ so in order to avoid him and the party, could I crash at your own house?
‘’
‘’ I’ll ask my brother. I’m sure he won’t mind.’’
‘’ Thanks.’’

Was this what had happened in his own world as well?

Dazai had told him a lot about his childhood, and he had mentioned an annual Christmas party that
he hated, but he had never told him his father had done such a thing.

Chuuya knocked on the door, once, twice, thrice, before the man opened. ‘’ Chuuya, you came
home early.’’ The person that opened was a tall, slender man with long black hair and a fuzzy coat
draped over his shoulders.
‘’ Hey, Arthur.’’ Chuuya casually greeted him. ‘’ Isn’t my brother home? ‘’ he asked, trying to
peek from the door inside the house.
‘’ He had a presentation he had to give at his college today. He is still there.’’ Arthur replied. ‘’ he
won’t be home for at least a couple more hours.’’
‘’ Oh, you must be Dazai.’’ His eyes moved excitedly to the slightly taller boy.’’ I’ve heard quite a
lot about you.’’
Before Dazai could say anything, Chuuya spoke again.
‘’ Arthur, question for you. Would you mind if Dazai stayed the night here? ‘’
‘’ Of course not.’’ Arthur replied with a smile. ‘’ Please, go inside, make yourself at home.’’

It was like watching a movie. But whatever the main character felt you also felt.

‘’ Can’t sleep? ‘’ Chuuya asked, coming back from the kitchen after having woken up in the
middle of the night, to get some water.
‘’ No, not really.’’ Dazai said, sounding as tired as ever.
‘’ Why didn’t you wake me up then? ‘’ Chuuya moved to the couch he was seated on. ‘’ We can
watch a movie. Have a little sleepover or something like that.’’
‘’ I don’t like waking up people.’’ it was the only answer he gave him.
‘’ I already woke up, so scoot over.’’ He said and jumped on the couch next to him. ‘’ We’re
watching a movie.’’

There was something about this simple life that made Chuuya jealous.
He liked fighting and being on the battlefield, he loved it. But being normal, it seemed so peaceful.
So much kinder.

The room changed around him. A big blackboard and a dozen desks and chairs appeared.
He was back in the classroom.

‘’ Can’t believe he did it.’’ Chuuya remarked, seeing the results written on the board.
‘’ Can’t believe it? ‘’ Dazai scoffed. ‘’ He had everything planned two years in advance. There was
no way he was losing this.’’
‘’ If there was no way he was losing this, why did you cheat the elections? ‘’ Chuuya asked in a
whisper.
‘’ Can’t keep anything secret from you, huh? ‘’ Dazai shook his head. ‘’ If I didn’t do it he would
have lost to Sakura.’’ Dazai explained. ‘’ She only got votes because of her looks. She would be a
terrible president. I care about our class. I couldn’t let that happen.’’
‘’ Will you tell him that? ‘’
‘’ Not in a million years.’’

That had actually been very nice of him.

Chuuya was sure if Kunikida had known he would have appreciated it.

‘’ Hey Dazai, have you lost weight? ‘’ Kunikida observed, sitting down at his desk.
‘’ Is it that noticeable? ‘’
‘’ Kind of.’’
‘’ Yeah, I’ve been running some errands lately.’’ Dazai laughed it off, ‘’ Too much walking every
day makes you slimmer.’’
Kunikida nodded his head. ‘’ Have you eaten anything today? ‘’
‘’ Yeah, I ate some breakfast before I came here.’’ It was a lie. Dazai never ate breakfast.
‘’ That’s good.’’

The difference from the year before was much more than noticeable.
Dazai had become dangerously thin.

‘’ So, want to go to the movies? ‘’ Chuuya asked.

‘’ Not really in the mood today.’’ Dazai replied, his eyes barely open.
‘’ You should try getting some sleep.’’ Chuuya advised him, dropping him off a few meters away
from his house. ‘’ You look tired.’’
‘’ I’ll try.’’

He was getting worse.

Every week Dazai got worse. The circles beneath his eyes got larger while his frame got smaller.
Chuuya didn’t like knowing where that would lead…

‘’ The fuck are those? ‘’ Chuuya asked, grabbing his hand.

‘’ Just a few cat scratches, jeez.’’ Dazai tried to pull his hand back. Before he could, Chuuya raised
his sleeve higher.
‘’ Oh my god.’’ He didn’t have words.
‘’ It’s nothing okay? Just a few scratches.’’
‘’ A few scratches? ‘’
‘’ I fell on a bush and got myself scratched.’’ Dazai laughed.’’ It’s nothing to worry about. I was
just clumsy.’’

Chuuya wasn’t stupid.

He knew the difference between scratches caused by cats and cuts caused deliberately.
Besides, he knew Dazai had no cat.

‘’ How are things at home? ‘’

‘’ Bad.’’
That was the only thing Dazai would say whenever he asked him.

As the days passed Dazai lost completely any motivation to do anything. He never wanted to hang
out. He never wanted to talk.
He had truly lost any motivation to try and live.

Then as if by a miracle, things started to get better.

‘’ Hey, Chuuya~~
‘’ Dazai? ‘’ Chuuya looked at him surprised. ‘’ I thought you had stopped coming in during the
first period.’’ He said.
‘’ Well, I figured I wasn’t getting any more sleep, so why be absent? ’’
‘’ That’s fair.’’
‘’ Anyway, I happen to have these,’’ he said, pulling two tickets out of his pockets. ‘’ They are
your favourite band if I’m not mistaken? ‘’
‘’ How the fuck did you even find these? ‘’ Chuuya looked at him awestruck. ‘’ These must have
cost like a fortune. And look at the seats.’’
‘’ It's just a little birthday present.’’ He smiled. ‘’ It’s your birthday today, isn’t it.’’
‘’ It is but, wait. Those are for tonight? ‘’
‘’ Mhm.’’
‘’ I thought all tickets had been sold out for tonight's performance. HOW-
‘’ I have my ways.’’
‘’ Dazai that’s
‘’ So, you’re coming? ‘’
‘’ Of course.’’

That day was the beginning of the best time period in Chuuya’s life.

It was the Summer vacation before their first year in High School. They made every single day
count.
It was the happiest he had ever been. His friend was finally getting better, and they were having a
blast each time they were out.
Nothing could have ruined that.
Nothing.

High School started and everything was great.

Chuuya, Dazai and Kunikida were all in the same class yet again. Every day after school they
would either go somewhere out or take turns to each other’s houses. They had formed quite the
unexpected little group.

Exam season had come, and their outings decreased. They became, ‘study days’, instead.
In the end, it was worth it, though. With Kunikida’s help, both Dazai and Chuuya had managed to
pass all their first-semester exams with perfect scores. Which as a result, had left them with all the
free time in the world.
Kunikida had been very proud of both of them.

‘’ Where do you think we’re going? ‘’ Kunikida asked Dazai, knowing very well that the boy
would have already figured it out.
‘’ Hmm, I don’t knooow~’’ Dazai replied in a singing voice, playing the innocent.’’ There are sooo
many possibilities.’’
‘’ That’s me when I lie.’’ Chuuya whispered to Kunikida, pointing at Dazai. They shared a laugh.
‘’ If you tell us I’ll let you be my Vice President this year.’’
Dazai’s eyes sparkled with excitement. ‘’ Really? ‘’
‘’ If you tell us yes.’’
Dazai pretended to think about it for a moment. ‘’ Alright, alright, I’ll say then.’’
The two waited in anticipation for him to name their destination, thinking that the sooner they
knew, the better their trip would be.
‘’ The place we’re going to is….’’ Dazai dragged it out for all its worth.’’ Located…'' it was
valuable information tho, so everyone agreed that it needed a dramatic reveal like that one. ‘’ Close
to…’’
They were getting there.
‘’ The district of…’’
‘’ Just say where we’re going.’’ Chuuya gave in, never having been the patient kind of person.
‘’ Tsk, tsk, tsk,’’ Dazai disapproved of his impatience, ‘’ I’m just trying to create the perfect
atmosphere.’’ He said, shaking his head. ‘’ You’re just ruing it.’’
‘’ Tell us or I’m telling Kunikdia where his book really disappeared to.’’
At that, Kunikida turned to look at them confused.
‘’ Fine. We’re going overseas.’’
‘’ WHAT-
‘’ We’re going to Hawaii.’’
‘’ WHAT?? ‘’
‘’ Wait, you’re not lying again, are you? ‘’
‘’ Does that sound like something I would lie about? ‘’
Kunikida and Chuuya shared another knowing look.
‘’ It’s my fault for telling you.’’
‘’ Are you a hundred percent sure for that? ‘’
Dazai took out his phone, searched his gallery and showed them the screen. ‘’ Papers straight out
of the Principal’s office.’’
‘’ Holy shit, we’re going to Hawaii.’’ Chuuya couldn’t hide his excitement. Kunikida couldn’t
either.
‘’ Hawaii has such an interesting culture and history. Just think of all the fun things we could do
and learn about.’’
‘’ Think of all the surfing we could do.’’
‘’ Chuuya, you don’t know how to surf.’’
‘’ It’s easy to learn, Dazai. That won’t be a problem.’’
‘’ I really don’t think it’s that easy, but you do you.’’

The year was going amazing. Their scores were the highest they had ever been and the week-long
school trip was just around the corner, with only a month remaining before they went to the
destination surprise.
‘’ I have already made the perfect tour guide.’’ Kunikida said, taking out his notebook and flipping
it into one of the last pages. ‘’ Take a look at this.’’
‘’ Dazai told us the destination three days ago.’’ Chuuya recalled. ‘’ How did you even have the
time to do that.’’
‘’ It only took me sixteen hours.’’ He said as if that was a reasonable amount of time.
‘’ It’s an incredible plan,’’ Dazai said, taking his time to read every little column and line of text. ‘’
I approve.’’
‘’ Hey, we should go ask the teacher to group us together.’’ Chuuya offered, ‘’ the sooner we tell
her I think the more sure it will be.’’
‘’ Can’t disagree with that.’’
‘’ Okay, who’s telling her then? ‘’
Both Chuuya and Dazai’s eyes found Kunikida.
He was the one most liked by all the teachers. If someone could get their group approved, that
would be him.
‘’ I hate you both.’’

It was bound to be the perfect year.

Only two weeks remained before the trip to Hawaii, and everything was going according to plan.
Their group had been approved. Kunikida had already made their tour schedule. Chuuya had
already bought a good amount of alcohol to sneak in. And Dazai had already gathered more than
enough money so they could do all the things they wanted.
At first, Chuuya and Kunikida had tried to talk him out of it. Saying they didn’t need money to
have a good time. Dazai had managed to persuade them by telling them it was money his father
had given him that he wanted to be rid of.
They had nothing to say to that, so they agreed.

With everything already prepared they had no doubt, it was going to be the best experience of their
life.

‘’ Hey Kunikida, have you seen Dazai? ‘’

Kunikida looked through the attendance sheet on his desk. ‘’ He hasn’t come to school for two
days now.’’ he said.’’ Maybe he is sick? ‘’
‘’ But the trip is in a week.’’
‘’ Maybe he caught the flu. I’m sure he will be fine by then.’’
‘’ Yeah, that must be it.’’ Chuuya reasoned, ‘’ I’ll go by his house later to check.’’
‘’ Send him my regards if you. Oh, and also these,’’ he handed Chuuya a small pile. ‘’ I’ve
collected every paper and assignment he missed during these two days. He wouldn’t want to stay
behind, I’m sure.’’
‘’ You’re a lifesaver, Kunikida.’ Chuuya said, rolling his eyes at his friend's typical behaviour.
‘’ Truly, what would we do without you.’’

That afternoon, he left class and headed to his house.

Going uninvited would be impolite, so he figured he would try calling him first.
He tried once, twice, eight more times.
No matter how many times he called, Dazai wouldn’t pick up.
Maybe there was something wrong with his phone.

Whatever the case, he decided to go to his house. If he happened to intrude in some kind of family
affair he would simply apologize and say he only wanted to check up on his friend.
It wasn’t a bad thing to want to do. No one would make a big deal out of it.

He picked up the papers Kunikida had given him earlier and left.

The maids had no problem letting him.

Once he had told them he was Dazai’s friend, they had advised him to reach the second floor and
walk to the door at the end of the corridor.
They had told him that’s where he would find Dazai’s room and subsequently Dazai himself.
Chuuya had thanked them before he had excitedly climbed up the stairs

They had been right.

Dazai had indeed been in his room.

Not inside his bedroom but rather inside his bathroom.

In a bathtub, more specifically.

In a bathtub filled with blood.

~~~

Gaining his consciousness back, all he could feel was a burning sensation inside his lungs.
Inside his head. His heart.

It was as if a thousand little orange flames were dancing on his skin. Their fires spreading rapidly
throughout his entire body. Burning it whole.
Each little flame was burning hotter than the last one, causing him pain equal to as if he had been
thrown into a fire.
It wasn't a foreign feeling. Not at all.
It was one very similar to that he had after having used corruption. The only difference being, this
one was accompanied by an extreme hanger.

‘’ Chuuya! ‘’

His name being called and footsteps hurrying up to him was the first thing he heard upon entering
the Book.

‘’ Chuuya I’m so-

‘’ Save it.’’

That burning sensation, he realized, had been anger. A wave of boiling red anger that had been
kept in a bottle for much longer than it should have.

" I mean it. I really am-

" I don't care."
His vision was blurry and tinted but that didn't stop him from recognizing the man in front of him.

It was Dazai.

" Whatever you have to say. I don't care." He repeated himself.

Dazai looked at him with an expression closest to confusion. A strange glistening in his eyes.
" Chuuya I'm sorry."
They weren't words Dazai said often.
The fact they were genuine made it all worse.
" You know I would never-
" You did it to save everyone." Chuuya cut him short, trying his best to keep his voice levelled and
controlled. " I get that. I'm not stupid."
" If you get it then why-
" That doesn't mean I forgive you."

It was a single sentence yet it was enough to shatter everything.

" But I had no other choice." Dazai tried, a rare hopelessness leaking from his words. " I couldn't
have saved them if-
" I know." Chuuya cut him off yet again.
" You had to drown me so it would seem real to Dostoyevsky. You had to force me to use
corruption so I could save myself and kill him. I get it. I really do. I was just part of your plan. A
secret ace on your sleeve."
Dazai stared at him, his expression unreadable.
" You saved the word." He continued, already turning his body away. " Good for you."
He managed to take one step forward before Dazai grabbed his arm.
" Chuuya-
" No. " his voice trembled ever the slightest, " You don't get to do this." He pulled his hand away,
the disgust clear on his face.
" You don't get to call me Chuuya anymore and you sure as hell don't get to look at me that way."

Under normal circumstances, his first reaction would have been to punch him so hard that his head
would fly off his body.
But the anger he was feeling right now wasn't anything he had experienced before.

" You don't get to be sorry. "

It was a numbing anger. One that hurts you so much you reach that point where you can't even
look at the other person's eyes without wanting to gauge your own out.

" It was to save the world." Dazai tried to reason, looking at him with a desperation he had never
seen before." You can't be so selfish."
" Selfish? "
Chuuya wouldn't let Dazai get away with that.
" You call me selfish? You? " He started to laugh, a cruel smile etched on his lips. " You drowned
me, Dazai." He reminded him, trying his best to not sound as shaky as he felt.
" You had me thinking that I would die. You had me panicking out of that fucking vampire state I
was in."
" You had me thinking your farewell was fucking real. You acted so incredibly well, Dostoyevsky
wasn't the only one that believed you."
" I really thought you were saying goodbye, Dazai. I really thought that you were sacrificing me for
the greater good. I really thought that the last thing I would ever hear before I died would be my
ex-fucking partner saying' Sorry, there weren't any. Well then, goodbye'." He mimicked his voice
as best as he could, emphasizing the ridiculousness of the sentence. " I always cut you some slack,
you know." Chuuya managed to calm down his voice.
" I'm not stupid, I understand your way of feeling is different than most. I was always sure to
account for that when dealing with you. I always excused most of your actions. Blamed them on
your incapability to act human so I could go on with my day. However, you don't get a pass this
time."
Dazai couldn't say anything because he knew Chuuya was right.

What he had done had crossed the line. What he had done had cost him his partner's trust.
And although he knew all this would happen the moment he had made up the plan, he couldn't but
cling on to the delusion that Chuuya would have forgiven him somehow.
Like he always did.

" You shouldn't forgive me." Dazai spoke, deciding to go with a different approach. " I know I
won't forgive myself."
His eyes wavered to the floor and then back at his once partner
" You have every right to hate me, Chuuya. You have every right to want me dead, okay? But
please, allow me to say two things before we part ways. Just two."
Chuuya stayed silent, giving him, that way, the go.
" I truly am sorry." Dazai started, sincerity in his words." Forcing you to use Corruption was an
awful decision, even if I knew I would be there to stop it on time. You should always have that
choice and I took it away from you. I'm sorry."

He paused only for a second.

Only to make sure Chuuya wouldn’t reply to him no matter what he said.

" And about my farewell to you. Everything I said was true. Everything but the last part. If I had
thought there was even the tiniest chance you wouldn't have survived, I would have never said
that."

" Is that all? "

" Yes."

It was a world where he had stayed with the Mafia. Where Dazai had left but had never returned
for him.
A world where they had grown apart yet the moment they had been reunited years later, it had been
like not a day had passed.

It was a sad and empty life that which he had lived in this world.
A life where the only ‘happiness’ he ever got to experience, after his friends had died and Dazai
had left, was because of his job and his accomplishments.
Not all the titles in the world would have made that person truly happy.

Chuuya felt awful for that man.

Like him, he had been used all his life.

Unfortunately, unlike him, that suffering had never come to an end.

Was that what would happen if Dazai had caught Fyodor? If he hadn't escaped and instead had
been sent to prison? If there had been enough time for the outbreak to happen?
Could this have been his future?
No.
No.
What was he thinking? This couldn't have happened back in his world. Things were too different.
Dazai was too different.
Or was he?
It was definitely something Dazai would do if there was no other-
No.
No.
He couldn't doubt him.
No.
That was exactly what Fyodor wanted.
Chuuya couldn’t give that to him.

Fyodor’s goal was clear in his head now.

He had sent him to this reality just so he could see how awfully Dazai had treated him.
Just so he could experience that heartbreaking pain that had come with that.
He wanted to present Dazai as someone irredeemable. He wanted to make Chuuya doubt their
friendship, their bond.

Well, it wouldn't work.

Because this wasn't his friendship with Dazai that was being torn apart before his eyes.
This was of two strangers'.

" Goodbye, Dazai."

" Goodbye, Chuuya."

~~~

The teal walls that surrounded him, the bookshelves and portraits hung all over them, the enormous
glass window, overseeing the city. The looming height of the room, the checkered pattern in the
floor, that big square carpet in its centre.
The big office, placed at the end of the room.

He was back in the Port Mafia.

It didn't take him more than a few seconds to place himself inside the Port Mafia Boss’s office.
Everything was too familiar, too similar for it to not be that.
As a teenager, Chuuya had been summoned there more times than he could count. In time, he had
come to know the room like the back of his hand.
He knew all the titles in all the bookcases and where each book was placed. He knew where Mori
was keeping his secret gun. He knew where he was keeping the most important of his documents.
He knew where the safe was, where the hidden closet for all of Elise’s dresses was. He even knew
all the decorations inside of it and their locations by heart.
If he were asked to, he could list every single thing inside that room.

He took another look around it as ‘himself’ from this world paced the room.
To his knowledge, everything had stayed the same.
All but one thing.

The name Ougai Mori wasn’t the one written on the metallic nametag on top of the desk, anymore.
No, it was another name. A name Chuuya had prayed would never end up being written there.

DAZAI OSAMU

His name was accompanied by neither the word Member nor Executive. There was only one
person in the organization that didn’t need a title for everyone to know who they were.
Dazai was the Boss of the Port Mafia.

And he was his right-hand man.

Neither of them had escaped the black abyss that was the organization. They had only fallen
deeper.

He searched in his mind for the memory that would help him understand how everything had gone
so wrong. For the memory that would help him make sense of the situation,
There was nothing.

Maybe that was how the Book worked.

It threw you into a world with no memories of your supposed life and you had to earn them, to
unlock them somehow.
But in what way? You couldn’t move freely, therefore you couldn’t look for clues or ask anyone to
explain things.
You could only observe through the lenses of ‘yourself’ in this reality.

Soon enough, the phone rang. Chuuya watched as he reached for it with his gloved hand.
The man on the other side of the line was some low-ranked fool that had managed to get himself
into trouble and jeopardize the mission. He sounded distressed and afraid. Chuuya had to exercise
all his patience in order not to hang up on him and let him deal with the consequences of his
stupidity and inability on his own.
He didn’t care much for that poor bastard, but he did care for the organization. In that world, the
Port Mafia was all that he had.
He tried his best to guide the guy and help him fix the situation he had gotten himself into. It was
quite a predicament. He was trapped inside an enemy’s group truck, trying his best to lay low and
not get discovered while also gathering intel.
His subordinates had died and so he had thought that by following them on his own he wouldn’t be
putting anyone else but himself in danger. A foolish thought only a rookie could ever have.
Of course, there was no time for Chuuya to explain to him that what he did was incredibly stupid.
That would have to wait until he was back in the base. For the time being all he could do was
instruct and advice him.

As he wasted precious minutes of his life he thought back to a conversation he had with Dazai the
day before. It was an argument about this very mission.
Using reason and logic, Chuuya had tried his best to convince him that Atsushi was the only choice
for that mission. That he was the only one that could go through with it and get them the results
they wanted. Dazai had shut him up by reminding him that he wasn’t the one making the call.
Later, however, they had revisited the subject. This time Dazai had been kind enough to explain to
him that the reason he was sending Atsushi was because he had another job for him. When Chuuya
had asked what that other job was, he had been met with silence.

In that universe, Dazai and he weren't friends. Even partners would be pushing it. By ‘his’ feeling
and thoughts, Chuuya could tell Dazai was only keeping him around because he was valuable to
the organization. Because he was the only person he could trust.
Dazai had many enemies. He had at least a good hundred people that wanted him dead. The only
person capable enough to protect him from all of them was Chuuya.
That was his only job. To exist so he could protect him.

It was twisted how little Dazai cared about him in that world.
It was even more twisted that he was still loyal to him despite that.

He focused back on his conversation with the man, trying his best to salvage the mission and get
him out of there as fast as he could, alive and intact.
Again, he cared very little for the man.
If the mission wasn’t that important he wouldn’t even have wasted his time trying to help him.
The only reason he was doing it was because if that mission were to fail he would never hear the
end of it.
As much as he ‘hated’ Dazai, Chuuya couldn’t but admit he was the best leader the Port Mafia had
ever had. With him, the organisation had flourished into the darkest flower of the world. It had
become a force to be reckoned with.
In all his years as the leader, no one had ever been able to stand against them. Not mimic, not the
guild, not anyone. They had all been crushed by gravity before they had even tried.

The truck had stopped, and the man on the front had gotten out. That was his chance.
Chuuya continued guiding the man, telling him exactly what to do. Who to kill, whose gun to steal,
what his next move should be.

His words died in his throat as he saw something falling from outside the big glass window.
No. It wasn’t something.
It was someone.

Chuuya’s eyes widened in horror as he run up to the window. For a moment, and only a moment,
he was able to see his face.
Dazai’s expression looked odd.
There was an unfamiliar smile on his lips. A peaceful smile.

Chuuya screamed out his name as he banged the window with his fists.
Dazai seemed to have heard him

For a second, a second that stretched out forever, their eyes met.
A million unspoken words laid behind the look they shared.

Memories flashed in front of him.

Memories of two boys meeting.

Of two boys never becoming more than partners forced to work together.
Of two boys suffering silently, never letting each other know.
Of two boys growing to hate each other more than anything but also depend on each other.
A codependency that did nothing but hurt them.

One boy was always more indifferent. His mind always somewhere else.
The other tried harder to make their partnership work. To make them work.
He failed.
No matter what he did, no matter what he said, the other boy did not care in the slightest.
To him, the boy was just a pawn.
A strong power that would always protect him.

He was not a partner. He was not a friend. He wasn’t even his equal.

The relationship between those two was unfair and sick.

It was ugly.

A relationship built in trust with no actual foundations.

Where was that trust?
 The boy had never told him anything of substance. He had never trusted him enough to let him in.
He had only trusted that time and time again he would save him.
No questions asked, no hesitation.

Chuuya couldn’t believe that a universe like this one could actually exist.
A universe where Dazai was so indifferent towards him, ‘he’ had had no other choice but to learn
to reciprocate that cold indifference.
It was too cruel.
Too wrong.

A million questions and a million answers that would never be spoken aloud.

Chuuya watched as that second ended.

As Dazai’s body plummeted to the ground.

It was funny.

The thing that had killed Dazai was no bullet. No dagger. No ability. Nothing he could have
protected him against.

In the end, the only thing that had killed him was gravity.

The very thing Chuuya had always defied.

~~~

When Chuuya opened his eyes again, he was back in the real world.

Chapter End Notes

It's funny because behind every time Dazai left or did something terrible to Chuuya
there was a reason why, in my head.
Unfortunately, like Chuuya, you don't get to know them. :D

This was a very long chapter, so thank you all so much for reading it. I hope I didn't
disappoint <3
 Can't Turn Back, Now
Chapter Summary

Chuuya is out of the Book...

Let's see how he deals with stuff...

Chapter Notes

Some of the scenes written in this chapter have been sitting in my notes for MONTHS.
The fact this chapter is finally out, is unbelievable, honestly.

Anyways, it's a pretty heartfelt chapter so I do hope you enjoy it<3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

When a situation becomes too much for a person to handle, they experience what is commonly
known as ‘overwhelm’.

Now, the word itself can be used in two very different ways. It can be used both figuratively and
literally, its meaning changing depending on the context of the sentence. What’s funny about this
word is that both meanings are essentially the same.
Allow me to elaborate.
If you were to say, ‘Chuuya was overwhelmed by the water surrounding him’, you would be using
the word with its literal meaning. Being buried under or being drowned.
If you were to say, ‘The memories and feelings of all the lives he had not lived overwhelmed
Chuuya to the point of collapse’, you would be using its metaphorical sense.
As you can see, the word is used differently but it has the same implication.
Both times, the effects were the same for Chuuya.

Both times, the overwhelm was so severe he couldn’t breathe.

Chuuya could see Fyodor was talking to him, he wasn’t blind. His mouth was moving and words
were forming on his lips, it was quite obvious. Fyodor was speaking to him.
The problem was, he couldn’t hear him.
No.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t hear him, not exactly.
It was more so that he couldn’t register the words that were coming out of his mouth, couldn’t pick
them apart.
It was like listening to someone but not really listening. It was strange.
After having been brought back from the Book, Chuuya had found himself in a position where he
couldn’t move.
Where he couldn’t speak, couldn’t hear, couldn’t think, could barely even see.

Though he had escaped the Book, memories and feelings from all the various worlds he had
‘visited’ and possibly even more, were still flooding his heart and his mind.
Memories he hadn’t had the time to ‘unlock’ while he was still inside the pages. Memories that
were starting to weigh heavily on him.
There were so many things his body and soul were experiencing that focusing on something as
difficult as breathing or functioning the way a normal human being should, was impossible.

It was such an overwhelming feeling

One that had rendered him motionless.

The only thing he wanted was for the voices inside his head to stop only for a second. Only for
enough time for him to understand what Fyodor was saying.
It was something important, something big, but he couldn’t remember.
His thoughts and memories were getting jumbled up with those of ‘his’ other lives. It was
becoming harder for him to distinguish his own from them.

The constant ringing in his ears, the screams, the laughter, the echoes of moments gone by.
It was too much.
No matter how much he tried, no matter how forcefully he pressed his hands against his head, the
voices wouldn’t stop.
His mind wouldn’t quiet.

His knees gave out and he fell onto the floor.

He could see Fyodor staring at him, still mouthing words he could not understand.

There was something he had to do.

A reason he was there.
A reason he had gone inside that stupid-
Dazai.

He had to find Dazai.

With his legs shaking, he brought one knee forth and stood up. He tried to take a deep breath, to
calm himself before turning away.
He couldn’t.
Every breath he took reminded him of every breath he couldn’t take when he had been drowning.
It was painful.

He forced himself to move towards the doors, to take a step forward.

Then another.
Images were still flashing in his head, and feelings were still breaking and mending his heart, all at
the same time. It felt like he was being pulled apart while being sawn back together.
It was a cruel sensation, one reminiscent of corruption.

He couldn’t take it for much longer, that he was sure of.

He needed to find Dazai as soon as possible.

…

‘’ You’re free to go! ’’ Nikolai happily exclaimed, turning to Dazai, taking the keys out of his coat
and dangling them in front of his face. ‘’ Just, let me do these real quick,’’ he added, waving his
hand, struggling with the locks for a bit longer than a professional should have.
‘’ Here we are, you’re all free now! ‘’
He took off the last restraints from Dazai’s hands and watched as he fell face first to the ground.
He nudged him with his foot to see if he was still conscious.
Dazai gave him no verbal response.
‘’ Eh,’’ Nikolai kneeled beside him and picked him up, ‘’ you okay? ‘’ he asked, looking at the
man wearily. ‘’ Dazai? ‘’
Dazai shook him away, standing up on his own, raising his hand to wipe some of the blood off his
face. ‘’ Why did you let me go? ‘’ he asked, the surprise clear in his eyes.
‘’ Dostoevsky told me to.’’
‘’ So it’s part of the plan.’’
‘’ Of course, it is.’’

Just what was that plan? What could they achieve if they let him go?
Why would Fyodor want him to be running around free?

‘’ Where is Chuuya? ‘’
‘’ Are you sure you’re well enough to-
‘’ Where is he? ’’
The clown rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh, making it a point that he wasn’t finding the
converstation all that entertaining.
‘’ If you exit throught that door, and take the right turn in every corner, I’m sure you’ll find him.’’
he instructed, retrieving the knives he had previously thrown at the wall Dazai had been bound to.
‘’ The door on the left? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
Dazai glared at him for only a second, his eyes searching for the tiniest clue as to what their twisted
plan could be.
He found nothing.

Letting him go was a part of their plan, but if he could find Chuuya maybe they could use that to
their advantage. If he could find him fast enough, maybe they could fight their way out of there
together, like they always did.
If he could find him, he had no doubt they would think of something.

‘’ I would already be running if I were you.’’ Nikolai taunted, moving towards the door, kicking it
open.‘’ I don’t think you can afford to stand there and think of a plan.’’ he said with a grin,
‘’ Your body is already failing. You shouldn’t be wasting time.’’

Nikolai was right.

The poison from the daggers was already starting to take effect. Knowing himself, Dazai wouldn’t
be able to go more than a few minutes before collapsing.

‘’ Tick tock. Tick tock.’’

Fuck.
He really didn’t have the time to think.
With his head feeling as light as a feather, he run towards the door and began making his way
through the corridors, his eyes moving to all the doors, all the walls, all the places Chuuya could
possibly be found near.

He tried to move his legs as fast as he could, but it was difficult. Running was too tiring, too
exhausting. Having to simultaneously battle the symptoms of the poison and consume energy to
run was too much for his body.
If he kept the same pace he knew he would pass out before he could even reach him. He knew it
would only make matters worse.
Unfortunately he had no other choice.

He had to find Chuuya.

He had to keep him away from Fyodor.
He had to figure out a way to save them both.

He had to.

Dazai continued running, his legs feeling like they were on fire.

The thought of finding Chuuya was the only thing keeping him from collapsing on the ground. He
could feel his stiches as they were being torn open and he was pretty sure he was starting to
hyperventilate.

He had to find him fast.

He had to-

‘’ Chuuya ’’

There he was, slowly making his way through the corridor, leaning his body on the wall.

Was he injured?
Dazai couldn’t see any blood or any wound on his body, but he knew better than to assume he was
fine because of that.

‘’ Chuuya.’’ He called out again, breathless, trying to rush towards him, his legs stumbling over
each other. ‘’ Chu-
‘’ Don’t ‘’ There was no anger in his voice but rather a raw desperation.
Why?
Dazai tried to open his mouth again, preparing himself for the pain that would follow.
‘’ Don’t ‘’ His partner repeated the word, putting his hand in front of him as a signal to stop. ‘’
Don’t talk.’’ his words were coming out desperate.’’ Please.’’
Dazai looked at him confused.
‘’ Wait, what happened? Why-
‘’ Your voice-’’ Chuuya cried out, visibly shaking, ‘’ Make it stop, please.’’ his gaze fell to the
ground as if he couldn’t bear to look at him.

Dazai’s eyes continued searching his partner’s body for any injury that hadn’t been visible before.
There was none. Nothing he could see.
But he was shaking, and his breathing was abnormal.
Could they have poisoned him as well?
The symptoms seemed to be similar but something told him it wasn’t that.

He took a few steps towards him.

Chuuya took a few back.

Dazai had always prided himself in his ability to read people. In his ability to look through one’s
eyes and see their darkest secrets, their fears, their deepests desires.
It was the easiest thing for him to tell what someone was feeling just by looking in their eyes.
He had always been able to read Chuuya that way, so why couldn’t he now?

It didn’t make sense.

Chuuya’s eyes were like an abyss of emotions.

Dazai could see every kind of feeling being reflected in them. He could see sadness and he could
see anger and joy and anticipation and fear.
It was as if Chuuya was experiencing a thousand feelings all at the same time.
But how?
Something like that should have been impossible. There is a certain limitation to feelings. If
humans experience too many and in such intensity they shut down.
Was that what was happening to Chuuya? But what had caused it?

He looked at his partner, at his eyes as they wavered between him and the floor.

Why was he so scared? So confused? So shaken?

Just what the hell had they done to him?

‘’ It hurts.’’ It was a whisper but Dazai had heard it.

‘’ What hurts? Are you injured, are you-? ‘’
‘’ I-’’ Chuuya placed his hands on his arms, hugging himself, shielding himself from the world. ‘’ I
can’t.’’
‘’ You can’t tell me? ‘’ he tried, ‘’ Chuuya, I don’t understand-
His eyes were unfocused, and there were tears forming in them. Tears begging to fall.
‘’ I can't make it stop .’’
It was another pathetic attempt at talking, again, his words came out broken.
‘’ I want it to stop, Dazai.’’ he repeated, the pain audible in his voice.’’ I want it to stop. I want it to
stop. I want it to-
‘’ You want what to stop? ‘’
Dazai stared at him terrified about his condition. His whole body was shaking and his face looked
so distraught.
It was awful.

‘’ Everything.’’ Chuuya replied sharply. ‘’ I want everything to stop.’’ he said his voice lowered. ‘’
I can’t take it much longer, god it hurts.’’
‘’ Can’t take what any longer? You’re not making any sense.’’
‘’ I know, I know, I’m trying-I-
Dazai couldn’t understand what he was telling him, crucial information was escaping his
knowledge. It was horrifying. Chuuya was clearly in pain and he couldn’t even figure out why.
‘’ Explaining, I can’t, it’s-
‘’ Chuuya, what the fuck did he do to you? ‘’ he asked, his hand trying to reach his partner’s face,
thinking maybe that could help ground him.
Chuuya slapped it away.
‘’ I’m sorry.’’ he called out right after, the regret clear in his eyes and his tone. ‘’ I didn’t mean to,
I-
He took a couple more steps back, his body now against the wall.

‘’ That’s not me talking,’’ Chuuya tried to explain, ‘’ I’m not- it’s not- I-
Even speaking seemed to be hurting him.
‘’ Fuck.’’ He hit his head on the wall. ‘’ I can’t silence them.’’
Silence who?
Dazai couldn’t keep asking the same obvious questions. He had to find the root of the problem.
‘’ Chuuya, you need to tell me what happened, ‘’ he spoke loudly enough for him to hear.’’ I can’t
help you if you -
‘’ Why should I? ‘’ Chuuya looked as surprised by his own words as Dazai did. ‘’ I know you
don’t really want to help me, so why should I? ’’ his voice was still breaking every other word.
‘’ What are you on about? Of course, I want to, why would you-.’’
‘’ Is this all an apology? ‘’
‘’ A what? ‘’
‘’ This world.’’ he repeated, opening his arms wide, ‘’ Is it all just onesick, fucking apology? ‘’
Dazai stared at him lost.
‘’ What are you-
‘’ Your twisted way of saying, ‘ I’m sorry I treated you like crap in every other world? I’m sorry I
betrayed you? I’m sorry I killed you? ‘’
‘’ Chuuya, I’m not following…’’
‘’ If it isn’t an apology, is this my consolation prize, then? ‘’ he asked again, locking eyes with
him, ‘’ Is this life, you returning for me, us joining the ADA, us becoming friends, is that my
consolation prize? ‘’ his voice regained some control, ‘’ My prize for always meeting you? For
always learning to trust you no matter how much you didn’t deserve it? Is it my prize for being the
biggest fool of this world? ‘’
‘’ Sorry,’’ He laughed, ‘’ of all worlds.’’

Of all worlds…
It was only a theory but could they have done it?
Could they have found a way to travel between the pages of the Book?
And if they had…
Oh
Oh no.

‘’ You’ve been to other worlds.’’ It was a scary observation. One he had no idea where it would
lead.
‘’ You die in most of them.’’ Chuuya replied with a smile that wasn’t his. ‘’ And in the few that
you don’t, you kill me. Or at least break me to the point I wish you had.’’
‘’ I would never do that.’’
‘’ You’re lying.’’
‘’ I’m not.’’
Now he was the desperate one.
‘’ I would never do that to you Chuuya, I would rather-
‘’ I’ve seen you do it, Dazai.’’ Chuuya cut him off abruptly, his voice sharp, ‘’ ‘So don’t even dare
try to deny it.’’
‘’ But that wasn’t me. His head was getting lighter. Yelling was only making things worse. If it
weren’t for the adrenaline and the shock, he would have already passed out.’’ Whoever you saw-
‘’ They were you from other worlds.’’
‘’ That doesn’t make them ‘me’.’’
‘’ And what makes you so different? ‘’ Chuuya challenged, ‘’ you say you’re not the same as them,
so, what makes you different? Wouldn’t you kill if it were for your plan to succed? If it were to
save the world? ‘’
‘’ I would but-
‘’ Then you have your answer.’’
‘’ I wouldn’t kill you.’’
‘’...’’
‘’ I know.’’
The person staring back at him now was Chuuya. His Chuuya.
‘’ I know, I know, I- Fuck.’’ He fell to the ground, cradling his head with his hands. ‘’ I know you
wouldn’t. God dammit, I-
He paused to take a breath.
‘’ I can’t differentiate between my thoughts and theirs.’’ Tears were finally falling from his eyes, as
his hands repeteadly pulled on his hair. ‘’ Those aren’t my thoughts, Dazai. I swear they aren’t.’’
Dazai knelt beside him.
Without thinking he wrapped his arms around his body, stopping his hands from reaching his head.
Chuuya moved closer to him, attempting to grab and pull on his shirt.
‘’ They won’t stop.’’ He said, burrying his head on the crook of his pertner’s neck. ‘’ I can’t make
them stop. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t I-
Befere he could continue chanting the same thing over and over again, Chuuya fell unconscious.

So that was their plan, huh?

To render them completely useless.

With his heart burning and his eyes finally closing, Dazai figured it had worked.

Dazai woke up by the awful sound of Nikolai’s laughter echoing right next to his ear.

‘’ My, my, he’s finally awake~ ‘’

He opened his eyes to find himself strapped in a chair, a cloth tied up around his mouth. Nikolai
was standing next to him.

‘’ Now we can finally start the game! ’’ The loud man launched himself at Fyodor, excitedly.
Fyodor ignored him, fixing his coat before walking closer to Dazai.
‘’ I suppose you’re right. The time has indeed-
‘’ Don’t you dare touch him.’’
Dazai’s eyes snapped to his partner on the other side of the room, chained to a chair much similar
to his. He looked to be behind a wall made of glass. No, it wasn’t glass, it was something else.
‘’ Or what? ‘’ Fyodor spoke again, challenging him, his thick accent making the words sound more
intimidating, ‘’ what will you do? ‘’
‘’ I’ll kill you.’’
He hadn’t said it as a threat.
He had made a statement.
‘’ Oh? ‘’ Fyodor laughed at his idiocy.’’ You think you’ll be fast enough? ‘’ he kept provoking
him, clearly enjoying it. ‘’ One touch. That’s all it’s going to take.’’ He mused, slowly trailing the
back of Dazai’s chair with his hand. ‘’ I just have to touch him once with my finger, and he dies. ‘’
‘’ If you do that-
‘’ What? I’m asking you again. What will you do? ’’
His silence was enough evidence he had no reply to give him.
‘’ All words but no actions.’’ Nikolai chimmed in. ‘’ You couldn’t even answer a simple question
without having a breakdown,’’ he reminded him, laughing, ‘’ I’m sorry Chuuya, but after that, your
threats cannot be taken seriously~’’
‘’ What question? ‘’ Dazai stared at them, manouvering his jaw in such a way that the cloth
managed to slip away from his mouth, ‘’ What is he talking about? ‘’

Dazai hated situations like those. Situations where he didn’t know what was going on, where he
couldn’t understand what people were saying.
They made him feel so powerless. So completelly stupid.

‘’ Nakahara here, you see, had the opportunity to choose between saving you and killing you.’’
Nikolai explained. ‘’ He chose the latter.’’
‘’ That’s not true. ‘’
‘’ Then what did you answer? ‘’ A wicked smile appeared on his lips.
‘’ Nothing. I never answered.’’
‘’ But if you had, that’s what you would have chosen, right?.’’
‘’ No.. ‘’
Nikolai stared at him.
Fyodor did too.
‘’ No? So you would have chosen to save him? ‘’ Dostoevsky sounded surprised but he wasn’t. He
was more intruiged by him. ‘’ You can’t mean that.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ You saw the other words. What he did to you-’’
‘’ So? You thought I would change my answer because of a few sad memories? ‘’ Chuuya
challenged him back, some of his usual smugness returning to him.‘’ For all the credit they give
you, you’re much stupider than I thought you’d be.’’
‘’ You would save him… ‘’
‘’ Time and time again.’’
Dazai stared at his partner dumbfounded.
He wouldn’t deserve Chuuya not in a million words.
‘’ You really care for him that much, huh? ‘’ Nikolai’s eyes widened. ‘’For a man that has betrayed
you, over and over again? For a man that wouldn’t hesitate to lie, manipulate, hurt and even kill
you? ‘’
‘’ What if I do? ‘’ Chuuya was putting up a brave front but inside he was breaking.
His head was beginning to hurt again. There were so many memories, so many thoughts, so many
feelings..
It felt like he would burst.
‘’ I would save him. Is this what you want me to answer, you sico? ‘’ he blurred out, ‘’ No matter
what happened. I would choose to save him.’’
‘’ Even if he wouldn’t do the same for you? ’’
‘’ Even then. ’’
Chuuya looked at Fyodor, his face contorted with pain. ‘’ I answered your stupid question, so what
more do you want from us? ‘’ he asked, his frustration growing.‘’ Why are we here? And what the
fuck is this thing? ‘’ he eyed the berrier between him and them.

Dazai could see his eyes as they focusded and unfocused. He could see the slight twich in his head,
the shake in his hands as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Chuuya was in so much pain, yet he
was doing his best to not let it show. To act as tough as he always did.

‘’ But to play a game of course.’’

‘’ Again with that fucking game.’’ Chuuya wasn’t the only one growing frustrated. ‘’ What even is
it? You keep blubbering about it but neither of you have explained it.‘’
‘’ Oh, the game is quite simple actually,’’ Nikolai spoke, happy to finally be explaining it,
‘’ You may think that the poison’s effects have worn off because you’re not in so much pain as
before,’’ he addressed Dazai directly, ‘’ but that’s simply not true.’’
‘’ If you don’t get the antidote soon, the poison will kill you in about, hm, fifteen minutes.’’
’’ But don’t worry, getting it isn’t that difficault.’’ Nikolai reasured absolutely no one, ‘’ The vial
containing the antidote is taped on the back of the chair Chuuya is sitting on.’’ He continued, ‘’
The only thing he has to do is break down the berrier, and bring it to you in time. You won’t even
have to drink it. The antidote only needs to come into contact with your skin. It’s child’s play,
really.’’
‘’ What is the barrier made of? ‘’
‘’ Something indestructible.’’ Nikolai brushed his question aside, ‘’ It’s a kind of transparent anti-
ability metal.’’’ He laughed, ‘’ A more upgraded version of the walls inside the Prison in
Meursault.’’
Upon hearing the name, Chuuya’s shaking grew worse. His face paled.
The only one that noticed was Dazai.
‘’ As you understand, the only one in danger here, is Dazai, ‘’ Nikolai turned to address Chuuya,’’
Once he dies you’ll be able to walk away from this place like nothing ever happened. You won’t
have to worry about a thing.’’ He smiled, walking towards the door located behind Dazai.
‘’ Well, " he clasped his hands together, another grin on his face, " time is running out, so I guess
we’ll let you say your goodbyes. Right, Dos? " he opened the door, letting Fyodor pass through it.
" Right."
‘’ See you later, boys~ ‘’

And with that, the door closed and silence befell the room.

The first thing Chuuya did was use his ability to break through his chains, careful not to damage
the chair. Once he had freed himself, and had made sure the vial had remained intact, he had
picked it up and had put it in his pocket.
He had then proceeded to grab the chair and throw it at the berrier.

The force of the impact had obliterated the chair into a million little wooden picks.
Unfortunately, as he had expected, it had done nothing to the wall.

‘’ Corruption doesn’t count as-

‘’ Don’t even finish that sentence.’’ Dazai cut him off, thrusting around in his chair, untying with
his movement the messy knots Nikolai had tied.
‘’ But if I-
‘’ No.’’ The thought in his mind alone was brutal. He wouldn’t allow Chuuya to voice it.‘’ It’s not
happening.’
‘’ But-
‘’ I don’t have my ability, Chuuya.’’ Dazai stated, his eyes on his partner. ‘’ So don’t even think
about it.’'
‘’ Don't even think about it? Am I supposed to just accept that it's you or me? ‘’
‘’ Of course not. It’s not you or me,’’ he corrected him, giving him hope for only a second.
‘’ It's me. Final.’’ he snatched it away.
‘’ It's not your decision to make.’’ Chuuya laughed bitterly, staring down at his sleeves, as he
rolled them up.
‘’ If you think I’ll let you do that, you’re deluding yourself.’’ Dazai stood up and walked towards
the ‘wall’ dividing them.
" And if you think I care whether you let me or not, you're as stupid as Dostoevsky is." Chuuya
countered, his voice stern.

No.
If that was his last converstation with Chuuya he wouldn’t let it turn into an argument.
He had to act smarter than that.

‘’ You like being a detective, don't you, Chuuya? '’ Dazai offered, crossing his legs and sitting
down on the cold floor. His eyes on his partner on the other side.
‘’ Being a member of the Armed Detective Agency, being friends with Yosano, Kunikida and
Ranpo. You like it. Spending time with them, working with them, going out and having fun…
It’s not as bad as it used to be back then, is it? ‘’
Chuuya walked up to the wall and looked down at him.
‘’ It’s not.’’ he said, his voice softer.

If those were their last moments together he figured he would listen to what he had to say.

He knelt down and crossed his legs in front of his body, mirroring his partner.
Dazai smiled.
‘’ And even if you don’t admit it, you like solving cases, isn’t that right? ‘’
‘’ They can be frustrating at times, but they do make you feel pretty great once you solve them.’’
‘’ They do, don’t they? ‘’ Dazai laughed softly, ‘’ especially when it’s taken you a few days.’’
‘’ That's because the difficult ones are always the most rewarding.’’
‘’ You're right. Once they're done with, you can finally go out with everyone and celebrate the
success. That is rewarding.’’
‘’ Yeah, especially when Ranpo gives you one of his half-assed congratulatory comments. "
" I would have solved it faster, but you did okay." Dazai did his best impersonation of the man.
" You solved it? I didn't think you would. Good job." Chuuya did his own, repeating the most
recent comment Ranpo had made on a case of his.
" And then Kunikida comes and makes you do all the reports, not caring about how tired you are.
But it's fine. You'll do it and then you'll be free."
" Free to go back to my apartment and yell at my good-for-nothing partner for not having put the
bottle of water back into the fridge."
" Chuuya…"
" What? "
Dazai turned his body so that his back would lean against the wall. So that his face would be
hidden from him.
" How bad was it? " he asked, his voice low. " How bad were the worlds inside that thing? "
Chuuya didn't answer him right away.
Like him, he turned his body and let his back rest on the wall, first.
" It's pretty bad." He started. " Even now that we're talking I'm still going through all those lives
and images are still flashing in my head."
" Does it hurt? "
" Not as much. I think I'm becoming somewhat numb to it. I can barely contain it, but at least I can
pick apart my own thoughts from theirs, now."
A bitter chuckle escaped him.
"..."
" I promise you, I never touched it. Never." Dazai confessed, the guilt eating him alive. " I know
nothing of the other worlds, but if I did anything that hurt you in them, as you said I did…I'm
sorry."
" It's okay."
" No, it's really not. Nothing about this situation is okay."
Dazai gave himself a few seconds to gather his thoughts before speaking again.
" We are trapped for god knows what reason, I don't have a plan, and I'm about to die, so I want
you to listen to me carefully."
" Dazai-
" Can you do that for me? "
"…"
" Chuuya, can you do that for me? "
‘’ … ’’
" I can."

His face was still concealed.

He told himself it was for the best.
If he was looking at Chuuya he couldn't trust himself to say everything he needed to. And if he
didn't say everything he needed to he would regret it for the rest of his afterlife.

Here it goes.

" These last couple of years have been the greatest of my life, and I truly think that it's not an
exaggeration when I say I'm dying happy." He looked at the ground, thinking back to his most
treasured memories. " For me happiness is being able to hope, however faintly, for happiness. To
hope that in the future you'll feel it again. I used to think that happiness was something
unattainable. A state I could never find myself in…You changed that."
"..."
" I didn't have much hope in my life, you know. From a young age I believed that I could never
have what I wanted. That it would always be lost the moment I obtained it. Because of that belief I
grew up to always expect the worst. I grew up without hope.
Odasaku and Ango were my first friends. Unfortunately, the moment my mind registered them as
my friends I lost them. When Odasaku told me to leave the organization, I knew I would do it.
There was not a doubt in my head about it. But then I left and that was the first time I had ever felt
regret. ‘’
‘’ Not for leaving the organization, no."
He laughed, trying to ease the tension.
" I felt regret because without wanting, I had also lost my bond with you. And even if it wasn't
friendship at the time, it was still important to me.
My friendship with them had been lost, but my bond with you could still have a chance if I played
my cards right. Once I figured that out, I ran to you.’’
He remembered the night he had run to Chuuya’s apartment. He remembered how stupid he had
felt for wanting to ask him to leave with him.
‘’I wouldn't have ran, if I hadn't had hope. I wouldn't have returned."
" I'm glad you did."
Dazai would never know how much Chuuya meant those words.
" Because you did, I was able to have a second chance at being happy." The smallest of smiles
appeared on his lips as he looked down at his wrist.
‘’ You know what the worst part of the book was? ‘’ He asked, not expecting an answer. ‘’ In most
of those lives you never returned for me.’’ a strange melacholy leaking from his voice.
‘’ My life here compared to theirs…I wouldn’t be able to be as happy as I am if you hadn’t
returned…Like them, I would still be in the Mafia, thinking that the only joy I could ever feel was
that, a higher title would bring me.’’
‘’ So in most worlds I’m stupid? ‘’
That earned him a laugh.
‘’ I would love to say yes, but you’re just as smart. Just as calculative and insufferable.’’
‘’ No, clearly not. ‘’ Dazai looked down at his hands as he undid his bandages one last time. ‘’ A
‘me’ that doesn’t return for you can’t be smart, I’m sorry.’’
That earned him a smile.
A smile that he could not see.
‘’ For me, a world where I’m not your friend is a world I don't want to ba a part of.’’ he gazed
down at the messily drawn words on his rist. The ones covering some of his most painful scars. ‘’
Life is too bleak without you, Chuuya.’’
Chuuya had nothing to say that.
‘’ … ‘’
‘’ Do you like mentoring Atsushi? ‘’ Chuuya asked, clearly avoiding replying to the last thing
Dazai had said.
Dazai knew he didn’t have the time to question him on that.
‘’ I do. Sometimes though, I think I fall back into old habits…Atsushi never calls me out when that
happens. Only when I’ve taken something too far.’’
‘’ It’s not the same as mentoring Akutagawa, is it? ‘’
‘’ … ‘’
Chuuya was doing to Dazai exactly what he had tried to do earlier.
Dazai wasn’t stupid.

‘’ Would you have wanted to find a way and fix things with Akutagawa? If you had more time,
that is...’’ Chuuya added, triying to throw some dust into his eyes.
‘’ Explaining some things, and advicing him one last time wouldn’t have been that bad.’’
‘’ And honoring Odasaku’s wish…You would have wanted to continue doing that, right? Being on
the side that helps and saves people, that cares about-
‘’ I know what you’re doing.’’
‘’ Then you also know why I have to.’’
‘’ I won’t be able to save you, Chuuya.’’
‘’ I know.’’
Dazai tried his best to keep himself turned, to keep himself calm.
‘’ You should be the one that gets to live, not me.’’
‘’ Why? Because you think you don’t deserve it? ‘’
‘’’ No, because-
‘’ Atsushi will be devestated if you die, Dazai. Akutagawa will be too.’’
‘’ And if you die? How will I ever break the news to Kouyou? Hm? How will I break them to the
Agency? ‘’
‘’ How will I break them to Hirotsu? At his old age, he could have a heart attack.’’ It was both a
terrible joke and a pathetic attempt to further persue him. ‘’ He will be so sad to hear of your death.
’’
‘’ Well, I’ll be sad if you die.’’
‘’...’’
‘’ You’re awful, you know that? ‘’
‘’ I do.’’
‘’ I hate you so much.’’
‘’ I know.’’
‘’ You’re literally the worst.’’
‘’ I am.’’
‘’ … ‘’
‘’ Why can’t you understand that the only thing I want to do is help you, the same way you helped
me?’’
‘’ Chuuya-
‘’ I really hope you can forgive me, one day, Dazai.’’
Dazai turned to find Chuuya standing up, his fingers slowly removing his gloves.
‘’ Chuuya, please.’’
‘’ The thing with Fyodor isn’t over. We still don’t know who the mastermind behind him is.’’
‘’ Chuuya-
‘’ Atsushi needs you. Akutagawa does to. You’re the only one that can help them.’’
‘’ Please, don’t do this.’’
Dazai placed his hands on the wall, as if that would help reach him.
‘’ I beg of you, I don’t have my ability, I-’’
‘’ Oh, Grantors of dark disgrace,’’
‘’ Chuuya please,’’ he banged his hands against the wall, trying to break it down on his own.
Blood oozed from his knuckles, his bandages came undone.’’ Don’t do this, please, don’t-

Chuuya could see Dazai’s eyes pleading him to stop. He could see the hopelessness in them, the
desparation.
The fact that this was the last thing he would ever see made him miserable.
He hated to do that to him.

‘’ You need not to wake me again.’’

‘’ CHUUYA-FUCK- NO-

Chuuya used his last moment of conciousness to give Dazai one last smile.
A truthful smile, one with a million words hidden behind it.
‘’ CHUUYA- ‘’

Dazai raised his hands and shielded his face from the explosion of debris that happened once
Chuuya threw the first few gravitons on the wall. Pieces of metal flew everywhere.
It broke down in seconds.
Of course it did. Corruption was much stronger than any ability.

Chuuya crossed the line to his side of the room. That was the moment Dazai knew there was
nothing he could do.

Brownish eyes met white and Dazai felt his heart skip a beat.
He stood there motionless, unable to say or do anything.

That’s when Chuuya raised his hand again.

Dazai had thought he would attack him, but no.
Chuuya threw the vial into his exposed arm. The glass broke and the liquid touched his skin.

It hit him then that Chuuya had enough awarness as to do that on last thing.

He felt the burning in his skin and he cursed.

Chuuya had saved him yet again.

His knees hit the ground as he watched the storm that was Chuuya decimate everything around
him.
Everything but him.

It seemed even after all that had happened, Chuuya could still keep Dazai safe from the curse that
was Corruption. It should have been impossible, but somehow he was doing it.

He watched horrified, as Chuuya threw more gravitons at the walls and the ceiling, As the room
became three times it’s original size. As the lights flickered, as cord came lose, as the walls broke
down.
As Chuuya started laughing.
Dazai’s heart was beating like crazy.

Chuuya was still throwing spheres of gravitational energy destroying the building surounding
them. His laugh echoing through the room and the corridors now connected to it.
It was a haunting, empty laugh.
One Dazai despised.

The destruction continued.

There was no pattern, no control over Chuuya’s movements.

There was only chaos.
A kind of Chaos he had once been able to stop.

Dazai watched and prayed.

He had never believed in anything. In no God and in no Devil, but if there was someone,
something out there that would listen to him, he wanted them to know.
To save Chuuya he was willing to do anything.
He was willing to give up everything. To give up his life.

He preayed to whoever would listen, be it the Heavens be it Hell be it the moon above. He knew it
was stupid, but that was the only thing he had left to do.

He watched as Chuuya drifted towards the broken ceiling, as black wings appeared on his back.
Wings Dazai had swore would never let show again.

He watched as black holes gathered around his hands, as blood trickled down his body and fell on
the ground.

Chuuya was dying.

Those were the final moments of Curruption, he had witnessed it once more when they had been
sixteen.
Chuuya was dying and that was his last window to save him.

If it passed…
If Chuuya fell and he he couldn’t nullify Corruption…

Dazai's eyes snapped to the direction of the once had been door, startled by the footsteps he was
hearing.
It took him one second to piece everything together.

In the end the one that had answered his prayers was neither the Heavens nor the moon above but
rather the Devil himself.

‘’ I have an offer to make.’’ The voice sent chills down his spine the moment he heard it.
‘’ Are you interested, Dazai? ‘’

There was no time to think.

There was no time to question it.

‘’ Can you save him? ‘’ The question came out more desperate than Dazai would have wanted it.
‘’ I can. ‘’
The moment he said that Dazai knew it wasn’t a matter of him accepting or not anymore. Judging
by the smirk Mori was wearing, he also knew that.
‘’ How? ’’
‘’ Sign here, and you get your ability back.’’ Mori pulled out a piece of paper and a fountain pen.
Dazai thought about taking that fountain pen out of his hands and stabbing him with it.
Repeartedly.
Making him regret ever crossing paths with them.

Unfortuanetely, there was no time to think about that.

There was no time for him to figure out how getting his ability back would work.
There was no time to read the contract laid before him.
There was no time to contemplate on his answer, no time, for him and Mori to discuss the details.
There was no time.

Dazai took the pen Mori was handing him.

Drowning out all the explosions and all the screaming he could hear in the background, he held it
tight and wrote down his name.

Nothing could have prepared him for the shock wave that hit him when No Longer Human
returned to him.
Nothing could have prepared him for the impossible pain and then the numbness right after.
The numbness that spread through his veins faster than his blood.
The numbness that dulled his heart.

For a second, he forgot what it was that he wanted to do so much as to make that deal.
Then that second passed, and he was running to Chuuya, his legs, somehow able to carry him.

‘’ CHUUYA ‘’ He screamed, running to the man that had fallen on the ground after having
destroyed everything.
‘’ Chuuya, ‘’ He called out again, climbing up the rumble to reach him.
He could see the blood oozing from all over his body. He could see it leaking from his white eyes.
‘’ I’m here,’’ He said, cradling his face with his hands, ‘’ I’m here.’’ He repeated, picking his
broken body up and pressing it onto his.
‘’ I’m here. ‘’
He lowered his partner’s body and placed his head on his thighs, one hand on his back, the other
still on his face.
‘’ Chuuya…? ‘’
‘’ …’’
‘’ Take us home.’’
Chuuya’s eyelids opened slowly, revealing shining blue eyes. ‘’ Take us home, Dazai, or I swear-’’
He coughed and blood came out of his mouth. ‘’ I swear I’ll kill you.’’ a broken laugh escaped
him.
‘’ I will. Don’t worry.’’
Dazai didn’t know whether he would be able to keep that promise or not.
‘’ And I expect a good explenation when I wake up.’’ he smiled before closing his eyes.

Chuuya was breathing.

Chuuya was alive.

He would pay a heavy price for it, but he couldn’t care about that now.
He had saved him.
He had save him and that was all that mattered.

As gently as he could, he placed his head on the ground and stood up.

He turned his attention to the man behind it all.

‘’ You would jeopardize the city you so love to get revenge on me? ‘’
‘’ I never jeopardized it.’’ Mori corrected him, ‘’ Fyodor had always been under my control.’’
‘’ Where is he now then? ‘’
A smile tugged on the man’s lips and Dazai understood the answer before it came out of his
mouth.
‘’ Let’s say both him and that Clown have been dealt with.’’
‘’ You were the one that gave him the Book.’’
‘’ Only for today. I never intented for him to keep it and use it on his own.’’
‘’ You tricked him as well. ‘’
‘’ It wasn’t easy to do, but I figured out a way.’’ Mori showed him the paper in his hands again, ‘’
In fact, it was similar to the way I tricked you. ‘’
‘’ So. What’s the contract? ‘’

It was a question he didn’t want to hear the answer to.

‘’ I’ll share most details with you tomorrow.’’ Mori said, tucking the paper back in his pocket.
‘’ All you have to know for now is that you have to be at my office by eight o’clock. Remember,
the contract you signed is ability-bound. If you don’t oblige the consequences will be dire.’’
At his office…
Which meant at the Port Mafia Headquarters.
‘’ I understand.’’
He had no other choice.
He had signed.
‘’ You’ve always been my favourite, Dazai, ‘’ the man continued speaking, his voice factual.
‘’ I wouldn’t have given so much time to no one else, even if they had begged me. ‘’
He smiled.
A cruel satisfactory smile.
One that told you he had gotten exactly what he had wanted.

‘’ See you in the morning.’’

How had everything gone so wrong?

Why had everything gone so bad?

There were so many thoughts circling his mind as he tended to Chuuya. So many thoughts
torturing him.

He had spent about half an hour cleaning off all the blood from his body yet the marks that had
appeared during corruption were still visible all over it. They were faint, but they were definitely
there.. Dazai had tried to rub them off along with all the blood but that hadn’t worked.
He guessed it was because he’d been so late.

He had picked him up and had laid him on his bed.

With careful movements, he had wrapped his wounds with bandages.

It would have to do for now.

Dazai had only given him stitches on his deepest wounds because they had been necessary. The
rest, he would let Yosano take care of.
He knew with her he would be leaving him in good hands.

God, he would be leaving him.

After so many years of sticking together, he would have to say goodbye.

The though alone was making his heart ache.

How could he say goodbye to him?

What would he even tell him when he woke up?
Would he even be there?

The realization struck him like lightning.

Would he be there, when Chuuya woke up?
Knowing Chuuya and the affect corruption had always had on him…He didn’t think his partner
would be awake before the morning had passed.

So what should he do, then?

Should he write him a letter explaining everything? Should he just leave with no explanation?
No
Chuuya deserved a goodbye.

So what should he do?

God, it was all happening so fast.
There were two voices inside his head, both battling for dominance.
The first one, was screaming at him to tell him everything. Explain to him exactly what went down
and why he left. Leave nothing out of it.
The second one, the one that was winning, was telling him to be cruel.

If he could make Chuuya hate him then-

No.
There was a time where that would have worked. A time where Dazai had the power to make
Chuuya loath him with just a few words.
He hated to admit it, but he knew that time had passed.
He knew Chuuya wouldn’t fall for such a cheap trick.

Dazai banged his head on the wall before sliding down and falling to the ground.

He couldn’t do it.
He couldn’t leave him.
There was no way he could.

He felt like he was suffocating. He felt like if he continued breathing it would only make matters
worse.
He wanted to scream.
He couldn’t take it anymore.

His head hit the wall again.

And again, and again.
Maybe if he hit it hard enough then he could kill all those thoughts and ideas and-
He banged it again, harder, until his ears were ringing.
Then he let it fall on his hands.
His hands acted like a machine press, squeezing it as hard as they could, trying to make the pain so
intense, so distracting that he could finally focus on something else rather than the voices in his
mind.

What should he do?

God, how had he allowed tsomething like this to happen?

He blamed himself.
Dropping his guard like that? Acting on impulses? Being reckless?
He had been so stupid.
So fucking stupid.

He tried to think clearly.

He tried to think the best course of action if it even existed.
This wasn’t like him.
He was being too emotional about it. Too-
It had to do with Chuuya.
Of course he was being emotional.

A goodbye letter.

He could tell him that he made a deal with Mori.

A deal that could not be broken.
That it was his choice.
It had been to save the city, yeah. It had been to stop Fyodor.
That sounded believable.

Who was he kidding? Chuuya would see right through that.

He wasn’t stupid.

Maybe he could use that.

Maybe he could use the fact that Chuuya would figure things out.
Maybe.

He gave Chuuya one last glance before heading to his own room.

He sat on his desk, picked up a pen and a piece of paper, and started writing.

Naturally, Dazai hadn’t closed his eyes all night.

He had kept himself awake, first writing his letter to Chuuya and then sitting on his armchair,
watching him as he slept.

If Chuuya could see him he was sure he’d call him a creep or something like that.
He didn’t care.
This could be the last time he would ever get to be around him.

He looked at the clock on Chuuya’s desk.

It was seven.

One hour.
That’s all he had left.

Less than an hour, actually.

He still couldn’t believe everything that had happened.

Neither all the good stuff nor all the bad.
He had been so overwhelmed, and then he had been so so numb.
With No longer Human back, all his emotions had dulled again.
Yet not quite.
It was weird and strange and it made him feel uncomfortable in his own skin.
It was a new sensation. One he hated.
One he wanted gone.

Everything had been so great.

His job at the Agency.

His relationship with the rest of the members.
His friendship with some of them.

He wouldn’t even be able to say goodbye to them,

To explain to them what had happened.

His mentorship of Atsushi and Kyoka.

He wanted to stay and help them. Teach them more useful things. Watch them grow as their own
people, putting their pasts behind.

He wouldn’t get to see that.

He wouldn’t get to help them again.

It was cruel.
No.
The word cruel didn’t do justice to the situation.

It was sickening.

He had worked so hard to have that life.

To have those relatioships, to maintain them.

But he didn’t deserve them, right?

That’s why he was losing them.

He would never deserve to be free.

He would deserve to be so happy.

The minutes passed much faster than he had wanted.

It was half-past seven now, and he had to leave.

Chuuya was still sleeping.

 Maybe this was for the better.
Maybe it would be easier that way.

He opened the door as soundlessly as he could and stepped out.

If his plan worked, he would see him very soon.

Chapter End Notes

Welp.

You know what they say.

There is nothing better than Angst :D

 Haunted
Chapter Summary

For maximum effect, I would advise listening to Haunted by Taylor Swift while you
read it.

Just do it, trust me<3

Chapter Notes

This chapter was supposed to be a lot different but I caved in and added another arc in
order to have one of my favourite characters have a satisfying enough
development/story.

But yeah...My favourite part can finally begin:D

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ Good morning, Osamu,’’ Mori greeted him as he saw him enter the office, his smile sharp and
cold like a stalactite made of ice. ‘’ I hope you slept well? ’’

‘‘ As peacefully as you did when I was still around.’’ Dazai smiled back at him, reciprocating
some of the coldness in his gaze. He didn’t want to be looking at the man’s eyes, but not doing that
would only make him seem weaker.

‘’ I see you are well enough to make your usual abrasive remarks...’’ Mori pointed out, slowly
crossing his hands, placing them beneath his chin.‘’ I’m glad that’s the case. I would have hated to
have seen troubled by this turn of events.’’

I would have hated…yeah, right. Dazai knew that was exactly what Mori wanted to see.
He promised himself he wouldn't give him that sight.

‘’ Can we save the pleasantries for perhaps another time? ‘’ Dazai requested, making himself
sound just the perfect amount of bored and disinterested. ‘’ I’m dying to know why I’ve been
summoned here.’’ Again, he kept the same bored expression, the same apathetic tone in his voice.

‘’ What do you mean? ‘’ Mori didn’t display any confusion caused by his question. On the
contrary, something dark glistened inside his eyes. ‘’ You work here, don’t you, Executive? Where
else would you be? ‘’

No.

‘’ I work here? ‘’ Dazai kept his voice neutral, looking at the man, trying to figure out what exactly
was happening.

‘’ Of course, you do.’’ Mori announced, his eyes on him, ‘’ You signed your employment contract
yesterday. You agreed to return to the Port Mafia and resume your duties as one of the five
Executives of our organization.’’

No.

‘’ Has my current employer been notified by this development? ‘’

‘’ He will be, shortly.’’ Mori, reassured him, ‘' The paperwork will all have been finalized by noon.
‘’

No. This wasn't happening.

No. No. No.

‘’ Could I see my ‘employment’ contract? ‘’

He reminded himself he had to keep acting unbothered. He had to play it cool.

‘’ As you wish. ‘’

A hundred and one pages.

A hundred and one pages were what was keeping Dazai away from his life.
A hundred and one pages of the most detailed and intricate writing he had ever seen.

When Mori had told him to sit down on the chair opposite to his office and wait for the contract to
be brought to them, Dazai hadn’t expected to see such a thick stack of papers presented before him.
A contract was supposed to always be under twenty pages, Mori had been the one that had taught
him that. While designing and writing contracts for the Mafia, Dazai had always seen him obey by
that rule.
For him to go this overboard…

‘’ Shall I have a middleman come and read it for you, or do you prefer to take your time and read it
on your own? ‘’
‘’ I’ll read it for myself.’’
‘’ That’s fine by me.’’ Mori signalled for the boy that had come to bring them the contract to leave
the room. The boy didn’t have to be told twice.
‘’ If you have any questions-
‘’ I have one.’’ Dazai cut him off. ‘’ What is this last page? ‘’
He had only skimmed through it for starters, but the epilogue of the contract had managed to grab
his attention.
‘’ That’s the final rule. I thought it would only be proper that it would have an entire page
dedicated to it.’’
‘’ I can’t speak Chuuya’s name aloud? ‘’ According to the text, he couldn’t even talk to him
without a stupid permission. Dazai could laugh at the insanity of what he was reading.
The man gave him another cold smile.
‘’ I would advise you not to break the rules so carelessly.’’ he warned, reaching for his personal
computer on top of his desk.

As he dragged the mouse over some tabs Dazai couldn't help but continue to read the atrocity that
was their contract.
It made his stomach turn just how absurd each page was.
‘’ Now, can you see the screen? ‘’ Mori asked, wanting to make sure Dazai had a clear view of the
monitor.
‘’ I can.’’
‘’ This right here is a tracker. I placed it on Nakahara’s motorcycle when I was on my way to the
base.’’ he revealed, ‘’ see how it’s on the move? That means he’s coming here.’’
‘’ Why are you telling me that? ‘’
‘’ This window over here, will show us the footage of the cameras placed on the building’s
entrance. Once he is here, I want you to break that rule again, Just to see what happens.’’
‘’ You mean, to say his name? ‘’
‘’ Yes. And before you ask,’’ he quickly added, ‘’ I’m not going to do anything to him.’’ There
was honesty in his words. The kind of honesty you know hides a lie beneath it.
‘’ I’m sure you already knew you weren’t getting out of here.’’ Much to Dazai’s misfortune, the
man continued to speak, ‘’ You only intended for him to come so you could say your goodbyes.
Isn’t that right? ‘’
‘’ … ‘’
‘’ I’m not a monster, Osamu. I understand the importance of telling a friend goodbye.’’

Dazai noticed Mori kept calling him Osamu.

He didn’t like it and Mori knew that.
Back in the Mafia he had only ever called him that when he had been incredibly angry with him. It
was a name Dazai despised. A name he didn’t want himself to be associated with.
He hated that he was using it so freely.

‘’ I’m sure you do.’’ He muttered under his breath, turning back to the very first page of the
contract.

‘’ So what happens if I break it? ‘’ Dazai asked a few minutes later, his mind tortured by all the
possible answers the Boss could give him. ‘’ You said the consequences would be dire but-
‘’ You’ll see soon enough.’’

The moment Mori said that, Chuuya appeared on the screen.

He looked furious.

‘’ Go on, say his name aloud. See what happens.’’

Dazai genuinely didn't want to do this but he had to know just how bad the consequences were. He
took a deep inhale and broke the last rule once more.
‘’ Chuuya.’’

For a second he could see Chuuya doubling over in pain, tumbling down on the carpet at the
building’s entrance. About a dozen or so Mafiosi rushing to him to see what happened.
Then he was up, again, alertly scanning his surroundings for the source of such excruciating pain.

‘’ To put it simply, every time you break a rule, Nakahara gets hurt.’’

No.
No.
No.

‘’ And if you break the contract…one of you dies.’’

‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ One of you dies.’’ Mori repeated, another smile creeping on his face.
‘’ Who? ‘’
Mori said nothing else. He turned off his computer and spun his chair around.
‘’ Which of us dies? ‘’ Dazai asked again, looking at him, expecting an answer the man had no
intention of ever giving.

And suddenly he was fourteen again.

Chasing answers from the same man.
Inside the same building.
The same hopelessness residing in his heart.

" Aren't you going to-

" WHERE THE FUCK IS HE?

The doors burst open with so much force they slammed into the wall and came unhinged.
Cracks started appearing on the wall behind them, as Chuuya stepped inside the room.

" Good Morning to you too, Nakahara." Mori remained seated at his desk, watching Chuuya from
afar.
Chuuya glared at his former Boss before landing his eyes on the other man standing nearby.
" Care to explain? " His voice was sharp and precise. If Dazai didn't answer him he was ready to
bring that whole building to the ground.

Dazai opened his mouth to do just that but then soon realized no sound was coming out of him. He
closed and opened his mouth, but again no sound came out.
Chuuya continued looking at him, the question still burning hot in his eyes.

It wasn't that Dazai didn't want to answer him.

He just couldn't.

" I'm afraid Executive Osamu can't answer you right now." Mori spoke in his place, his voice calm
and steady. " Would you-

" Executive? "

A grin appeared on Chuuya's face as he turned his head to look at Dazai.

" Dazai, " his voice sounded forcefully restricted when he said his name. It was as if he had wanted
to have screamed it but had refrained from doing so. " The fuck is he talking about? "

Blue eyes found his and Dazai felt his heart stop.
He couldn't bear looking at the two raging seas, that were his eyes. Two oceans ready to drown
him should he say anything they didn't want to hear.
Chuuya's eyes had always been painted with anger but that was not anger.
No, it was something stronger, much stronger.
Something Dazai had never seen in his life before.
Something that made him reconsider everything about their current situation.

" I thought Kouyou raised you to be more respectful than that, Chuuya." Mori's words broke the
silence that had befallen the room.
" I'm not talking to you." Chuuya's head snapped in his direction, His fiery gaze petrifying even
Mori for a second. " I'm talking to him." his words were sharper than any knife he had ever held in
his hands.

Mori regarded him with caution.

If he didn't thread carefully, Chuuya might just ruin all his plans.

" You're wasting your time, detective." He said the word like a cuss, " He can't answer you. Not
without my permission, that is."
" Your permission? "

If Dazai didn't know Chuuya he would think he was a madman.

The grin on his face had only grown and the hostility behind his glare had only become more
intense.
There was something dangerous flickering inside those eyes of his. Something that terrified even
Dazai.

" It's part of the contract I made with him."

" The contract you made with him? " He had too many questions and he was receiving no answers.
Chuuya was aware that repeating the man’s words only made him sound stupid but honestly, he
couldn’t care less.

" Look, I would love to sit here and chat the day away, but I do have more pressing matters I need
to take care of." Mori flashed them a smile as he got up from his chair and moved towards the
entrance.
" Therefore, here is what we’re going to do. I'll leave Dazai here, to explain everything to you. You
will have five minutes. Once they're up, I expect Dazai to come and find me at the Executive
Meeting room."

There were no longer any doors to close so he left the room as it was.

" Wait, I have my voice back," Dazai said with surprise, trying to reach for the papers on top of the
desk. " Give me a minute, I need to find something."
" A minute? I'm not giving you not a second more." Chuuya grabbed the papers from his hands and
started reading them aloud.
" Dazai is not to leave the perimeters of the Port Mafia Headquarters building. If he does without
my permission that is a direct violation of the contract." He stared at Dazai, his eyes furrowed.
" The fuck is this? " he asked, horrified, continuing to read. " Dazai is to not distract himself by
anything during missions? If he finds interest in something unrelated to work or the mission at
hand, that is considered a violation of the rules? What even is-"
" I can't break them."
" Yeah, no shit Sherlock, I figured that out." Chuuya kept looking at the papers, his face a mixture
of confusion and disgust. " But why are there so many? And what the fuck are even some of them?
and WHY ARE WE HERE? "
" Because I made a deal."
" You made a deal? " A realization seemed to flare in his eyes then. " Wait, don't tell me-
Dazai offered Chuuya a pained smile.
" I have No Longer Human back."
" That means you made the deal to save me." Chuuya discarded the papers and grabbed Dazai's
hand. " Come on, we're getting out of here." He said and started to walk away.
Dazai's hand pulled his own back.
" I can't leave."
" Sure you can! We just walk out of this room, take out a few men and we go to the Agency."
Chuuya made it sound so simple. " We're already running late, so we shouldn't-
" Chuuya. I can't. "
" Because of the contract? " Chuuya quickly made his way back to the documents that were
binding his partner. " It's just a piece of paper. You aren't obligated to abide by these ridiculous
rules."
" It's an ability."
" No, it's not."
" Chuuya-
" No." The anger behind his eyes had transformed into something else. " Abilities don't work on
you. Using that logic-
" It was made when I didn't have my ability."
" But you have it now."
" I can't rewrite it."
" Yeah, no. I don't care. We're getting the hell out of here."

It pained him.
Seeing Chuuya act so dumb in such a desperate attempt to hold into a delusion.
It was heartbreaking.

" Chuuya-
" No."
" Listen to me-
" I refuse to."
" But-
" No."

Dazai hated this.

He hated this so much.

" Chuuya, listen me."

" I don't want to."

It was that sincerity that broke him..

That honesty in his partner's words.

" I don't want to listen to anything, Dazai.’’ He had never seen such a soft expression on his face.‘’
I just want to go home."

" I can't go with you."

He wished he had never been forced to say those words to him.
He wished he could have had another choice.

" Why? " Chuuya asked, greeting his teeth. " What happens if you go with me? What happens if
you break it? "
" I don't know."
He arched his eyebrows at him, begging him to elaborate. Begging him to give him a more
satisfying answer.
" Mori won't tell me, but it's something bad."

Dazai lied.
He lied because he didn't want Chuuya to know that the consequence would be death.
He lied because he didn't want to burden him with that knowledge.

" So what, you just stay here? "

" Apparantly."
" For how long? "
"…"
" Dazai. For how long? "
Chuuya's heart was losing hope, and Dazai could practically hear it.
It was awful.
He wanted to tell him 'not for long', to tell him that soon enough he would be with him again.
He couldn't. He couldn't lie so blatantly to him.

One moment, the chair was in front of them.

One moment later, the chair had been flung across the room.

" What about your job at the Agency? Can't the President's ability-
" It doesn't work on me."
" Fuck."

Mori's pencil holder was the next thing that found the wall before it shattered.

" The ability user behind it. We can find him and-
" And do what? According to the contract, the only way to break it is If I kill them."
Chuuya threw another pencil box on the wall, and then a book.
" There's gotta be some other way. There's gotta be something." he slammed his hands on the desk,
making it break in half.
" There isn't."
" No, there always is something, you say that all the time. You can find a loophole or a way to go
around it. I know you can."
" Chuuya-
" No, you're smart enough to figure something out. I'm not hearing any excuses."

Dazai picked up the papers again, " You see these? " he asked, showing them to him. " He's been
writing these ever since we left." He said and threw them on the ground. " He has spent years
perfecting this contract."
" You're smarter than he is."
" You're not listening to me…"
" I told you I don't want to."

Chuuya's voice broke as he uttered those words.

Dazai let out a breath.

" You think I want this? "

" No."
" You think I wanted to make a deal with the man I hate most in the world? To return to this place
? To work for him again? "
" No, I-
" You think I want to leave the Agency? To leave my coworkers, my friends? To leave you? "
" …no."
" Then why are you making it harder for me? "
" ... "
Chuuya lowered his gaze to the floor. His eyes lost some of the fury they had before.
" I just don't want to believe it..that's all."
" That makes us two."
"…"
" So what now?…Do you just stay here? Do I return to the office? Do I tell the others? Do I-
" Don't tell them about this."
" They'll ask."
" Tell them I left on my own volition."
" That's just a lie. They aren't stupid Dazai. They'll figure out I'm lying."
" But they won't confront you. They'll respect your privacy. Most of them at least. I know they
will."

" I hate this."

Chuuya knelt down on the floor and reached for the papers sprawled on the ground. His eyes
hovered over the pages, skimming through the texts, searching for that one piece of information he
needed.
" Fuck. " he grabbed the paper tightened his grip on it and threw it on the floor again. " Even if
Mori dies, it would be seen as another stupid, fucking, violation."
" I told you," Dazai stared at the crumpled-up piece of paper lying there instead of his partner
because it was easier. " He has written down everything..."
" Says here, you can't even talk? " Chuuya took another page in his hands, baffled by the things he
was reading... " That's why you couldn't answer me before." He looked at it, his mouth agape. ‘’
You physically couldn’t talk. That’s fucking disgusting- it’s awful."
" I know."
" You can't allow him to-
" I've already-

Then something changed in his eyes.

Something darkened.

" Dazai? "

Dazai felt like he was a prisoner inside his own body. He was taking steps without wanting to.

" Dazai-

Chuuya tried to grab his hand but Dazai didn't let him.
He avoided him.

" The five minutes are up, aren't they…"

It wasn't a question.
But even if it had been, he knew his partner wouldn't have answered it.

Dazai headed to where the door used to be.

Chuuya stood there and watched him walk away.

Away from him.

Away from their life.
Away from everything they had.

When Dazai had left that note on Chuuya's nightstand he hadn't had a plan in his mind.

There had been a tiny part of him that had hoped Mori’s contract wouldn’t be as binding and that
Chuuya would have been able to get him out of there, but that part had died the moment Mori had
told him what the consequence would be. After learning that, the only thing he had wanted to
achieve by having Chuuya come to him was a last chance to talk. To explain things.
To say goodbye.
Unfortunately, he hadn't even managed to do that.

The five minutes Mori had so 'generously' given them had passed and he hadn't even said that one
word.

But maybe it was for the best.

He and Chuuya never said the word goodbye to each other.
Maybe not being able to say it aloud was a sign from the universe that this wasn't a goodbye. That
they would meet again.

A sign from the universe?

That was just plain stupid.

Dazai had walked out of that room feeling like he had set his life on fire.
Thinking he had burned everything down and was now suffocating from the smoke that fire had
caused.

He hadn't wanted to leave Chuuya.

He hadn't wanted to walk away from him.
He hadn’t wanted to walk away from everything they had.

But he didn’t have much choice.

No.
He had had no choice at all.

Dazai opened the door and stepped inside the all too familiar room, his heart heavy with a grief he
could not let show.

‘’ Ah, Executive Osamu, please, do join us.’’

Mori looked so happy to have him back. So excited.

Dazai wanted to punch him and wipe that stupid smirk off his face. He wanted to take a match and
set him aflame. To watch as the spark inside his eyes slowly died.

‘’ Is that Dazai? ‘’ The surprised voice belonged to a red-headed woman. A woman Dazai knew
had never been particularly fond of him. ‘’ What is he doing here? ‘’ Her eyes met his and he could
see the concern in them. Was she really worried about him?

‘’ Since we’re low on staff, I decided it would be better to let him resume his position as an
Executive instead of having him be a mere member.’’
‘’ I meant in the Mafia.’’ Kouyou clarified, her voice controlled but stern. ‘’ Why is he here? ‘’
No, it couldn’t be concern. Kouyou didn’t care for him that much.
He was sure it was just surprise and genuine curiosity.
‘’ Well, it would seem that after some years, he finally decided to come back.’’
Kouyou looked at Mori, the cloud of doubt visible above her. ‘’ He decided? ‘’
‘’ He decided. Is something not clear to you, Kouyou, or are you perhaps implying that I had a say
in his decision? ‘’
‘’ It simply surprised me, that’s all.’’
‘’ That’s what I thought.’’
The woman spared one last glance at Dazai before looking at the reports in front of her.
‘’ Now, let us continue with the meeting.’’ Mori signalled for Dazai to sit down at the table and
join them. Dazai felt sick looking at the chair he had indicated.

It was his old chair. The one he had always sat on as a teenager.

He had saved it for him.

In a desperate act of defiance, Dazai walked up to the chair next to his own.

He sat there.

By the look the Boss gave him, he figured he had elected not to comment on that action of his.
Instead, he turned his head towards the woman and addressed her.
‘’ Kouyou, whenever you want.’’

Dazai could describe the current state of the Mafia only with the word pathetic.

Inside the Executive Meeting room, there had only been him, Mori and Kouyou. Which he had
seen coming, given that Ace, their fifth executive, had been killed by Fyodor just some weeks
prior, and Verlaine, their fourth Executive, was, well…Verlaine, so he wasn’t allowed in meetings
such as those. Dazai wondered how Mori and Kouyou had managed to keep the organization
running for as long as they had.
Losing him and Chuuya had been a tremendous blow to the organization, yet they hadn’t let that
ruin it. As much as he hated Mori, he found his dedication to the Port Mafia to be admirable.

‘’ Dazai, will you take care of it? ‘’

‘’ Do I have a choice? ‘’
‘’ Of course not.’’ Mori let out a small laugh, ‘’ I’m only asking because of the protocol.’’
‘’ Then I guess I’ll do it.’’
‘’ Perfect.’’

Kouyou’s eyes wandered to the boy yet again.

She seemed to silently be asking him a question.
Dazai's response to her question was a smile that would never reach his eyes.

He told himself it wasn’t that bad.

He told himself it was only a meeting, It would pass.

He wondered how many times he would end up telling himself that same thing before it had really
passed.
Walking back to his office he couldn't help but wonder what Chuuya was doing.
Had he gone to the Agency? Had he told them the news? And if he had, how had they taken it?
Had they called him out on his lie? Had they asked him the real reason why his partner wasn’t
there? Had they cared enough to try and learn?

He opened the door of his office and moved to his couch. He took one deep breath and fell on his
back, his eyes finding the ceiling.

He didn’t regret taking that deal.

It was to save Chuuya. He knew he would never regret it.
Still, that didn't make it hurt any less.

His eyes wandered around the room before settling on the bookcase against the left wall.
Something was different.
Mori had claimed that no one had entered his office since he had left but that had to be a lie.

Dazai approached the bookcase and pulled out the book that was slightly closer to the edge than
the rest. Behind it, he found a small bottle of wine.
An envelope taped on it.

He took the bottle in his hands and then drew the envelope off its surface.
He tore the top of it and reached for the paper inside.

Stole it from Kouyou's office. You need it more than she does.

He turned it over, trying to see If there was something more written on it.

Wish things hadn’t turned out this way.

Apart from that phrase, he could see nothing else written on the backside.

Wish things hadn’t turned out this way.

Dazai took the paper in his hands and traced the words with his fingers.

Chuuya wasn't angry.

He hadn't left in rage after he had walked away from him. Conversely, he had sneaked inside
Kouyou's office, had stolen a bottle of wine from her, had hidden it in Dazai's own office and had
written him a note.

A joking note, with a sad undertone.

Dazai knew Chuuya wouldn't have been mad at him for what happened. Still, having the proof for
it made him breathe easier.

He pocketed the note and opened up the bottle.

Chuuya was right. He needed this.

He, so desperately, needed this.

What do you do when your whole life has been turned upside down in the span of a few hours?

What do you do when you learn that your best friend, your partner, has signed his life away so he
could save yours?

What do you do when you can't be angry at him? When you can be angry at no one but yourself?

On his way back from the Port Mafia building Chuuya had only one thought in his head.

What do you do?

So many things had happened, It was difficult for him to process them all.

When he had woken up that morning, his head had still been ringing, and his heart had still been
clouded with feelings of all kinds. It had been milder than the previous day, but the pain had still
been coming in waves, hitting him so suddenly as memories got triggered from the most ordinary
of things.

He had woken up and had immediately called out Dazai's name. He had wanted to ask him what
had happened. How could he still be alive? How had he managed to save him?
Much to his dismay, Dazai hadn't been there to answer all those questions.

When Chuuya had noticed his absence, he had gotten up from his bed and had searched for him
around the house.
That's when he had found the note left on his nightstand.
Come and find me.

That had been the only thing written on it.

Chuuya hadn't needed to be told twice.

" Nakahara, good-

Ranpo stopped mid-sentence, his eyes scanning him like he was an item going through checkout.
" It's not a good morning for you, is it? "

From all the people that could have been at the door, it had to be Ranpo.
Of course, it had.
Why would he ever catch a break?

" No, it's not." Chuuya said, doing his best to avoid the man's searching eyes.
Ranpo's voice had lowered when he spoke again. " What happened? " he asked, " Something with
Dazai, I get that much, but what exactly?"
How would he begin to explain him?
Where would he even start?

" Dazai has left the Agency. He's gone back to the Port Mafia."

He expected Ranpo to start laughing and tell him that it was a good joke but the man never did
that. Instead, he knitted his eyebrows together and looked at him wearily.

" I can see you're torn between lying and telling the truth." He said, " I assume Dazai told you to lie
about the reason why he left. Most probably because it wasn't a pleasant one."

Ranpo's perceptiveness was the worst thing that could happen to him. He didn't need to be read
aloud. Not when he was trying so hard to cover up.

" He did."
" But you won't do it. Will you? "
" No."

This day was bound to be the worst in a while.

Ranpo nodded his head and moved back to his desk. He hadn't tried to push him further than that.
He hadn't been as intrusive as he often was.
It was the least he could do, but Chuuya appreciated it still.

With his stomach twisting into a knot, he directed himself towards the President's office. Mori was
sure to have informed him of the 'transfer', so he thought he would hear what he had to say about
the matter.

" Sir, " Chuuya knocked on the ajar door once. " May I talk to you about something? "

From his office, Fukuzawa gestured for the man to come inside and sit down with him. His
expression betrayed no emotion, but it told Chuuya he already knew what the conversation would
be about.

Chuuya sat down on the chair and looked at the older man.
Fukuzawa handed him a cup of tea.
Had he already had it made for him? There were two cups so he had definitely been expecting him.
And judging by the temperature of the tea, he had been pretty spot on in the timing he would
arrive.

" The Boss of the Port Mafia had sent a person over here earlier, to deliver me the news and the
letter of Dazai's resignation." He said, " According to the letter, it was Dazai's decision. A personal
one that was made of his own volition." Fukuzawa paused to look at Chuuya, a solemn expression
on his face. " I happen to know the Boss of the Port Mafia personally. I have no doubt that Dazai
was tricked by him into returning to that place." He took a sip out of his tea and placed the teacup
away.
" That would be right, sir."
" I won't ask you to tell me how and why, it does not concern me. But I do want to know if there is
a possible way to get Dazai out of that predicament."
Chuuya lowered his head, thinking about the answer.
He didn't have to think for long.
" There isn't one."
" I see."
" If there was, I wouldn't have come here alone."
" I have no business telling you what to do, Nakahara, but if you want to take a few days off work-
" I would rather not, sir."
" Very well then. Should I call for a meeting to let everyone know of this development or would
you rather share with them the news yourself? "
Chuuya didn't have to think of his reply.
" You don't need to call for a meeting, sir. I'll handle it."

Having Fukuzawa call a meeting would have been a thousand times more preferable but for some
reason, he hadn't been able to let him do it.
It was stupid, he knew, but he physically couldn't stand another meeting with the main subject
being his partner leaving.
Having all his coworkers' eyes on him. Having them searching his expressions for answers not
even he had.

The Executive Meeting right after Dazai had left had been a nightmare.
He wouldn't let himself go through that again.

The alternative wasn't all that more appealing, but the Agency deserved an explanation and Chuuya
would give them one. Even if it went against his partner's…his ex-partner's wishes.

" So where is that dimwit, Dazai? "

Kunikida, it seemed, would be the first to learn of the news. It was fitting. Of all the people in the
Agency, he had been the one Dazai had been closest with.

" Is he still recovering or is he skipping work again? According to Yosano, he should have been
fine to come in today."

He had taken his usual lecturing pose. his left hand on his hip, his notebook on his right, turned to
the page he had savoured to mark down when Dazai skipped work.
It wasn't as full as one would have expected.

" He's no longer a member of the Agency."

" Huh? "

Kunikida's slow way of processing information and his initial reflex to jump into denial, made
telling him a lot harder.

" He has returned to the Port Mafia."

There was another reason why he had preferred this method of breaking the news rather than
calling a meeting. By telling each person individually, he would be repeating the same words over
and over again.
Maybe repeating them would help his mind accept them.

" Is this some cover-up excuse or one of your jokes? " Kunikida looked at him with his eyes
squinted. " Either way, it's certainly distasteful. "
" It's not an excuse nor a joke." Chuuya averted his gaze. " Something happened and the outcome
was Dazai returning back to the Mafia."
" Wait, I need more details." The man shook his head and sat down at the nearest chair he could
find. " What happened exactly? Was it his own decision to leave? Did someone from the Mafia
blackmail him into returning back? Was he-
" Our former Boss tricked him."
" He tricked, Dazai? How? "
" It doesn't matter. It happened."
" Then we ought to do something about it. We can't let him-

The realization seemed to strike him then.

If Chuuya, the strongest ability user he knew, had come there alone…

" There's nothing that can be done, is there?

" No."

How do you react in a situation like this one?

It was like the question was burned into his friend's forehead. So evident in the way he looked at
him. In the way, his mouth opened and closed again, as he contemplated on what to say.

In a situation where something awful has happened but you can't do a thing, what do you do?

It was the same question burned in Chuuya's heart.

" Has the President been informed of this? "

Chuuya nodded positively, remembering his conversation with Fukuawa just a few minutes prior.
" Okay, then."

Kunikida looked conflicted. He wanted to say something more, but before he could Chuuya had
already left.

Telling them was a lot harder than he had thought it would be.

" Understood."

Dazai hung up the phone and stood up. He let his eyes linger on the empty bottle on the coffee
table, for a moment too long, before averting them.
The liquor had done nothing to ease his head or his heart, but the thought that it had been from
Chuuya had done enough on its own, so he didn't complain.

What did Mori say he had to do, again?

Not a minute had passed since they had talked and he had already forgotten.
It must have been something along the lines of 'go to the…warehouse to receive further
instructions.'
But was it the seventh or the sixth warehouse?

The seventh.
It had to be the Seventh.
The one responsible for it was Akutagawa. And the one responsible for Akutagawa was…well…
him.

It hit him then that he was Akutagawa's mentor yet again.

Did the boy know he was back?

Only a few hours had passed since his arrival, so he didn't think so. But the news do travel quickly
in the Mafia…so it wasn't that impossible.

How would he react?

He hated that he didn't have to ponder over that.

Akutagawa would be happy about his return, he knew that.

He would see it as another chance to prove himself. To show him how far stronger he has become.
To show him he deserves his praise more than the weretiger does.
He would expect Dazai to be as cold and ruthless as he had always been with him.

But maybe it didn't have to be that way.

Maybe Dazai could do things differently this time around.

He opened the door as soundlessly as he could and slithered inside the warehouse, keeping himself
hidden for the time being. From behind the crate, he could see Akutagawa in the middle of the
room, a few of his subordinates surrounding him and Higuchi.

They seemed to be discussing in quarter tones, but that didn’t stop the boy from looking like he
wanted to yell at her. From the apologetic look she gave him, Dazai concluded that Higuchi had
made some sort of mistake.
Dazai thought it was high time he made his presence known.

‘’ So, what happened here? ‘’ He spoke calmly as he walked out from the shadows, and allowed
himself to be illuminated by the light coming in from the windows on the upper part of the walls.

The room stilled.

All the people inside of it froze as they stared at him. Some of them were older members that had
known him. Others were newer members that had been told the tales. It was easy to guess who was
who. Their expressions gave it away instantly.
He could hear the whispers of those few that hadn’t pieced it together as they asked their older
colleagues questions about him. He could also see fear appearing in their eyes as they got their
answers.

‘’ Dazai, sir…’’ The one that looked most lost was the one that spoke. ‘’ …why are you here…? ‘’
Dazai hated how hard it was for the boy to ask him even one question.
‘’ Here? ‘’
‘’ This is Port Mafia grounds and you’re in the Armed Detective Agency…I don’t see how you
could-
‘’ Oh,’’ Dazai waved his hand and that sentence aside. ‘’ I’m no longer affiliated with the
Agency.’’
The boy looked even more confused than before.
‘’ If you aren’t with them anymore, could you have joined the Mafia, again? ‘’ Higuchi didn’t
seem to have as much of a problem confronting him. ‘’ You’re the Executive the Boss said to wait
for.’’
Akutagawa spared her a glance before his eyes returned to his mentor.
‘’ There were some whispers about your return but I thought they were only lies,’’ Akutagawa
said, his eyes distant. ‘’ Mere rumours made up.’’
‘’ Whatever you’ve heard is most likely true.’’ Dazai confirmed their suspicions. ‘’ Starting today
I’m back to being a Port Mafia Executive.’’

That sentence had invoked fear.

He could see it in all their faces. In the expressions of the oldest members and the newer ones. In
Higuchi. In Akutagawa.

‘’ You’re an Executive again? ‘’ Higuchi finally voiced, wanting to be sure of the changes around
the organization.
‘’ Yes.’’
The woman seemed as if she had wanted to say something more to him but had refrained. She
simply nodded in acceptance.

Dazai remembered then, what she had said when the war with the Guild was still happening and he
had ‘run’ into her and Gin.
Your blood is as dark as the Mafia itself. More so than anyone in this country.
At the time Dazai had laughed and had told her his cruelty had been nothing. He had told her that
people changed over time.
But what had changed?
He was back in the Mafia, wasn’t he? It was only a matter of time before Mori had him killing and
torturing again.
So what had changed?

‘’ Now that introductions are out of the way,’’ Dazai clasped his hands together, looking at the
men and the women around him, ‘’ could someone be as kind as to tell me why I’m here? ‘’
‘’ The shipments.’’ Akutagawa blurted, eager to have a chance to talk to him. ‘’ Five days now,
every night when a new shipment arrives, there are missing components. At first, I thought our
emissary was being greedy and was stealing from the organization so I went to confront him. The
man swore he had no idea what I was talking about. ‘’ He started to explain, giving his old mentor
the rundown of the situation. ‘’ He is a loyal partner of the Boss and has been dealing with the
organization for many years. There were a lot of people that vouched for him, so I let him be.’’
‘’ Is that all? ‘’
‘’ After I had run into a dead end because of him, I decided to question everyone involved with this
warehouse and the procedure of the transferring of the goods. Of the thirteen people that work
under me, there was only one that I found to be suspicious.’’
‘’ Suspicious how? ‘’
‘’ That man was here earlier than the shipment would arrive and he was always the last to leave.
He was the one responsible for locking the warehouse after the delivery of the shipment had been
made.‘’
‘’ If that is his job then why is he suspicious? ’’
‘’ Because I can’t find him.’’ Akutagawa confessed. ‘’ He is the only one that is currently
missing.’’
‘’ What’s in the shipment? ‘’
‘’ It mostly contains legal and Illegal substances. ‘’ Akutagawa took a paper out of Higuchi’s
hands, ‘’ Anesthetics, narcotics, medicine, hallucinogenic drugs, analgesics, inhalants, stimulants-
Dazai raised his hand to signal him to stop.‘’ I got the picture.’’ he said, and the boy complied. ‘’
Does our thief have a specific target? Is the component that goes missing the same each time? Is it
not? ‘’
‘’ It’s not. ‘’
‘’ You’ve kept track of the things stolen? ‘’
‘’ I did.’’ Much to Dazai’s surprise Akutagawa took another paper from Higuchi, this one had his
own handwriting on it. ‘’ It seemed like it could have relevance later on.’’

That was actually a smart thing for him to do.

Dazai didn't think Akutagawa would try and solve such a problem on his own. He thought he
would go after whoever he believed was responsible and would let Higuchi or someone else deal
with the ‘mystery’ at hand.

‘’ Could you show me? ‘’

According to the paper Akutagawa had rushed to hand him, their thief was stealing different
quantities and products each time. Like the boy had said, the occurrence had started five days ago
when instead of 38 crates 33 had arrived.
Dazai examined the rest of the paper

‘’ Tell me, can you discern any pattern? ‘’

The boy furrowed his brows and looked at the paper, searching for a pattern. From his face, Dazai
could tell he hadn’t noticed it yet.
‘’ Is there one? ‘’
‘’ No, I’m asking for fun.’’ Dazai deadpanned looking at him.
Akutagawa concentrated harder on finding the pattern. Dazai could see his eyes scanning the page
from the top to the bottom.
‘’ It’s a countdown…? ‘’ He said, a bit more tentatively than Dazai would have prefered.
‘’ Are you asking me? ‘’
Akutagawa looked regretful, ‘’ It’s a countdown.’’ he said with more certainty.
‘’ Good.’’

Five days ago, 33 crates had arrived instead of 38 which meant 5 had been stolen. The next day,
four days ago, 46 crates had arrived instead of 50, which meant, that time around, 4 had been
stolen. Three days ago, from the 47 crates, 44 had arrived.
The thief was obviously making a countdown and he started from five.

‘’ Yesterday only two crates were stolen, correct? ‘’

‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Which means tonight our thief will return to steal the last one.’’ Dazai concluded. ‘’ But due to
the countdown, we know he’s planning something more.’’
‘’ Do you have any idea what it could be? ‘’ Higuchi asked, contributing to the conversation at
last.

Dazai simply smiled.

Chuuya’s eyes wandered to the towering building that stood tall at the centre of Yokohama. At the
towering building visible from every corner of the city, however small or large, however high or
low.
He looked at the windows made of glass.

Images of another Dazai falling infiltrated his mind. Images of the serene smile on his face, of the
way their eyes had met so briefly.
His heart was heavy with grief. For a man, he had never met, and for his friend, he could not meet
again. Two completely different types of sorrow, two completely different thoughts.
After some seconds, the two thoughts merged and another was born.
What if his Dazai has the same ending?
What if while he is in the Mafia, Mori pushes him too far and he just gives up on trying?
What if, like him, he thinks the only salvation is to jump from the roof of his prison?

No.
No.
Dazai wouldn't do that.
Dazai wouldn't let Mori take the credit for his death.

Chuuya wanted to think that even after everything that had happened, like him, Dazai still had
hope.
Hope that maybe in the future he could be freed and they could be together once more.
Hope that nothing has ended.

He looked at the building again.

But if Dazai lost his hope he wouldn't blame him…

There was nothing in this situation he could blame him for.
Nothing.

" Chuuya, sir, are you up here? "

Chuuya removed the cigarette from his mouth and turned to look at Atsushi who had just stepped
through the door.

" Is there something you want, kid? "

" Is it true? " the boy asked, his eyes shining intensely, " Did mister Dazai really leave the
Agency? "
It would seem the news travelled faster on its own.
" Did Kunikida tell you that? "
" No, I overheard you two talk." Atsushi explained, taking a few steps closer to the older man. " I
didn't want to intrude so I waited until you were alone to ask."
" In that case, I'm sorry kid, but it's true."
Chuuya took another puff of his cigarette, before blowing the smoke out.
" So he's back in the Mafia, now? "
" Right there."
He pointed at the building, with his hand still holding the cigarette.
" Can we still communicate with him? "
Chuuya arched his eyebrow at him.
" Communication with the Mafia…it's not as uncommon anymore so I figured-
" Dazai is a special case." Chuuya cut him off, not letting him hope in things he knew were not
feasible. " But I'm sure we can think of a way to get through to him if we need to."
Atsushi moved himself next to him, his steps more tentative than before.
" Did you two…did you two fight Dostoevsky and his men on your own? " Atsushi asked, clearly
feeling like he shouldn't have done that. " Is that how Mister Dazai ended up back in the Mafia? "
" You're sharp." Chuuya remarked thinking that the boy wasn't that sharp but he was rather brave.

Ranpo had figured it out, he was sure of that. And Kunikida had definitely noticed the marks all
over his body, but he had been considerate enough as to not question him about it. Same with
Fukuzawa.
Chuuya knew Atsushi wasn't doing it to be privy or inconsiderate. He just wanted to understand.

" We didn't go looking for them without the Agency's approval, but we did end up being
ambushed, in a way." Chuuya started, " The Boss of the Port Mafia had laid out a trap for us. We
fell right in."
" Doctor Yosano said yesterday that after mister Dazai had been shot he had lost his ability."
" That is true."
" It's not my place to say anything, but if that happened, how…how did-
" How did he nullify Corruption? " Chuuya finished the sentence for him and the boy averted his
eyes.
" As I said, it's not my place to speak, I was just curious if that had something to do with mister
Dazai leaving. With the trap, you said the Boss had prepared for you."
" Let's just say he found a way and leave it at that, okay? "
" Okay."

The boy gave him one last glance, before walking back to the door and climbing down the stairs.

Chuuya continued to smoke his cigarette as he looked longingly at that towering building.

He could have left him a letter.

He could have written down everything he had wanted to say to him but no.
He had resulted in writing one sentence.

Stole it from Kouyou's office. You need it more than she does.

He could have said anything else. Anything actually meaningful but noooo
He had to make a joke.
A fucking joke.

At that time it had seemed like the most appropriate way to deal with it.
He had wanted to leave a lighthearted note behind. To show Dazai that he had understood why he
had left him. To show him that he wasn't angry or anything like that.
Upon further speculation, he was sure he had done the opposite.
The words sounded sharper in his head now. They sounded almost mocking.

But he would never mock a situation as serious as this one.

Dazai surely knew that.
Right?
…

It had been just a standard procedure.

Dazai had thought up a plan to catch the man, he had communicated it to the Boss, and he had
gotten the clearance to use the men and the means necessary to achieve that.

Once the night had fallen and the ship carrying the load had arrived at the Port, Dazai had set his
plan in motion. The plan on its own wasn’t much of a challenge and it wasn’t particularly complex,
but that had been done for two reasons.
Efficiency and freedom of movement.

What Dazai had most wanted to see was how Akutagawa would handle the task he had been given
by him. Dazai hadn’t clarified certain things such as in what condition he should bring the man in,
on purpose.
He wanted to see what the boy’s first instinct would be.

Akutagawa had held up his end of the deal.

The man had been retrieved with no more than a few superficial scratches. When Dazai had asked
why the man was alive and not at all injured Akutagawa had given him a very good and thorough
explanation.
He had told him that, yes, it was a slower method than cutting a leg off and simply grabbing him,
but it was something he was trying out...Injuring the culprits less…not killing them…etc.
Of course, he had then gone on to reassure Dazai that if killing was what he wanted to do, he would
do it. Dazai had told him that no, it wasn’t necessary.

Atsushi’s influence, although minimal, was already showing.

But Akutagawa had a long way ahead of him still. He had to learn a few more things.
Dazai would have to wait until the boy had reached the end of that road, before he could put
another plan of his, a more personal one, in motion.

‘’ Send him off to the interrogation team. See if they can find whether he has sold everything or if
we can retrieve portions back.’’
‘’ And what do I do about the ammunition vault? ‘’
‘’ Had he already bridged it? ‘’
‘’ No, he was in the middle of doing so when I caught him.’’
‘’ Then do nothing.’’ Dazai instructed, ‘’ I will let the Boss know how fragile the security system
is here, and he will have someone sent here to upgrade it as soon as possible.’’
Akutagawa nodded and walked off towards the man that was being held by Higuchi and another
subordinate of theirs.

Dazai left the warehouse and returned to the main building.

The security system would have to wait. He would let Mori know about it another time.

He got inside his office, sat on his chair, put his legs up on the desk and leaned back.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes.

Then he opened them again.

He needed answers.
Mori had practically told him nothing about how he had taken care of Dostoevsky and Nikolai.
About how he had tricked them, or how they had died.
Mori and Dostoevsky were both incredibly clever, so the Boss outsmarting him wasn’t as
improbable as one would think. Still, it couldn’t have been as easy as he had made it sound to be.
Dazai wanted to know how they had come in contact. How they had met, and who of them had
initiated the plan.
Mori knew of the whereabouts of the Book, he had no doubt about that, but had he really used such
an important artifact in a plan as risky and dangerous as that one? The stakes should he have failed
had been raised to the top. One wrong move and Dostoevsky would have left that base with the
Book.
Had Mori really gone that far only to get him back? Only to get him to be his right-hand man once
more?

It sounded insane but he couldn’t ignore the facts.

The whole plan had been centred around him and Chuuya. Mori had wanted him to lose his ability
so he could drop his guard. He wanted Chuuya to experience all those other worlds from the Book
so that his trust in him would be altered. He wanted to break them, so they would both make the
most impossible of choices.
Having Chuuya decide between saving Dazai and killing himself or losing Dazai.
Having him decide on returning back to the Mafia and losing Chuuya or Chuuya dying.

It had been a cruel plan from the very beginning. One only a monster like Mori would have been
able to come up with.

Still, Dazai wanted to know how he had managed to kill them both. Nikolai and Dostoevsky. Had
he made use of the underground facility? Had he made use of some room similar to the one he and
Chuuya had been trapped in?

How had everything gone down?

And what had happened after?

He had been so focused on getting Chuuya out of there he hadn’t even noticed what Mori had done
afterwards.
Had he taken the Book? Had he hidden it somewhere? Had he left it inside that building to rot?

Dazai didn’t know and it was driving him crazy. He didn’t like not knowing. Especially things as
important as those.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing. His new phone, the one Mori had given him
strictly for matters related to work. His old one had been left at his home.

‘’ Yes? ‘’
‘’ Osamu,’’ It was horrid how happy that man sounded,’’ mind coming to my office? I have a few
more things I need to discuss with you.’’
Mind…yeah, like he had a choice.
‘’ I’ll be there in five.’’

Dazai hung up before the man could reply. It made him feel just the tiniest bit better.
In all honesty, Dazai wasn’t really paying attention to what was happening around him or what he
was doing. His thought process throughout the entire day was: Do whatever you’re told. It’s only
for a day. Everything will be alright tomorrow.
It wasn’t that he was unaware of the situation, it was more so that he didn’t want to accept it.
Deluding himself, he knew he was doing it, but he couldn’t help it. It was the only thing that was
keeping him from simply jumping off the roof.

‘’ You wanted to see me.’’

‘’ Osamu, please, come in, ‘’ Mori greeted, turning around so he could face him. ‘’ Sit down. We
have a lot we need to talk about.’’
Dazai didn’t think he had anything to say to the man that didn’t involve vulgar and inappropriate
wordings but he had no other choice than to sit down and hear him out.
‘’ Have you read the whole thing yet? ‘’
Yes and it made me want to grab it and hit you with it until your head opened up and your brains
slipped out.
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Wonderful. Is there any question you may have? ‘’
Why do you exist? Why are you still alive? Why hasn’t someone killed you yet?
‘’ No. Every rule was pretty self-explanatory.’’
‘’ I’m glad we’re on the same page then.’’
‘’ Is that all you wanted? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ , Of course, it wasn’t. Why would he ever catch a break?
He watched as Mori walked away from the window and back to his office. He opened up the top
drawer and pulled out a folder.
‘’ I want you to go and investigate this man,’’ he said, handing Dazai the thick folder, ‘’ I’m sure
your skills as a former detective will be most useful.’’
Dazai took a peek at the papers and photos inside, He recognized the man immediately.
‘’ Isn’t he in the Mafia? A member of the Black Lizards more specifically? ‘’
‘’ I have reasons to think he is a traitor.’’
Dazai arched his eyebrow, ‘’ A traitor?’’ he hadn't expected the kid to be one.
‘’ An infiltrator more specifically.’’ Mori shared his suspicions, opening a second folder, revealing
another set of papers and ‘proof’ to him.‘’ I want you to look into it.’’
‘’ Is that it?’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Okay.’’

Dazai took the folders and left the room. He skimmed through them as we walked back to his own
office, his mind trying to connect the dots and come up with the most logical explanation.
The ‘proof’ Mori had provided him were two whole photos of the man without the band-aid he
always wore. It would have never been enough to make a case, but the Port Mafia, and especially
the Boss wouldn’t have cared about that.
Mori could have had him in the interrogation room with only a command. For him not to have
already done that it meant he wanted to be discreet. But why?
What could Tachihara be hiding?

Dazai, too absorbed in his thoughts to pay mind to where he was walking, bumped into someone.
…

Chuuya figured he couldn’t stay up on the roof all day avoiding telling everyone, so he lit up one
last cigarette, smoked it and climbed down the stairs to get back to the offices.

From what he was seeing, he could tell that the news had already spread like a forest fire. Everyone
was looking at him with pity in their eyes and ‘I’m sorrys’ hanging from their mouths. Most
members seemed to be contemplating whether to approach him and say something or stay seated
where they were and resume their various jobs.

And Dazai had said they would respect his privacy. Yeah, right. Chuuya gave them two days
before all Hell broke loose and they started asking what actually had happened between them.

He sat quietly in his office and buried himself in paperwork and reports. Typing like a maniac as he
reviewed, edited, and re-wrote them. He knew they didn’t need to be that perfect and polished but
writing them was a good distraction, so the longer he took to perfect them the longer his mind
would stay away from certain unpleasant thoughts.

Before he had even realized it, it was night and Yosano was asking him if he wanted to get out for
drinks. He kindly rejected her offer by telling her he had a few things to take care of back at the
apartment. Yosano didn’t try to pursue him further.
He knew she was doing it to help but he couldn’t imagine drinking out after everything that had
happened. He much prefered to go to his apartment and drink there.
Alone.
As he would have to get used to being.

He finished up everything, said his ‘goodnights’ and left.

When he had woken up that morning, he hadn’t had the time nor had he been in the right state of
mind to truly observe the apartment. The only thing Chuuya had done was frantically search for
Dazai and stumble upon the note he had left for him before he had gone to Headquarters.
Now that he had the time, he could take note of several things he had previously missed, including
Dazai's phone left on the table and his coat draped over the hat rack.
He could see the first aid kit on the table, some bandages and band-aids out.

He didn’t remember much after using corruption but from the covered wounds in his body and the
bandages inside his clothes, he could see Dazai had done his best to patch him up.

Chuuya removed his clothes and looked at his body in the mirror. There were bruises, cuts and
wounds all over it, undoubtedly caused by Corruption. He trailed the crimson marks still visible on
his body.
Corruption had really messed him up this time, huh?
Most of his abdomen was covered up by bandages. His upper arms and legs were as well. On his
left arm, he had stitches.
Yosano hadn't treated him yet so those could have only been the work of his partner.
He smiled at the thought.
Dazai had done so much for him those last two days and he couldn't even thank him properly.
He had saved his life and had helped him recover and he had said not a single 'thank you'.
He had been so overwhelmed by everything he hadn't even thought about telling him that. And
now that his mind had cleared enough to think with clarity, he wasn't around.

Chuuya slowly removed the bloodied bandages from his body, careful not to re-open his wounds.
He threw them in the trash can and got into the shower.
The hot water hit his body, and his muscles finally relaxed.

It had been a terrible day, which made knowing it was only the start, even worse.

After half an hour of standing underneath the shower head and letting the hot water distract him,
Chuuya finally got out.
A few mild burns on his body from the boiling hot water.

He dried himself with a towel and changed into clean clothes. He put them on and immediately
noticed the crises all over.
That bastard hadn't even ironed them.
He had told him he would do it but apparently, he hadn't.

Of course, he hadn't. Where would he have found the time?

Chuuya shook the thoughts away and moved back to the living room. He reached for Dazai's coat.
Since he wouldn't be using it, he figured it would be better to store it inside his closet.
He took the sand-coloured coat and placed it on the hanger. Then he searched its pockets, thinking
Dazai could have left something else behind.
Some more firework sticks, the lighter they had used to light them up, the blueprints of the
observatory and the disposable camera. Chuuya thought the picture they had taken would also be
there but it wasn't.
Could Dazai have taken it with him?

He rushed to his room, to the picture he knew he hid on the drawer of his nightstand. It was gone.

Dazai had taken both pictures with him.

That meant he had known he wouldn't be coming back.

Chuuya walked back to the living room and sat down on the couch. He took Dazai's phone in his
hands.
To his surprise, Dazai had removed the password. He had left it open.
Chuuya turned it on and immediately headed to the notes. Maybe Dazai had left some secret note
behind or-
No. Nothing.
He opened his messages. Except for a few new unanswered calls from various members of the
Armed Detective Agency, there was nothing else.
Chuuya stared at the screen. What was it that Dazai wanted him to see?
If it wasn't a note or a text, what could it be?
Without wanting to, Chuuya clicked on the gallery icon.
He didn't think Dazai was the kind of person that took pictures of everything in his life.
He was wrong.

But he had told him, hadn't he? Two days before, when they had been sitting at the beach. It
seemed like forever had passed, but Chuuya could still hear his voice as he told him he did enjoy
photography.
Well, now he believed him.

There were pictures taken from every big moment in their life. From birthdays to Christmas
celebrations, to the Tanabata festival. They were all shaky and blurry, but it was easy to understand
what they were depicting each time.
There were photos of the office and of all the others, just working. There were some of Chuuya
sleeping on his keyboard and of Kunikida yelling at him. There was a photo from their first day as
partners, from when they had drunk so much that they had tattooed themselves.
The photos were so bad in terms of quality but it was as Dazai had said. He had taken them to
capture the moments.
Chuuya found himself scrolling through every picture, mesmerized at how he had never noticed
Dazai taking them.
He must have been so discreet, so fast.

There were photos from missions, and others where they were just hanging out inside the
apartment and in the city. There were some of them sitting at the ramp at the park near their house.
there were so many.
So so many.

Chuuya would have never expected to have all those moments captured by a camera.
In most of them, as it was natural, he wasn't looking at the lens, but in some of them, he was.
It was strange. He couldn't remember ever taking pictures with Dazai. He must have had them
taken while he was drunk.

They were both laughing and smiling in those.

Chuuya put the phone down and kicked open the coffee table in front of him. Once it had opened
he reached his hand inside and took out a bottle of wine.
He bit off the cork of the bottle, spit it on the ground and started drinking.

Looking through pictures of past moments while drinking is a very bad combination for various
reasons. Unfortunately, Chuuya didn't care about that.

He continued drinking, reminiscing on moments that now seemed so distant it made his heart ache.

There were even photos from the karaoke club they had visited with the rest of the Agency. Most
of them had him as their central point.
Chuuya couldn't help but smile like an idiot.
In fact, most of the photos were of him in various moments of their ordinary life.

Dazai had said he liked to photograph stars on the ground. Had he meant good moments in his life?
Good friends?
Chuuya would have to ask him the next time he saw him.

When that would be…he didn't know.

Chuuya continued scrolling, surprised to have found pictures from before they had left the Mafia.
They were a lot more sporadic, but they were definitely there.
Pictures from some of the missions they had gone to and from stupid days off at the arcade.
There were pictures of Oda and Ango as well…pictures of the two of them in the bar, Dazai's
phone clearly hidden behind his leg or a bag, the fabric visible in the corner.

It was the same phone he had used back then, so it made sense he would still have them. However,
that didn't make it any less sweet.
If he was there, Chuuya would have had the time of his life bringing it up and watching him get all
embarrassed and flustered.
He laughed at that thought.
Then his smile dropped.
He couldn't make fun of him anymore.

The thought made him shiver.

When he'd wake up in the morning Dazai wouldn't be there. He wouldn't be there to make them
breakfast or complain about Chuuya not having made them one already. He wouldn't be there to
wake him up in the most ridiculous of ways when he slept in. He wouldn't be there to walk with
him to the Agency.

He wouldn't be there.

Chuuya placed his phone back on the table and headed for the kitchen.
A bottle of wine wasn't enough.

He opened up the cabinet and grabbed two more. He removed their crooks and took them with him
to the roof.

He sat there for a long while, drinking and reminiscing on the life they had before it had all gone
south.
His eyes drifted upwards at the crescent moon.
It was unfair.
Everything had changed yet the moon was still there, mocking him like it had done four years ago
when Dazai had left him for the first time.

" Dazai." The person Dazai had bumped into was Kouyou. A very angry-looking Kouyou.
" Ane-san." Dazai helped her stabilize herself. " I'm sorry I-
" What are you doing here, boy? "
" I was going back to my office-
" I meant in the Port Mafia." Kouyou clarified, her voice strong, " What are you doing here? "
She looked angrier than he had ever seen her before. He noticed her eyes were carrying the same
kind of temper as Chuuya's.
" I was-
" In your office, now." Kouyou instructed him, her voice slightly raised. " And you're going to tell
me everything."

Dazai said nothing. Kouyou lecturing him was something he had thought would never happen
again for two reasons. He hadn't been in the Mafia for years and he had also grown into an adult.
Kouyou didn't seem to care much for the latter.
She had looked ready to pinch his ear and drag him to his office if he had refused to go there of his
own free will.

" So? " she asked again, clearly still mad. " Why are you here? "
" You don't believe the Boss? " Dazai bit back his actual answer. " You don't believe it was my
choice? "
Kouyou's eyes glistened like that of a murderer's before they killed.
" For your own sake, I hope you're being unpleasant for entertainment purposes, only."
" Entertainment? Oh, please, what do you even want me to say? "
" The truth. For once in your life." Seeing Kouyou so angry made him feel weird. She was always
so well-mannered, so controlled. It didn't suit her not one bit.
" You want the truth? " to that, she nodded her head. " Fine then, I'll give it to you. I got tricked by
Mori into returning here and now I can’t go back to the ADA." He smiled wide.
" What is he holding against you? I'm pretty sure you could leave and no one would bat an eye at-
" An ability.’’ Dazai cut her off before she could continue.‘’ I'm bound by an ability."
Kouyou's eyes softened for only a moment. " What kind of ability? I thought nothing worked on
you,"
" A contract."
Suddenly things made sense to her.
" He used that Riko boy to trap you here? " Kouyou seemed to understand the situation at last." So
it wasn't you that wanted this."
Dazai's eyes went cold.
" You thought I wanted this? " he asked, disgust leaking from his words, as he laughed, " You
think so low of me, still? "
" Don’t put words in my mouth, boy. I didn’t say that."
" We both know you think of me as nothing but the Boss's protege, ane-san." Dazai's words came
off a bit hurried, " Is that a lie?."
Kouyou considered him and his anger in silence. It was true that for many years, Kouyou had
thought of him only as the Boss's right-hand man but her opinion had changed…
" It's true, I don't trust you. But don't say I have no reason to." Kouyou defended her stance,
" You're not a trustworthy person, Dazai. You weren't as a kid and you sure aren't now. But
Chuuya is."
His attention snapped back to her.
" When I last spoke with Chuuya he told me of everything you have done for him." She said,
quietly moving herself towards the big window. " He told me of how you spoke to someone you
hated to get him to join the Agency faster. He told me of how you stole his motorcycle back from
under our noses and gifted it to him as a birthday present. He told me all sorts of things." She
looked out the window at the city that laid before them. " Even then I still had my prejudices for
you but then you helped Kyoka get into the Agency…’’
‘’ What are you trying to say? ‘’
‘’ That you changed, Dazai. At least partially.’’ Kouyou explained herself. ‘’ That’s why I was
angry when I thought it had been your choice. Because I had actually believed you had changed.’’
‘’ Well, the good it did to me.’’ He looked down at the city, a sorrowful expression on his face.
‘’ You don’t mean that.’’
‘’ I don’t? ‘’ Dazai challenged, side-eyeing her. ‘’ And you know how? ‘’
‘’ You were so much better there…Even I could see it.’’
‘’ But I’m not there anymore, am I? ‘’ and it was the truth. And it stung a lot more than he wanted
to admit.
‘’ No, you’re not.’’ Kouyou agreed with him, her eyes avoiding him. ‘’ And I can’t understand
why.’’ She moved away from the window, closer to the couch. ‘’ How did he manage to trick you?
You’re the most canning, the most calculative person I know. When it comes down to it, you
surpass the Boss in intellect and planning, so how-
‘’ You don’t know? ’’
‘’ How could I know? ‘’
‘’ He took a risk. A very heavy risk that could have resulted in the annihilation of this town.’’
Dazai said. ‘’ He played with fire and managed to come out unscathed.’’
Kouyou turned to look at him again. ‘’ What do you mean? ‘’
‘’ He used every asset he could to get me to rejoin the Mafia. He used Dostoevsky and he used the
legendary Book.’’
Kouyou’s eyes widened, ‘’ Dostoevsky? The man behind the attacks a few days ago? The terrorist?
‘’
‘’ That’s not even the best part,’’ A sardonic smile on his lips, ‘’ To achieve his goal, he almost
killed Chuuya. Had him on the brink of death.’’
‘’ I didn’t know of this.’’
‘’ Well, now you know.’’
‘’ Dazai-
‘’ Can you leave me alone, ane-san? ‘’ Dazai pleaded, ‘’ I’m so very tired, and honestly, I had such
a bad day.’’
Kouyou looked as if she had a lot more things to say to him but ultimately chose to respect his
wishes.
‘’ I’m sorry that happened.’’ it was the only thing she managed to say, as she headed to the door. ‘’
I truly am.’’
Dazai didn’t reply. He waited for the door to close before he could breathe again.

He reminded himself it would all end tomorrow.

He reminded himself he would be with Chuuya again tomorrow.
Back at the Agency, solving cases and helping people with the ones he cared most about.
He would wake up, and he would be greeted by Chuuya who would be grabbing his leg and would
be pulling him out of the bed.
Yes.
And then they would eat something real fast before they would head to the Agency, and Chuuya
would make it a point to remind him to iron their clothes because it was his turn.

He fell onto the couch and sunk his head on the cushion.

With lies of a tomorrow that would never come, he managed to make himself fall asleep.

Dazai woke up and wished he hadn’t.

His eyes opened and that’s when it dawned on him.

He wasn’t going back.

The contract wouldn’t end and he wouldn’t return to the apartment.

Chuuya wouldn’t wake him up anymore, and Kunikida wouldn’t chastise him for being late.
He wouldn’t be a member of the Armed Detective Agency. He wouldn’t work to save and help
people.

His phone rang and he reached for it, his hand on autopilot.
‘’ Hello? ‘’
‘’ Ah, Osamu…there’s been a rather unfortunate development…’’ Mori sounded worried. That
made Dazai jump out off the couch. ‘’ It would be great if you could be here in the next few
minutes.’’
‘’ I’ll be there in ten. ‘’
He didn’t give Mori the chance to question him about the time.

He placed the phone on the table and took the keys to the apartment complex Mori had reserved
for him.
He hated to be using Mori’s money and the services provided by the Mafia but he needed to take a
shower and put on some clean clothes.
He also needed to change his bandages and find a new coat.

‘’ What? ‘’
Mori had called him again. He never did that.
‘’ Maybe you should consider coming here faster.’’ If he didn’t know him he’d think Mori was
stressing out about something. ‘’ It’s an emergency.’’
An emergency? What kind of-
‘’ Fine. I’m there.’’

Dazai hung up the phone and ran out of his office.

Chuuya woke up with a terrible headache and the taste of wine in his mouth.
The ground beneath him was cold and the air even colder. He tried to move his hands and
immediately clutter was heard.
He opened his eyes and saw that the source of the sound had been two empty bottles colliding. He
pushed them aside and stood up, his legs feeling like jello.
From the sky, he could tell it was a bit after five. The sky was barely visible and the purple-orange
hues had just appeared.

He looked at the city, at the towering building in the centre. Then he headed back down.

In a foolish moment, he caught himself calling out Dazai’s name, asking him if he had made
breakfast.
He heard the silence and suddenly everything came back to him.

Dazai wasn’t there. And he wasn’t going to be there for a long while…

He moved to the kitchen sink and splashed some cold water on his face, trying to wash the
memories that were torturing him, away.
It didn’t work.
The more silent the house was, the easier it was for his mind to fall back into the abyss of foreign
memories.
Chuuya splashed some more water on his face.
Then he opened the fridge.

The bottle of water was empty.

Of course, it was.

Chuuya grabbed it and threw it at the wall with so much force that the wall cracked. He watched
the bottle as it shattered, as the pieces flew everywhere.
He would have to clean that up later.

Or maybe he wouldn’t. Maybe he didn’t care about a few glass shards that much.

He looked at the noodle cups inside the fridge and closed the door.
His appetite had already left him.
Just like Dazai had.
No.
No.
That was unfair. He couldn’t think that no.
He knew that wasn’t what happened, he knew it wasn’t the truth.
Dazai hadn’t left on his own accord. He had been forced to. There was a big difference.
Chuuya couldn’t blame him, nor could he be angry at him.
Especially not when he knew he had been the reason why Dazai had taken that deal in the first
place.

He had done it to save him.

Chuuya remembered how Fyodor had told him that he would be sacrificing his life for someone
that wouldn’t do the same. Fyodor had been so wrong.
Dazai had sacrificed everything to save him. He had returned to the Port Mafia. He had returned to
Mori.
Chuuya would never be able to put into words just how much Dazai had done for him.
He would never be able to tell him…

He walked away from the kitchen and headed to his room. On his way there, he took a detour and
‘accidentally’ turned left.
Dazai’s room was a mess.

He looked around at the un-made bed, at the sheets and the blankets thrown away. At his desk that
was chaos incarnate. The pencil holder, fallen, pens out of it without their caps, papers and
envelopes sprawled on top of it.
He looked at the closet. Another mess. Chuuya didn’t remember it being this untidy some hours
ago, but he hadn’t done anything to it except store his coat in, so he figured he just didn’t
remember that well.
The doors of the closet were opened. He figured he would close them.

Drunk and lightheaded as he was, he stumbled over his legs and hit one of the boxes placed on the
bottom part of the closet. He realized shoes weren’t inside. If it was another shoebox, it wouldn’t
have been so easy to damage.
Chuuya knelt down, removed the boxes on top of it and took it out. He placed it on the bed before
he sat there himself and opened the lid.

That bastard.

Dazai not only had taken the pictures he had with his phone but he had also printed them out. He
had kept every single one of them, in a giant pile, alongside various things.
Chuuya grabbed a few pictures thinking it couldn’t get worse.
It could.
When he turned them, he saw Dazai’s handwriting.

He had written down the dates of the event depicted, the people in it and how he had felt.
It was like a collage of Dazai’s most treasured memories. It was something so personal.
Chuuya felt like he was intruding.
He placed the photos back in the box and closed the lid.

A few moments later the lid had opened again, as his curiosity had won.

Work wouldn’t start for a few more hours and sleep wasn’t kind enough to steal him again, so he
figured what was the worst that could happen? Dazai coming back to his room to snatch the box
away from his hands and yell at him?
He wished that was the case.
He found a picture of him and Dazai showing their wrists. He turned it over.
Tattoos are actually cool. It wasn’t my idea but rather Chuuya’s. I didn’t see a reason why I
should have said no, so I went with it. The tattoo stung a bit because it was made on top of some
scars and the ‘artist’ was shaky, but it’s fine. It's a lot better now. It’s a nice reminder of our
partnership.

He took another photo and turned it.

It’s Chuuya’s welcome party at the Agency. There’s me and Kunikida and Ranpo and Yosano and
everyone pretty much, all celebrating, waiting for him to cut into the cake.
Chuuya could only see a very blurry him talking with a very blurry Kunikida while holding a knife
at a very blurry cake, but he supposed it was from that day.

At the Shrine in Kyoto with everyone. Not a lot of work in the Agency so the President sent you on
a ‘company’ trip for New Year’s.
Chuuya looked at the photo, somehow, using a mirror, Dazai had been able to capture them all in
one shot, with no one looking at the camera but him.
He was scarily good at taking hidden pictures.

Things Chuuya said while he was drunk tonight:

Oh.

Oh, there was no way.

I’m glad that you’re here. You’re my best friend. I know that going back to Ango wouldn’t have
been easy for you, so I’m sorry that you did that for me. Thank you for the party it was nice.

He remembered Dazai making a few stupid remarks on his birthday about that day but…

I appreciate all that you do for me.

He hadn’t believed him.

He also begged me to play the piano for him. I didn’t.

He buried the photo of them both laughing as they looked at the camera deep inside the pile of
photographs.
Just what else could he have told him while being drunk?
It was a quite common occurrence…so he had definitely told him more than that.

Out with the ADA on a bar. Ranpo was telling Chuuya he didn’t need to use his ‘ability’ to deduce
he had a ‘thing’ for me. I sneaked up on them and he got so flustered. Funniest thing ever. Told
him I had heard nothing.
Chuuya’s eyes widened.
He remembered that night.
He said he would rather die than be with someone like me. That was even funnier…

Oh no.

It didn’t bother him that Dazai had heard them but it did bother him that he had believed his words.
At the time Chuuya hadn’t known how exactly he was feeling for Dazai, so when Ranpo had said
something like that he had resorted to immediate denial and anger.
However, If he were to ask him now…

No.
What was he thinking?
Would his answer really be different?

He wanted to say no, but he knew he would be lying.

His answer would be different.

Yeah, no, he wouldn’t be doing that. Nope.

He put the photos back in the box, sealed it and placed it inside the closet.
He slammed the doors shut and walked out of the room.

He would never open that box again.

...

‘’ Dazai,’’ The Boss had called him by his actual name, that was the first sign that something was
wrong. ‘’ It would seem I miscalculated.’’ He said, his eyes frantic.

Something was very wrong.

‘’ What? ‘’ Dazai had never thought he would live to hear those words come out of the man’s
mouth. He couldn’t bother to hide his surprise. ‘’ What did you do? ‘’
‘’ I made a terrible mistake and you have to help me fix it.’’ Mori was pacing. He was pacing
around his desk nervously. Why was he pacing?
‘’ A mistake? ‘’ Dazai was growing more worried as the seconds passed. If Mori was admitting to
a mistake it had to be something huge. ‘’ What happened? ’’
‘’ The autopsies returned...It looks like one of them managed to escape before-
‘’ They are alive? ‘’
‘’ Dostoevsky is very dead, I assure you of that. I have the papers to prove-
‘’ Then Nikolai-’’
‘’ It gets worse.’’
Dazai’s eyes widened. His brows knitted together. ‘’ Worse? ’’
‘’ A page from the Book is missing.’’

No.
No.
No.

‘’ You can’t be serious.’’ Dazai looked at him but the man averted his eyes. ‘’ You-
‘’ He used his ability at the last minute, he-
‘’ Are you hearing yourself, Boss? ‘’ Dazai mused, clearly entertained by this turn of events. ‘’ Are
you aware of what you have just done? ‘’
‘’ I told you, I made a mistake. We don’t have to make it a bigger deal than-
Dazai burst out laughing. Mori stared at him, fear darkening his eyes.
‘’ You don’t get to ridicule me and act like that.’’ He reminded him, his voice sharp. ‘’ You are
under a contract, you don’t get to-
‘’ Oh, shut up.’’ Dazai wouldn’t even try to play it cool. ‘’ I’m not a stupid teenager, anymore, and
I’m not going to act like one.’’ He said.’’ You may have trapped me here, but I’m not going to let
you treat me as you had in the past, is that clear? ‘’
‘’ I say we put our differences aside and work out-
‘’ Our-’’ Dazai kept himself from laughing again. ‘’ Our differences? Honestly, Mori, sir, one day
I’m going to-
‘’ I don’t think you can do what you’re thinking.’’ Mori cut him off strictly.
‘’ Oh, I’m sure that if you push the right buttons, once too many times, I’ll find a way.’’

Mori considered him with caution. Dazai’s eyes had been pitch black as he said that and his voice
had sounded serious and threatening.
It was a weird thing. Mori was afraid of Dazai and Dazai was aware of that, yet at the same time,
the opposite was also true. They were both terrified of each other for different reasons but that
didn’t mean one didn’t have the most control.
Mori had always had the upper hand. No matter how scared he had grown of Dazai, he could
always exert influence over situations and circumstances due to his position as the Boss.
Dazai didn’t have that.
Dazai could only terrify him with words. Mori was able to act.

‘’ Let’s not do this now,’’ Mori whispered, trying his best to not seem affected. ‘’ There are bigger
matters at hand than your hatred towards me, Dazai. Let’s just focus on solving those, first.’’
There were a few choice words Dazai could tell him at the moment, but as much as he hated to
admit it, Mori was right. The world was in danger, there were more important matters at hand.
‘’ You said he stole a page of the Book.’’
‘’ Yes. I noticed it was missing when I retrieved it.’’
Dazai couldn’t believe how a person as calculative and as strategic as Mori had managed to fuck up
so badly.
‘’ So Nikolai must have it. He stole it and then teleported away with his ability, knowing he
couldn’t save Fyodor.’’
‘’ Probably.’’
‘’ If he has it, then there is a plan.’’ Dazai thought aloud.’’ Nikolai wouldn’t have done something
like that out of pure coincidence. He knew what he was doing.’’
Mori stared at him.
‘’ I think that when you contacted Dostoevsky you managed to ruin an even bigger scheme than
your own.’’ Dazai said, the dots suddenly connecting in his head. ‘’ I think the Clown got the page
for someone other than himself. For someone higher up in the hierarchy.’’
‘’ In what hierarchy? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know, but there is one. I need to figure it out.’’ He had spaced out. Dazai was no longer
looking at the man in front of him nor anywhere inside the room. ‘’ There was someone pulling the
strings all along, someone using Dostoevsky. Not you, but someone else.’’ His mind was turning,
trying to find the one answer he needed. ‘’ Someone with a plan much bigger than yours. Someone
that must be really pissed off right now.’’ he didn’t have enough knowledge. There were crucial
parts that were escaping him. ‘’ Oh, something is about to go down.’’
‘’ How do we prevent-
‘’ We don’t.’’ A smile appeared on Dazai’s face. ‘’ We let it play out.’’

Mori remembered then why he had driven Dazai out of the Mafia.
Why he had killed his one friend.

‘’ I won’t be able to do anything if I can’t contact the Agency.’’ Dazai wasn’t stupid, he knew how
to play his cards.
‘’ You’ll run your plans through me and I’ll give you clearance to act, is that enough? ’’
He would take it for now.
‘’ I need to know that Dostoevsky is a hundred percent dead. The autopsy, his corpse, I need to be
sure.’’
‘’ That’s easy to do. The body is in the morgue, the files of his autopsy on my desk.’’
‘’ I’ll need, wait.’’ Something hit him then. ‘’ I think I know who we are up against, or at least I
have an idea.’’
‘’ Are you going to share it? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Then how will I-
‘’ You’ve done enough.’’

Under different circumstances, Mori wouldn’t have let Dazai get away with the disrespect he was
showing, but he was desperate. And Dazai was the only person that could help fix the mistake he
had made.

‘’ Is there anything else you’ll need? ‘’

‘’ Yes.’’

...

‘’ Nakahara, morning. Are you up for a case? ‘’

Chuuya looked at the blond man, his eyes still tired. He covered his mouth and yawned.
‘’ We have a case? ‘’ He asked, looking forward to doing something that would help distract him.
‘’ We do…but I will ask someone else, you don’t seem-
‘’ No, no, I just woke up late, that’s all.’’ Chuuya reasoned, ‘’ I’ll drink a cup of coffee and I’ll be
fine.’’
‘’ Okay,’’ Kunikida nodded his head, ‘’ That’s good because we got a very interesting case and the
president thought you should be one of the four that will handle it.’’
‘’ Four? ‘’ he asked, ‘’ isn’t that a bit too much? Don’t we go in pairs or solo most of the time?‘’
‘’ Yes, that’s the usual. But this case you see is different.’’
‘’ Different how? ‘’
‘’ Give me a few minutes and I’ll fill you in on everything. I first need to run it by Ranpo first.’’
‘’ Is Ranpo coming as well? ‘’
‘’ No, but he is opposing us going there.’’ Chuuya arched his brow. ‘’ he thinks the case will harm
the Agency.’’
Oh, shit. Things were bound to get interesting.
‘’ I’ll grab a coffee and I’ll wait for the update.’’ he said and walked away.

‘’ The Sky Casino? ‘’ Chuuya looked down at the paper in his hands, ‘’ What the fuck even is
that? ‘’
He didn’t think he had ever heard of a Sky Casino, and it didn’t seem like something he would
forget.
‘’ It’s basically a place created by the Government after the Great War ended to spy on the
countries it overlooks. It also doubles as a Casino open to a very specific demographic.’’
‘’ Okay…And we’ll do there, what? ‘’
‘’ There’s been a murder.’’ Kunikida started,’’ The client that called is the spouse of the victim.
The victim’s death was caused by an ability user. The manager is trying to keep it under the rug for
appearances. This means, we have a killer on the loose and there are roughly at least a hundred to
two hundred people on board the Casino.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ So as you understand we need to do a lot of things at the same time, thus we’re bringing more
people than usual.’’
‘’ Who’s going? ‘’
‘’ Me, you, Atsushi and Lucy.’’
‘’ Lucy? As the waitress that used to work for the Guild? ‘’
‘’ Ranpo figured her ability would help us get in. I asked her, she said no, I told her Atsushi will be
there, she said yes, so now she is tugging along.’’
‘’ Wasn’t Ranpo opposing the idea? ‘’
‘’ He still is, but he did offer his opinion on how it could work out for us.’’

Chuuya didn’t know why, but he had a very bad feeling about this case.
 Something wasn’t right but his head was too preoccupied with unfortunate thoughts to think about
it in detail.

‘’ The waitress that used to work for the Guild, huh? Tsk.’’ The girl muttered with a sigh, rolling
her eyes as she brought them their drinks, ‘’ I’m not going around calling you an ex-Mafia
Executive, now, am I? ’’ she remarked under her breath handing them their coffees. She seemed to
be in a bad mood. Chuuya looked up at her from the booth he and Kunikida were seated in. He
pondered on whether he should defend himself and say he was just making sure they meant the
same person when Atsushi walked in.
Miss Montgomery’s grumpy attitude seemed to change drastically. Her frown turned into a wide
smile and her tired eyes lit up with joy. Chuuya was too tired to make any kind of comment.
‘’ Good morning to everyone.’’ The boy said and waved at them with a cheerful expression.
‘’ I got a call from mister Kunikida about a new case? ‘’
‘’ That’s right, kid. Now come here,’’ Kunikida prompted the boy to join them. ‘’ You need to
know of a few things about the case first before we head there.’’
" Such as? " Atsushi sat down on the couch opposite them. Lucy moved herself closer to his side.
" About the place we're going to, and why." Kunikida opened up his notebook, " Here is
everything we know about the Sky Casino and our client."
The boy's eyes widened as he looked at the picture of the structure. At the way it defied gravity.
Chuuya wasn't all that impressed by it, but he supposed that was because he didn't find it to be
something out of the ordinary for him.
" We're going to a Casino? Am I even allowed there? Isn't the age of legal gambling twenty? I’m
only eighteen."
" We're going there to solve a case, kid." Kunikida reminded him. " Not to participate in the
activities provided by the place."
" But even if we were, aren’t you fighting the literal Mafia every week or so? " Chuuya said with a
scoff, taking a big sip out of his cup. " Why would you care about something as trivial as the legal
age of gambling? ‘’
Coffee wasn't his favourite thing to drink, but it helped with his headache. He had a case to work
on, he needed to have a clear mind.
‘’ I mean, I do, but it’s part of my job.’’ Atsushi reasoned. ‘’ And there is no law prohibiting
eighteen-year-olds from fighting the Mafia, is there? ‘’
‘’ I mean he makes a fair point.’’ Kunikida sided with him, earning a confused look from Chuuya.
‘’ Whereas for gambling there is a law-
Chuuya let his head fall on the table.

It was too early and he was too tired to be hearing that shit.

‘’ Chuuya, sir? ‘’ Atsushi called out concerned, looking at the head on the table.
‘’ Yeah? ‘’ It was more a grunt than an actual response, but Atsushi would take it.
‘’ Are you okay? ‘’
‘’ I think I need a couple more cups of coffee.’’ The man said, finally raising his head. ‘’
Definitely two more cups.’’
‘’ I’ll get to that.’’ Lucy exclaimed, happy to be of help. Chuuya knew she was only acting so
bubbly in order to seem like a nice person in front of Atsushi but he didn’t care.

Whatever would bring him his coffee faster.

Chapter End Notes

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, thank you so much for readingg<3
 At Least The World Had Been Saved...
Chapter Summary

Dazai is still in the Port Mafia. Chuuya is still in the Agency. Catching a break?
What's that? Never heard of it?
BOOM, now they have to prevent a big war.

Let's see how they'll manage that.

Chapter Notes

A month of waiting, I know, but I assure you it's worth it.

School started in mid-October and my motivation ever since had been practically
fighting in the trenches to keep itself alive. School tends to have that effect on me, so
yeah, I'm sorry for the one-month wait. Apart from school existing, the other main
reason for this chapter being delayed was that it had never been in my drafts. This
chapter should not have existed. This arc should not have happened. But I changed my
mind last minute because I wanted Akutagawa to get the development he deserves,
and that wouldn't have been possible if some things hadn't happened first.
So yeah, this one is for my boy, Octagon.

I'm not going to lie. This chapter was both SO painful to write, because I had to fit so
many arcs into so little time, but also SO fun, for various reasons. think you'll be able
to understand why once you read it.

Anyways, I really hope you like it<3

(ALSO WHAT THE HELL? THIS STORY SURPASSED 200K WORDS????

THAT'S SO CRAZY TO ME. LIKE, SO CRAZY. THANK YOU ALL FOR
READING IT AND GIVING ME YOUR FEEDBACK. IT REALLY HELPS MY
MOTIVATION REMAIN ALIVE<33)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ Dazai ‘’ Chuuya yelled, running towards the man fallen on the ground.
‘’ Dazai, are you okay? ‘’ he asked as he neared him, his voice full of concern, his eyes widened
by worry.
" Oi, Dazai, are you-
Brownish eyes met his and Chuuya could finally breathe again.

That bastard.
How dare he make him feel so scared?

A ghostly smile appeared on Dazai's worn-out face and even though no sound had managed to
escape him, Chuuya knew exactly what he was thinking just by the expression he was forcing out.
I told you it would work, didn’t I?

ONE AND A HALF WEEKS AGO

Fate had always been a strange concept to Dazai.

It was a notion whose existence he had always dismissed, one way or another. An idea he had
fought hard to keep from invading his thoughts and his mind. An abstraction so impossible to
believe in, yet so objectively reasonable at the same time, he couldn't help but find exhausting.

Coincidences were one thing.

Dazai didn't believe in them because he knew for a fact people were always hiding behind them.
Because he knew that someone had probably spent hours in front of a desk polishing their scheme
to perfection in order to make everything look so lucky and so accidental. Being guilty of having
done that countless of times, himself, from his perspective, a coincidence could only be but a lie. A
carefully crafted lie concealed behind a veil of serendipity, but a lie nonetheless.

Fate was a completely different thing.

It was a nuisance. Something so foolish and so ridiculous only people who romanticized life could
ever believe it to be real.
There was something about the thought of a person being meant to cross paths with you that made
Dazai so irrationally angry. It was just as bad if not worse than the thought of significant events
having to happen to you because they were simply 'meant to’.
Both thoughts were stupid.
Utterly and completely stupid.

Dazai couldn't understand how a person could so easily be comforted by the lie that was 'destiny'
and 'fate'. He couldn't understand how someone's mind could so effortlessly be eased with a saying
as simple and as trivial as ‘’ Everything happens for a reason.''
He had always found the number of people that lived by that motto to be quite alarming.
Couldn't they see that the phrase was only a deceptive lie meant to make them feel better for their
pathetic lives? Couldn't they understand that they were deluding themselves with an explanation
that made absolutely no sense?

The whole concept baffled him.

According to most, Fate was supposed to be the progression of events outside of one's control,
thought out to have been predetermined by a greater force for a reason that a human would never
be able to grasp.
It was so stupid.
How could one entity plan every little person's every move? Why do it? Why give them a reason to
exist at all? What could they achieve by doing that? What was in it for them? And who was 'them'?
A God? surely not. Gods did exist, Dazai knew that, but they didn’t exist in that way. Gods weren’t
some greater force that could control everything, so what else could it be?
It made zero sense.

Even if he tried to play devil’s advocate and pretended to believe that such a thing as 'destiny' or
‘fate’ did exist, he could still not see the point of it.

If 'fate' was a thing then why did anyone do anything?

If he woke up one day and he decided to let himself dwell on his couch, would his life still come to
the same conclusion? Would 'fate' push him to the ending it most desired or would his story be cut
short? Could one change their destiny with their decisions or were their decisions simply just a ruse
leading to the same conclusion? There only to provide them with the comfort of a choice?
And if every decision led to that one predetermined conclusion, wouldn’t that mean free will was
just another lie? Wouldn’t that make life even so the more meaningless?
Living just so you can reach a conclusion someone else, or something else, thought would be the
best for you? Why would anyone want to participate in such a charade?
But it didn’t matter if they wanted to or not, did it?
Because ‘fate’ was basically a puppeteer and all the people in the world were simply just her
puppets.
Her puppets that she had trained to think were the ones holding their own strings, but still just her
puppets.

He guessed that if that was true, he too would only be but a puppet with no free will.
He guessed that if he really was just another puppet, even those thoughts wouldn’t be his own but
rather something prearranged by some supernatural power he didn’t even know could exist.

In some dark way, fate reminded him of Mori.

He guessed that was one of the many reasons why the notion had been so nauseating to think
about.
Much like Fate, Mori had used his power to arrange for specific things to happen in order to
achieve his own desired conclusions. And much like he would be to fate, Dazai had been only but a
pawn in his chessboard. A pawn that had once thought it had been moving on its own until the
camera had panned out and he had seen that haunting smirk etched on the mastermind’s lips.
Like fate would have supposedly done, Mori had planned out a big portion of his life without ever
having counseled him. From where he worked, to what he ate, to whom he could speak to, Mori
had basically controlled Dazai’s every move when he had been a teenager.

If ‘Fate’ was so similar to Mori, Dazai wanted nothing to do with the lady. Yet there were times,
like these, when he couldn’t help but think that ‘Fate’ or at least something similar to her could
actually exist.

Some things had been too coincidental. Too lucky. Too much.

It had been as if every bad thing that had happened to him had fallen into place like dominos
cascading in a line. As if all that he had ever experienced in the entirety of his life had truly did
happen for a reason.

Everything had made so much sense at the end of the war yet none at all at the same time.

When Dazai had ‘agreed’ to trail Tachihara, he hadn’t imagined that the boy would have been the
key to discovering the biggest terrorist attack to date. He hadn’t thought that following him on a
random Tuesday morning because Mori had commanded it would have resulted in the unraveling
of the biggest ploy ever attempted against Yokohama and by extension the rest of the world.

Dazai had always prided himself in his ability to predict situations and to always expect the
unexpected, but even he had trouble believing that losing to Mori had been necessary to win the
war. It was too twisted and too surreal but he couldn’t deny that amidst all his misfortune, he had
been lucky.
Too lucky.
The thought made him feel sick to his stomach but he couldn’t shake it.
If he hadn't been in the Port Mafia when he had, if Mori hadn't instructed him to follow Tachihara
that morning, if he had no choice but to comply, there was no guarantee he would have ever
discovered all that he had. And if he had never discovered all that he had, he would have never
been able to find a way to save the world.

It was funny, wasn’t it?

If his life hadn’t crumbled into pieces, he would have never been able to prevent the Outbreak from
happening.

No, actually, it wasn't funny.

It was goddamn hilarious.

By having signed his life away he had unintentionally saved everyone else’s.

Tachihara was a Hunting Dog.

That was the first thing Dazai had discovered. Tachihara was the fifth and final member of the
Hunting Dogs. The phantom member. The one no one knew the identity of.

Dazai had to applaud him. The boy had gone to great lengths in order to keep his true identity a
secret. ‘Disguising’ himself, keeping his relations with the other members of the organization
under wraps, making sure he never acted out of character or in a way that could make people
question his status as a mafioso. All his efforts had been commendable.
Unfortunately for him, even after all the precautions he had taken to ensure he wouldn’t be found
out, Mori had still been able to see right through him.

As someone that had spent years under Mori’s guidance, the fact had not surprised Dazai in the
slightest. He knew there was no fooling that man. No one could do it. And even if you did manage
to do it, your victory was bound to be short-lived.
He knew that better than anyone.

Mori may have not known the details of what Tachihara had been hiding but he had been
perceptive enough to delegate Dazai the task of keeping an eye on him. He wouldn’t have done
that not unless he was convinced that the boy had been hiding something big.
And true to his suspicions, Tachihara had indeed been hiding something big.

Following him inside the Military installation with no plan of action and no backup had been an
incredibly risky thing to do. If it had been anyone else but Dazai, they wouldn’t have done it. It
was a suicide mission. Anyone with a brain would have retreated in an instant.
The thought of the Hunting Dogs finding you waltzing around their base would have been enough
to cloud even the mind of the most fearless person. The horror of the consequences that would
follow, would have been enough to render anyone senseless.
Mori was no stranger to the fear the Hunting Dogs evoked. Even he would have understood it, if
Dazai had retreaded and had returned to headquarters with only the news of Tachihara’s other job
to report. It would have confirmed his suspicions and it would have proven him correct. It would
have been enough for him.
But not for Dazai.
No.
For him knowledge was power.
The more he knew about a situation the easier it was to make educated guesses. To calculate
possibilities. To plan things ahead.
To control it.

There was a quote once said by one of the greatest strategists to have ever lived. A quote that had
been imprinted into Dazai's head from when he was fourteen.
Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.
Mori had always dismissed the first part of the quote when teaching Dazai its meaning. He had told
him time and time again that knowing your enemy was much more important than knowing
yourself as long as you knew for what or whom you were fighting the battle for.
Mori had conditioned Dazai into thinking that as long as he was aware of his ‘motivation’ that was
enough.
And it had worked.
Dazai had never ‘known’ himself but he had always known his enemies as well as the back of his
hand. He hadn’t ‘known’ himself, but he had always known that he was fighting for the good of
the Port Mafia. Or at least for the opportunity to remain there and continue searching for what he
had spent his whole life looking for.
As a teenager and later whilst in the Mafia, Dazai had lost not once. The statistics spoke for
themselves. In his entire career as an Executive, he had lost not a single battle.
Knowing his motivation had proven to be more than enough to guarantee him his ‘thousand’
victories.
Mori’s logic and way of thinking was incredibly flawed, but unfortunately, even if Dazai had
grown older and had realized that ‘correcting’ that quote had been wrong, he still continued to
make it practice.
He still prioritized seeking out information on the enemy over his understanding of himself.
So much that it had gotten to a point where Dazai knew everyone he had ever met better than he
would ever know his own self.

Dazai had a feeling that Tachihara had been infiltrating the Mafia for a much bigger reason. He had
a feeling that the Hunting Dogs had been a part of the 'greater' scheme in some way.
Taking all that into consideration, he had made the conscious choice of viewing the Hunting Dogs
as nothing more than a potential future enemy of his.
Which meant that he had to learn everything he could about them.
It was a simple train of thought to follow.
If he could find a way to control the situation at hand and figure out their enemy before it was too
late then he could save the world. And if he could save the world, then maybe he could break out
of his contract with Mori. And if he could break out of his contract with Mori, then he could return
to being a member of the ADA.
He could return to being Chuuya’s partner.

Mori had told him that not knowing yourself didn’t matter as long as you knew what you were
fighting for. So even if Dazai had trouble understanding himself completely, it had never mattered
because he had always known what he had been fighting for. And all through his life he had only
ever fought for one single thing. For the opportunity to remain in a place and have the ability to
continue searching for what he was looking for.
The promise of that opportunity had always been his drive, but he realized, now, that wouldn’t be
the case this time around. That promise had already been fulfilled.
Dazai no longer wanted to continue searching. No. He wanted to get back what he had found.
And to get that back, he would risk it all.

With only that in his mind, he had proceeded deeper inside the lion’s den.

And thank the universe he had.

If he hadn’t followed Tachihara further, he would have known neither about the boy’s ability,
which he had been keeping a secret nor about the details of his mission as a Mafia infiltrator. If he
hadn’t risked everything to follow him and gather more intel, he would have never discovered who
their enemy would soon come to be.
Or rather who had always been the one behind the scenes from the very beginning.

Dazai would forever be thankful for that day and the risk he had taken.

To most, it had been just another Tuesday morning but to those few that knew some things most
didn’t, it had been the beginning of what would later have been known as the Downfall of the
Armed Detective Agency and the start of the War between the man known as ‘Kamui’ and the rest
of the World.

Dazai would simply remember that day as the day he got lucky.
As the day he had come up with the plan that had saved everyone in the entire world but himself.

Dazai lowered his head to peer down at the space below him. At the seemingly empty room, he
had run off to with the intention of luring Atsushi and Tachihara.

The room was spacious and clean. Not much furniture but the essentials inside of it. It was exactly
what one would expect out of a hotel room. There was a bed in the middle and two nightstands by
its sides. A coffee table, two big couches around it, a closet with a safe attached to the bottom, a
small bathroom separated by a foldable door, and of course, more than a handful of explosives
disguised as coins buried in a metallic capsule underneath the rectangular rag.

Yes. Exactly what one would expect.

Dazai moved the cover of the vent to the side, making sure to keep the screws tight in place. He
looked down and at the door once more before he stretched his right arm outwards. He let it dangle
in the air as he waited for a certain boy to make his appearance.

Not a few seconds had passed before Atsushi stepped hurriedly inside the room. He looked around
him at first, trying to locate Dazai. When he found nothing, his gaze shifted upwards at the ceiling.
He saw him, then, hanging from the ventilation opening.
‘’ Dazai, sir, what-
‘’ Get over here, quick.’’ Dazai cut him off, moving his hand frantically, obviously signaling for
the boy to reach for it.
Atsushi didn’t need to be told twice. He took a step back to build up some momentum before
running to the center of the room and jumping as high as he could. While still in the air, he grabbed
Dazai’s hand, and with a loud grunt, the man pulled him up inside the vent.
Shhh
Dazai placed his index finger between his lips to tell him to be quiet. Then he put the cover of the
vent back where it had been, careful not to make any noise as he did.
Soon enough, the door in the room below them burst open again, and another boy stepped in.
Tachihara.
Dazai moved slightly further away from the opening. Atsushi did the same. Dazai figured it
wouldn’t take long before-
‘’ Ah damn it. ‘’
He couldn’t see the boy but he could hear him as he threw himself on one of the couches, the
exasperation evident in his voice.
‘’ I search and search and it’s just a hotel room. Nothing even remotely terrorist about it.’’
Dazai kept listening to Tachihara as the boy complained, waiting for him to figure out what was
wrong with the room.
The silence and the ripping sound that followed were enough to tell him his plan was working.
Tachihara had found the hidden safe. Which meant Sigma would act soon.

With a hand gesture, swiftly and soundlessly, Dazai indicated for Atsushi to follow him. When the
boy stared back at him blankly, he began advancing without him. Having no other choice, Atsushi
followed, letting him guide them through the labyrinth that was the ventilation system.

‘’ I’ll need you to listen to me carefully.’’

‘’ Wait, why-
‘’ Atsushi,’’ Dazai cut him off again. He didn’t want to be sharp with the boy but in his defense, he
had no time to waste and he needed to get that across.‘’ Can you do as I say? ‘’
Atsushi looked at him as he climbed down the vent and jumped inside another empty room. He
had so many questions he wanted to ask him but he knew it wasn't the right time.
‘’ I can.’’
‘’ Good.’’ Dazai screwed the cover back into its place and then took a few moments to stretch his
body. Cracking sounds and regret followed his every movement. Seriously, what had possessed
him to do that? He wasn’t a teenager anymore. He had grown too tall to be crawling inside vents as
small as those. He should have left that job to-
Right.
‘’ You heard the explosion, didn’t you? ‘’ He turned to the boy, his hands searching for something
inside his coat’s pockets.
‘’ I did.’’ Atsushi confirmed his eyes on the man. ‘’ But what was it? ‘’
‘’ Explosives.’’
‘’ Explosives? ‘’ The boy’s eyes widened in surprise.‘’ Why would there be explosives inside the
Casino? And why would they be in a guest room of all places? ‘’
‘’ Because it’s a trap.’’ Dazai attempted to explain, ‘’ For the Agency. They are trying to frame
you.’’
‘’ Wait, who’s trying to frame us? ‘’

Dazai noticed the plural pronoun Atsushi had used. Us. Did the boy really think he was still part of
the ADA? No, it must have been out of habit.

‘’ I’m not sure yet, but I’m working on finding out.’’ That was a lie. Dazai was pretty sure he had
the correct answer. The problem was, if the person he was suspecting was indeed their culprit, it
would be near impossible to prove it.
‘’ When you say frame the Agency-
‘’ As terrorists.’’
‘’ Terrorists? ‘’ The boy furrowed his eyebrows, not believing what he was hearing.
‘’ Their plan is to make the Agency out to be a corrupted terrorist organization. That’s why they
brought you all the way here. They want to make it seem as if you’re the ones responsible for the
explosives and not them.’’
‘’ Wait. No, no,’’ Atsushi tried to rationalize the situation, ‘shaking’ the idea away with his hands.
‘’ We are here on a case.’’ he corrected him, ‘’ There is a client that called for us. We aren’t-
‘’ And how is that going for you? ‘’
Atsushi stayed silent.
‘’ You haven’t found the client yet, isn’t that correct? ‘’
‘’ It is but-
‘’ There is no client, Atsushi.’’ Dazai confirmed his worst suspicions, with only five words.
‘’ Whoever made that phone call, did it so the Agency would go on a wild goose chase around the
Casino. They did it so they could trap you here.’’
Dots were starting to connect inside the boy’s brain, but the information he had was still too little to
muster up the bigger picture.
‘’ The Hunting Dogs are after you.’’ Dazai thought he would give the boy some of the puzzle
pieces he was missing. ‘’ There are currently two that are tracking you down. A woman that poses
as a little girl with pink hair, called Teruko. And Tachihara.’’ The name rang a bell to him. Dazai
could tell by the way his expression changed.
‘’ The mafioso, yes.’’ He answered before the boy could ask. ‘’ Tachihara has the ability to
manipulate metal.’’ he continued, ‘’ He is likely not even hurt from that explosion. But because it
happened, he is now certain that the Agency and the casino manager are cooperating.’’
‘’ Us and Sigma? ‘’ Atsushi looked at him wearily, still trying to make sense of everything he was
telling him. ‘’ But we haven’t even met-
‘’ The Hunting Dogs don’t know that.’’ Dazai reminded him, taking what seemed like a folded
envelope out of his pocket.‘’ The only thing they know is that they have to prove that you are
guilty and thus a danger that needs to be dealt with.’’
‘’ But why? Why are they-
‘’ I can’t explain that now,’’ the man admitted in a lowered voice, averting his eyes ‘’ but for
reasons, you need to convince them that you’re not the terrorists they think you are. Currently, as
we stand, the Hunting Dogs are the only ones thinking that, so a good thing to do would be to
avoid involving the public. If you make the public also think that you’re the bad guys, it’s game
over. If we confuse him, however, then maybe we can win.’’
‘’ Win what? Confuse who? ‘’
‘’ Find the control room and get to Sigma before it’s too late.’’
‘’ Before it's too late? ‘’ Atsushi grabbed Dazai’s coat as he tried to turn around, ‘’ Dazai, sir…I
don’t understand.’’
‘’ I know, but soon, you will.’’ It was all Dazai could say to him if he wanted his plan to work.
‘’ Give this to Ranpo when you get to him. You never saw me here, okay? You just found it on the
floor.’’
Atsushi took the small envelope Dazai was handing him and put it in his own pocket.
‘’ I’m not the only one who knows you’re here.’’
At that Dazai raised his eyebrows. Neither Tachihara and Teruko nor Kunikida and Lucy had
spotted him, for that he was certain. There was only one other person-
‘’ Mister Chuuya said-
Of course, he did.

Chuuya could be such a bother, honestly. His stupid ability to know when Dazai was in a room
even if he hadn’t spotted him with his eyes, was getting too annoying. The man could probably see
only a fragment of a shadow and he would know it was him. It was so stupid.

‘’ Well, tell mister…Nakahara there’s fish for dinner.’’ Dazai uttered the words completely
unprompted, surprising the boy yet again, ‘’ Tell him they are serving fried mackerel with spicy
tomato pasta.’’
‘’ Huh? ’’ The boy looked at him askance.
‘’ Don’t overthink it.’’ the man said, flicking the boy’s forehead, flashing him a cunning smile. ‘’
just tell him that if he asks.’’ He’ll know what it means.

Atsushi didn’t have the chance to say anything in response to his words. By the time he had opened
his mouth to speak again, Dazai had already vanished from the room. Leaving him behind with
nothing but an envelope in his hands and a thousand unanswered questions in his mind.

...

Dazai had run.

As much as he would have liked to stay and converse with the boy for a longer time, he was well
aware that it would be wrong. There were still so many things he needed to do. So many things he
needed to learn. If he prioritized explaining himself to Atsushi he would lose his one chance to get
ahead of them.
He would lose his one chance to win.

Another explosion occurred after only a few minutes. A much more powerful explosion. One that
shook the entire lower ground to its core.
Like most things that would happen upon their arrival at the Casino, Dazai had seen the explosion
coming from miles away. Still, he had been surprised. Not by the explosion on itself, no, but rather
by the fact Sigma was willing to go through with it.

The explosion hadn’t been caused by the coin-shaped bombs. Dazai was sure of that. The caliber of
the explosion had been too calculated and too precise for it to be a lousy mistake, which meant that
the only person who could have been behind it was Sigma. The Casino’s manager himself. Only he
had the power and status to authorize such an action. Only he could have approved of an attack on
the Casino.
But the question was, why had he done it? Why had he purposefully damaged part of his own
facility he so seemed to care about?
The answer to that question told Dazai all that he needed to know about Sigma and his place in the
‘hierarchy’ of the ‘greater scheme’.
It was obvious.
Sigma and his Casino acted as the camouflage for the operation. The Casino was the front and
Sigma was the one that made sure no one saw through that front. So him being ready to destroy
part of his Casino to keep all thor explosives and terrorist plans under rugs made total sense, didn’t
it?
But was he doing it because it was his own choice or was he simply following someone else’s
orders? And if it was an order, had it been given to him by Dostoevsky before he had died, or was
it someone else’s? Someone that was higher up in the hierarchy. Someone whose identity Dazai
wasn’t sure of yet?

Dostoevsky’s death had only complicated matters.

If he were alive, understanding the ‘hierarchy’ and the ‘greater scheme’ wouldn’t be as difficult for
Dazai. If he were alive, Dazai was sure he would have already figured out all the missing links. All
the things that had gone wrong with their secret ‘organization’ and their initial, ultimate plan.
Unfortunately but also very, fortunately, Fyodor Dostoevsky was dead. And he would stay that
way for a long time. So now Dazai had to figure out an explanation all by himself while he ran
around the Casino trying to save the Agency from getting killed by the Hunting Dogs.

The thing he needed to figure out first was why were the Hunting Dogs there in the first place?
They were tracking down the Agency, sure, but why?
Why would their leader want to convince them that the Agency were the bad guys? And how could
their leader have known about the explosives in the Casino?
If you really thought about it, it made total sense.
Their leader was a member of the terrorist organization Fyodor, Nikolai and Sigma had belonged
to. He was a big part of the ‘Greater scheme’. But again, why?
What could he possibly get out of such a situation?
What good would it do to him if the Agency was framed as the terrorists?

Dazai was sure the leader of the Hunting Dogs had been the one to lay down the trap. He was sure
he had been the one that had attached the cheese to the mouse trap. But why?
Why? Why? Why?
The Hunting Dogs were a military unit, a group of powerful people with superhuman abilities
enhanced by carefully designed surgeries provided by the Government. They were the top military
weapon. Their leader was in full control of them. And for whatever reason, he had commanded
them to go after the Agency. But the Agency had never done anything that could elude to them
being suspects of Terrorism.
So why would their leader be so adamant that Teruko and Tachihara, two Hunting Dogs, go to
track them down?

There was only one possibility.

By the time all of this was happening, the Agency had saved Yokohama twice before. And if Dazai
was in the same train of thought as their enemy had been while conducting his plan, that meant he
saw the Agency as a threat that needed to be eliminated.

Taking them out before attacking the city would be almost as good as guaranteeing the win.
If you managed to defeat the Agency then the only other formidable opponent that would come to
the city’s defense would be the Port Mafia.
But the Port Mafia was already ‘under control’.

Suddenly there was no doubt in Dazai’s mind. Suddenly everything made sense.

The Port Mafia was ‘Under control’ because of Tachihara.

And since Tachihara was a Hunting Dog first and foremost, that meant the only person that could
influence him and control him was the group’s leader.

Fukuchi Ouchi.

The leader of the most skillful group in all of Japan. The man that was rumored to have one of the
most powerful abilities in the world. The man that could take down entire armies with only his
trusted sword.

That was their enemy.

A man that flew above all rules and all lows. A man that would be impossible to beat.

He had to be.
He had to.
Dazai was certain.

He took off his coat in a hurry and disposed of it, throwing it on top of a laundry basket he saw
outside a door. Then he reached for the first piece of long fabric he could find. He grabbed it and
continued running,

The explosion had been caused by a drone crashing into the outer wall of the Casino.
No. That wasn’t quite right.
The explosion had happened after the crash. And it had happened in order to kill Tachihara.
But someone had stopped it.
Even if Sigma hadcalculated and arranged for the drone to penetrate the wall and explode, Dazai
found it hard to believe he had expected that minimal a damage
No.
If all had gone according to plan, Sigma would have blown up the entire lower floor. Taking away
Tachihara and Teruko’s lives among all the evidence that could have ever been used against him to
prove his involvement with the terrorist organization,
If he had succeeded, the Hunting Dogs would be no longer.
So Teruko and Tachihara must have come up with a way to minimize the damage in order to save
themselves. Tachihara must have used his metal manipulation ability whereas she must have used
her enhanced strength.
Whatever the case they managed to save themselves and everyone else aboard the ground level.
Just like Dazai had thought they would.

He threw the fabric over his shoulders and covered himself with it. He made the top part look like a
hood and then carefully adjusted it so it would cover most of his face. He fixed the gun in his back
pocket and looked at the hallway in front of him.
There were gunshots, and crashing sounds and loud thuds. Bodies being thrown on the walls and
people screaming at the top of their lungs. The commotion made it safe to assume that the Hunting
Dogs were already on their way to the Control Room.

But the noise and the screaming were much more than he had anticipated. So what else was going
on? There had to be something more.

The announcement soon reached his ears.

Sigma had declared war on the Hunting Dogs by having his guests participate in the chase. And it
was clever.
It was very clever of him.
The Hunting Dogs were government officials. They weren’t allowed to touch the common folk for
no good reason. So even if the guests hunted them down and handicapped them they wouldn’t be
allowed to fight back.
It was a sound plan.
But it had holes.
And if Dazai could see them, he knew so could they.

It didn’t take long before the people announced that the targets had been lost. And it didn’t take
long for Dazai to realize the Hunting Dogs had found a way to outsmart them.
If he were to guess their plan he would say they had done the same thing as he. They had disguised
themselves and had hidden in plain sight. Waiting for the right time to strike.

Dazai moved himself away from the wall and looked at the hallway again. At the elder woman
who was standing proudly in the middle of the commotion, laughing at the faces of the guards.
He watched as the guards surrounded her from left and right. As they swarm in on her, thinking
they could ever have a chance.
Dazai watched as she destroyed them. Whether she used her brute strength or her ability the result
was the same. Another man down. Another body on the pile

Age control.
What a terrifyingly beautiful ability it was.
Her ability allowed Teruko to defeat her enemies by either making them regress to their younger
selves, and thus becoming incompetent and useless, or by making them wither away from old age.
such a powerful and cruel ability. Dazai had expected nothing less from the Hunting Dogs.

‘’ I’m off to take the King’s head.’’

Teruko would be the one going to confront Sigma, which meant Tachihara would be staying back
to do damage control and deal with the rest of the guards.
That was great. That was exactly how Dazai had thought it would play out.
Atsushi and Chuuya were already on their way there, if only their timing was good then everything
would work. They would find Sigma and they go up against Teruko.
Then, once Teruko had been dealt with, Atsushi would get the information they needed out of
Sigma and they would all be able to leave that place

The only thing that was left for Dazai to do was wait.

Dazai hadn’t had much time to prepare and do research before arriving at the Casino, but from the
few things he had found while on his way there, he had managed to piece together some semblance
of an explanation for the mystery that was Sigma and that place.
And maybe, if he had had more time to do proper research on Sigma he could have found out
something more about him other than what his ability was. Then again, maybe not.

There was this strange voice in his head that was telling him that no matter how much he searched
he would have still found nothing.
Not because he didn’t know how to search and who to ask to acquire such information, but simply
because there was nothing to find.

Sigma did not exist.

He had no official record. Nothing at all. No birth certificate, no identity card, nothing.
He was no one in the eyes of the government.

Dazai didn’t know what to do with that information. He didn’t know how to use it.
Maybe if he could converse with Dostoevsky then he could confirm his theory and get somewhere,
but that was impossible.
So for now, Sigma and his Casino would remain just another ‘unsolved’ mystery.
Just another one in the pile.
Every second that passed Dazai could feel that pile of mysteries inside his head, getting taller. He
could see as more mysteries, more ideas were being put there.
It was such a bizarre feeling. Such a uniquely odd sensation.

Things just didn't make sense.

In Dazai’s mind, the ‘greater scheme’ was this giant, glorious, tapestry. This massive project that
had been carefully and intricately designed. This enormous chaotic perfection of a picture that had
once made sense.
He had never seen that tapestry up close with his own eyes, but he was sure it had existed. He was
sure there had been a bigger picture at play, once. A bigger and much more coherent ‘story’ told
by a sequence of smaller pictures.
But he couldn’t prove it because that tapestry was no longer.
The only thing that had been left of it were pieces messily stitched back together, forming a much
more deranged version of that original picture.
But even those pieces changed.

Their plan was changing all the goddamn time.

It was exhausting.
So fucking exhausting.

If Dostoevsky was alive, the plan wouldn’t be changing so drastically. It wouldn’t have derailed so
far away from the original. It wouldn’t have been as messy and as convoluted.
If Dostoevsky was alive, maybe Dazai could have a chance at winning that impossible game of
chess. Maybe he could have had the chance to figure out everything from a distance.
Being on the front lines. being so close to the chaos.
It felt wrong somehow. But why? He had always done that, so why was it so weird now?

Why didn’t anything make sense?

Why?
Why?
Why?

In a beginner's mistake, while being too caught up in his own thoughts, Dazai allowed himself to
get distracted. Distracted enough to let someone bump into him, and throw him into the ground.

‘’ Executive Osamu…? ‘’

Dazai didn’t know who was more surprised.

Him or Tachihara?

‘’ What-what are you doing here-’’ The boy’s eyes widened as he realized Dazai had been wearing
some kind of cover over himself. ‘’ Are you cooperating with the Agency? Are you a traitor to the
Mafia? ‘’ his words sounded uncertain. Dazai tried his best not to laugh.
‘’ I could ask you the same thing, Tachihara.’’ he retorted in an instant, his eyes turning cold.
‘’ Are you a traitor to the Mafia? ‘’
Tachihara’s eyes darted between the man in front of him and the wall behind them, the uneasiness
he felt visible in his movements.
‘’ No..’’ He didn’t even bother to try and make it sound like a lie.
Dazai raised his eyebrows, ‘’ You’re weaning a Hunting Dog uniform,’’ he stated, eyeing the boy
from his boots to his hat. ‘’ Are you sure about that? ‘’
Tachihara looked down at his shoes.
‘’ I’m undercover for the Mafia.’’ he said finally, some of his confidence returning to him.
‘’ The Boss-
‘’ TACHIHARA.’’

It seemed Teruko’s screaming had saved him from a very awkward conversation.

‘’ TACHIHARA, I’VE CONTACTED-’’

The girl noticed Dazai and halted. ‘’ Who is he? ‘’

‘’ He’s from the Mafia,’’ Tachihara said, not knowing what else he should be saying. ‘’ but he’s
with the Agency.’’
’’...’’
Teruko’s face flushed with surprise before her expression turned to anger. ‘’ He’s with the
terrorists? ‘’
‘’ Yes. I was in the middle of apprehending him when you walked in.’’

Oh, he had to be joking…

Teruko smiled at Tachihara’s false words.

‘’ That’s good.’’ She said, ‘’ not what we were tasked to do, but I’m sure our leader will appreciate
it.’’ She scratched the back of her neck, clearly in a confused state. ‘’ Well, grab him and-
‘’ Grab who? ‘’

Aaaaand his cover was blown.

Teruko and Tachihara turned to face the man that had spoken.
‘’ Agency prick,’’ Teruko called, walking towards Chuuya, ‘’ we’ve already uncovered your
terrorist plans, so don’t think we’ll let you walk away that easily with your partner.’’

Dazai had never been stung by a bee before, but he was sure it felt exactly like that.
Your partner.
He wouldn’t be hearing that again, would he?

‘’ You’ve caught me,’’ Chuuya said in a monotone, raising his hands. ‘’ So, what will you do
now? ‘’
‘’ Oh, this one’s interesting.’’ Teruko seemed to take a liking to Chuuya. ‘’ I’ll deal with him.’’
‘’ I don’t think that’s a good-
Tachihara’s voice turned into a whisper as he saw the girl getting further away from them and
closer to the man with the hat. Closer to ex-executive and now Agency member, Nakahara Chuuya.

Tachihara and Dazai both stared in awe at the storm that was raging before their eyes. In the fight
between the gravity manipulator, Nakahara Chuuya, and the top Hunting Dog, second only to the
Leader, Teruko Okura.
It was a long-distance fight. Since both their skills worked only once they had touched the other,
they avoided getting close.
It was a smart tactic. The only one they could use in such a situation.
Being that they couldn’t physically touch each other, they used everything they could around them.
Pieces of furniture flew in the air among metals and even parts of the walls and the floor. Teruko
had no problem smashing anything that came flying to her. Chuuya had neither,
Whatever one threw, the other destroyed.
They were both so powerful and so strong that they canceled each other.
Dazai thought the charade had gone on for much longer than it had needed το.

‘’ That’s enough.’’ He said and dared to approach Teruko. The girl saw him too late. Dazai’s hands
were already on her back.
She turned and punched him, sending him flying to the nearest wall. Chuuya saw the opening and
attacked.

He had only grazed her hand, but that had been enough.

‘’ Wha-
Teruko’s knees gave out under her weight and she plummeted onto the floor. She turned to face her
opponent, catching him smiling at the man she had punched just a few seconds ago.
‘’ TACHIHARA DO SOMETHING.’’
The boy looked anxiously between her and Chuuya. What could he do? He couldn't take Chuuya in
a fight, that was for sure. So what-
‘’ I suggest letting us go.’’ Chuuya put him out of his misery by offering him the simplest of
options. ‘’ I don’t know why you would think that we are terrorists or whatever but honestly, I
couldn’t care less. So, let us go, and yeah, that’s it.’’
‘’ I-
‘’ Great.’’ Chuuya clasped his hands together and turned around to face Dazai.
He found no one there.
Tachihara followed his gaze, landing his eyes on the same spot Chuuya was looking at. ‘’ He was
there a few moments ago.’’ He said carefully, ‘’ I swear we did nothing to him.’’ he added, not
wanting to create any misunderstandings.
Chuuya nodded his head.

He thought about leaving it at that but he couldn’t.

‘’ Oi, kid,’’ He addressed Tachihara again as he walked further away from the girl on the floor. ‘’
Do you really think we are the terrorists? ‘’
‘’ I saw the were-tiger go into the room I found the explosives in.’’ The boy offered him his best
explanation. A baseless unfunded one, but the only one he could offer.
‘’ That’s it? ‘’
‘’ Our leader said you would do worse if we-

He started laughing.
Chuuya started laughing loudly as he walked away.

‘’ I know you won’t believe me, so I’m not gonna waste my time telling you we aren’t terrorists.’’
He made his voice loud enough for the boy to hear. ‘’ I will, however, try to warn you not to trust
your leader. He isn’t who you think he is.’’

And with that, Chuuya disappeared into the hallways of the Casino. Cursing a certain brunette
inside his head for being the way he was.

‘’ Leaving me to deal with all the guards on my own? ‘’ Kunikida looked at Atsushi and Chuuya
disappointedly, his hands on his hips. ‘’ Keeping me out of that idiot-Dazai’s plan? ‘’
He squinted his eyes and sighed. ‘’ Miss Montgomery and I were still searching for the client when
you rushed into danger without notifying us. What if you hadn't managed to make it out in one
piece, huh? ’’

Chuuya didn’t see the point of Kunikida lecturing them about it but he let it happen.

‘’ And what’s that about terrorism? And bombs? And the Hunting Dogs? ‘’ If he stared at the right
spot, he could practically see the fumes coming out of his ears. ‘’ All that going on and you said
nothing? We are supposed to be a team. That’s not how a team works.‘’

‘’ It’s all my fault, sir.’’ Atsushi stared at the man with an apologetic expression on his face.
‘’ I’m sorry.’’ He lowered his head and looked at the carpet on the floor. ‘’ While searching for our
client I found mister Dazai and he told me I had to go to the control room and find Sigma, so I
grabbed mister Chuuya and rushed there without thinking. It was the wrong thing to do. I should
have notified you of this development before acting.’’
‘’ What was Dazai doing there? ‘’ Kunikida’s anger seemed to be fading away as the boy talked. ‘’
What exactly did he say to you? ‘’
‘’ He told me that the client we were looking for didn’t exist. And that it was a trap to make the
Hunting Dogs think that we are terrorists.’’
‘’ So someone was trying to frame the Agency? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Mister Dazai said he couldn’t tell me.’’ Atsushi admitted. ‘’ But he gave me this to give to
Ranpo.’’ He took out the envelope from his pocket and showed it to the man. Kunikida fixed his
glasses before taking it into his own hands.
‘’ Did he say anything else? ‘’ This time the question was addressed to both Atsushi and Chuuya.
Atsushi said nothing in response, but he did look over at the shorter man. Chuuya scoffed.
‘’ He said he has a plan.’’
Both men furrowed their eyebrows in confusion. According to the few things Chuuya had told
them about what had gone down, he hadn’t mentioned speaking with Dazai, so his words had come
as a surprise.
. ‘’ You spoke with Mister Dazai, too? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ And maybe the word had sounded a bit more regretful than he had wanted it to sound.
‘’You were the one that told me that.’’ But his voice had bounced back before anyone could tell.
‘’ I did? ‘’
‘’ Well, practically you only delivered me the code, so you couldn’t have known that it meant that,
but yes.’’
Atsushi seemed to be thinking back to every word he had exchanged with the man.
‘’ Fried mackerel with spicy tomato pasta.’’ Chuuya repeated the words he had told him a few
hours ago in an attempt to refresh his memory. ‘’ It’s a kind of code between us. It means Stick To
the Plan.’’
‘’ And what’s that plan? ‘’
‘’ Beats me. I have no idea.’’
‘’ Maybe if we ask Sigma he’ll know something. ‘’ Atsushi suggested, his eyes darting towards the
door of the infirmary. ‘’ Maybe once Sigma’s healed he’ll want to help us.’’
Kunikida took out his notebook and wrote down a few lines. ‘’ You did save his life, so he does
owe you.’’ he recalled, clicking his pen nervously, ‘’ And he is stuck in the Agency for the time
being, so I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if we tried that.’’
‘’ Oi, Atsushi,’’ Chuuya turned his attention to the boy as they watched Kunikida walk towards
Ranpo. ‘’ What did you and Sigma talk about during the fight? Did he give you any useful
information? ‘’
If Dazai had told him to get to Sigma it had to be for a reason, Sigma knew something. Something
vital.
And Chuuya had a feeling he knew what it was.
‘’ He told me he would help us but then he was shot as I told you earlier. So we didn’t say
anything else after that. He was falling and I jumped after him to save him, and thankfully miss
Lucy was there, to catch us both with her ability.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ Is there anything else you want to ask me? ‘’

Was there anything else?

There was one thing but-

‘’ No, there’s nothing. I’m good."

He couldn't ask Atsushi what Dazai had looked like when he had talked to him or when he had
given him the code. It would have been too irrelevant.

" Alright."

Too stupid.

‘’ I’ll be taking my leave then.’’

Too desperate.

But Chuuya wanted to know.

He really wanted to know.

Because of the tension and of everything that had been going on during the fight, Chuuya hadn’t
been able to look at him. To take some time and carefully observe his face. To see if the ever-
lasting circles underneath his eyes had darkened or if his complexion was now bearing more
resemblance to that of a ghost’s rather than a human’s.

He wanted to know.
He wanted to know if he had looked paler. If he had looked like he was in pain. If the spark that
had been ignited inside his eyes had faded in two days' time.
He wanted to know.
Was that really so awful?
To want to know how his partner was handling the sudden change? To want to know how his
friend was dealing with it all? To want to know if he was okay?

Would it be weird if he actually asked Atsushi what he had looked like? If he asked the boy what
he had thought of when he had seen him again?
He couldn’t do that, no.
It would be too weird. It would be fucking strange.
Why would he even ask him that?
Why would he even care about-

‘’ Atsushi? ‘’

Chuuya watched as Atsushi walked up to a very confused Sigma. He watched as he greeted him
with a smile.

‘’ Terrorism? ‘’

Mori repeated the word with no particular sentiment in his voice. He didn’t seem surprised by the
development. Slightly intrigued by the idea and its perspectives, maybe, but nothing more and
nothing less. Dazai thought it was to be expected. Providing news that could faze the Port Mafia’s
Boss was a rather near-impossible task. After so many years in the mafia, Mori had learned to
expect everything and from everyone, the hard way. Nothing could surprise or shock him anymore.

‘’ So we’re dealing with a terrorist organization that wants to take control of the city.’’
‘’ Correct.’’
‘’ And you think the head of said organization is none other than the same person that’s currently
the leader of the Hunting Dogs? ‘’
‘’ Also correct.’’
‘’ You are aware that the Hunting Dogs is the Government’s most treasured weapon, right? They
are the most highly-esteemed individuals in all of Yokohama. They are practically untouchable
‘’ I know.’’
‘’ Therefore you also know that you can take no action in order to prove your theory. The Hunting
Dog’s leader…We can’t go up against him. If he discovers you or anyone involved with you, it will
be the end for the Port Mafia.’’
‘’ No, that’s not quite true.’’ Dazai paced towards the window, extending his hand outwards just
enough to lightly touch the glass. ‘’ To end the Port Mafia, he first has to be alive.’’ He said and
turned his head to the Boss. ‘’ And I assure you, by the time he discovers me, it will already be
over for him.’’
Mori lifted his head off his hands and turned it towards the window. A certain thought kept
circling his mind as he considered the boy, no, the man that was standing there.

Everyone he knew seemed to be preaching the same lie. The same deceptive narrative.
Dazai has changed. Dazai has become a better person now. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I
wouldn't have believed it, but it’s true. Dazai has become soft. Dazai has become good.
No.
They weren’t realizing it but they were all being fooled by his lies and performances. They were
all being duped into falling for yet another ploy of his. For yet another fabricated version of
himself that he had created. Not him though.
No.
Mori had raised that kid. He knew him better than any of them did. Better than Hirotsu. And
unquestionably better than Kouyou.
Dazai had not changed.
No, no.
That boy was still the same empty kid he had found. The same apathetic and disinterested teenager
he had taken into his ‘care’. He had grown taller as the years had passed, yes, but that was all. If
you removed the alterations time had made on his appearance, you would find his inside had much
or less remained the same.

‘’ By ‘it will already be over for him’ you’re referring to his death. Am I right to assume that? ‘’
‘’ You are.’’
‘’ Then, my question is: Will you be the one to kill him or will you have someone else stain their
hands with his blood? ‘’ Dazai didn’t react to his words. Mori took his silence as an invitation to
continue twisting the knife deeper. ‘’ Your most loyal subordinate, Akutagawa, for example.
Killing is in his veins and he would pose no opposition if you commanded it. Of course, you may
feel like he is not up to the task, so maybe that weretiger you seemed to be so proud of? I’m sure he
knows how to kill. You were the one that found him, after all. Him not growing up to be a killer…
well, that would be a first, wouldn’t it? He is with the Agency thought, so I assume he has a more
strict moral code than we do. But then again, that doesn’t matter, does it? If all fails, you can
always ask Chuuya to do it.’’

At the mention of the name, Dazai’s eyes darkened. It reminded Mori of another time when they
had been ‘discussing’ his friends. Dazai hadn’t let his anger show back then. It would seem he had
grown not only taller but also stupider.

‘’ When the time comes, I’ll kill him, myself.’’ Although his eyes were ready to tear Mori apart,
his voice gave no indication of his murderous intent. ‘’ Is that what you want to hear? That I’ll kill
again? I can see it in your eyes, Boss. You don’t care about him dying or not. You only care that I
kill again. You only care to prove yourself right. To prove that I’m no better than I was.’’
‘’ Are you in insinuating-
‘’ I’m not insinuating anything. I’m only stating what I think is true.’’
‘’ Which is? ‘’
‘’ You want me to kill again to prove to me how easy it is to fall back into old habits. You want me
to kill so you can prove that I belong here and not there.’’
‘’ So? What if I do? ‘’ Mori mused, flicking the scalpel he was holding in his right hand toward his
direction.‘’ You feel no remorse when you torture or kill. You care about no one and nothing and
thus your opinions are always unbiased. Your way of thinking so practically and rationally allows
you to act accordingly to what will benefit the organization more rather than sentiment. Your
talents and skills are perfect for the Mafia, Dazai. Even if you don’t want to admit it, that is the
truth, is it not? ‘’
‘’ There is no truth. What I do with myself is not decided by you or your-
‘’ Oh, come on, we both know that deep inside you are happy to be back.‘’

No.
No.
No.
NO.

‘’ That’s a lie.’’
‘’ Is it? ‘’ Mori let his scalpel fall into his desk as he stood up from the chair. ‘’ Tell me, Dazai, did
you feel relieved when you returned here? ‘’
Dazai stared at him blankly.
‘’ Didn’t you feel like perhaps a burden had been lifted off of you? ‘’
‘’ I know what you’re doing. It’s not going to work this time.’’
‘’ What I’m doing? ‘’ Mori smiled, as he approached him, ‘’ I’m simply telling you my
observations.’’
‘’ I don’t want to hear them.’’
‘’ And I don’t care if you do or don’t.’’ His smile grew wider as he came closer. ‘’ I’ve already
listened to all you had to say about your time in the Casino and in the Hunting Dog’s facility so,
here’s what we are going to do now: I’ll ask you three questions and you will answer them
truthfully. Once you’re done answering, I’ll let you walk out of my office and continue working on
your plan to save the world.’’
‘’ What kind of questions? ‘’
‘’ You’ll see.’’
‘’ Can I refuse? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Then please, I’m all ears.’’
‘’ Very well.’’ Mori stood right next to him, facing outside the window. He put his hands behind
his back and opened his mouth. ‘’ If you don’t answer truthfully that will be considered a violation
of the contract.’’
‘’ Just ask.’’
‘’ You say you didn’t feel relieved when you returned but I know you did, so my question is, why
was that? ‘’

Dazai hated Mori.

He hated that man so much. So fucking much.
But not for the reasons many seemed to believe.
Mori was a horrible person and he had hurt him a terrible amount but Dazai didn’t hate him
because of that. His reason was something much bigger.

‘’ Because I got away from Chuuya.’’

If he had answered anything that wasn’t the truth, or more specifically what Mori wanted to hear,
he knew Chuuya would have suffered the consequences. And no matter what, he couldn’t let that
happen.

‘’ If I was forced to terminate my friendship with him then there was no possibility of me fucking
it up later on. Simply because there would be no later on. If I was forced to leave the Agency and
him behind, then I wouldn’t have to worry about messing everything up. I wouldn’t have to worry
about slipping back into my old ways or making some terrible mistake that would cost me
everything.’’

‘’ And what did you consider your everything? ‘’

Dazai hated Mori because Mori could read him.

He hated Mori because even when he had been a child, the man had still been able to see right
through him.

‘’ My job at the Agency. My relationship with my co-workers. My partnership with Chuuya. The
ability to believe I’m fulfilling Odasaku’s last wish. The opportunity to make up for some of the
bad things I’ve done in my past. The possibility of-

‘’ Do you remember what was the first thing I taught you? ‘’

‘’ Is that your last question? ‘’
‘’ It is.’’
‘’ Attachment is the root of all evil. Only fools are stupid enough to let themselves get attached to
something or someone. Once there are strings tied around your fingers, it will be too easy for your
foes to take out their scissors and cut them. So if you never want to lose in a fight or a war, never
get attached.’’

Mori smiled at the answer Dazai gave him. Then his smile turned into a frown.

‘’ You disappointed me greatly, Dazai.’’ The man said, walking back to his desk. ‘’ I once thought
you to be ready to become the perfect Mafia Boss after me, but now, I’m not that sure if qualify for
that job.’’
‘’ Does that mean you’ll terminate my contract and let me leave? ‘’

Dazai had only said that as a joke, but seeing Mori actually laugh at the idea tugged at his heart in
a very painful way.

‘’ No, of course not.’’ He said as he took back his position on his chair, crossing his arms in front
of himself. ’’ It only means that I have more work to do than I thought.’’

The Decay Of Angels.

Chuuya knew that name. He wasn’t supposed to know it in this world, but still, he knew. The
Decay of Angels. They were the terrorist organization that had turned the whole world upside
down. The ones that had turned him and so many others into those fanged monsters.
They were the ones they were up against.

‘’ The Decay of Angels? Are you sure? ‘’ Kunikida asked, looking at Sigma as he handed him
another glass of water. The man took the glass in his hands and nodded his head affirmatively.
‘’ Even if I never wanted to be a part of them, I still am, so yes, I’m pretty positive that’s what we
were called.’’
‘’ Were? ‘’
‘’ Yes, were. The organization had some troubles, you could say, so we never made that name
public.’’ he sat down on one of the couches. The one closest to the boy that had saved him.’’
Could I ask what you are planning to do to me? ‘’
‘’ To do with you? ‘’ Atsushi looked at him confused. ‘’ Well, when you were shot I didn’t think
much of it. I just brought you here so that doctor Yosano could heal you.’’
‘’ If you could help us out thought, we wouldn’t be opposed to that.’’ Chuuya added, his voice as
clear as his request.
‘’ Help you out…? ‘’ Sigma seemed to be considering his position carefully. ‘’ What do you want
me to help with..? ‘’
‘’ Could you tell us more about the organization and your plans…? ‘’ Kunikida asked, adjusting
himself on the chair, ‘’ We are pretty much in the dark about your goals and why you were trying
to distribute bombs to the general population of Yokohama and possibly the entire world.’’
‘’ Why should I tell you? What do I get out of this ‘agreement’? ‘’
‘’ Your life-
‘’ Nakahara. ‘’
‘’ I was only joking, jeez.’’ Chuuya returned his attention to the man. ‘’ I’ll say some stuff and
you’ll nod your head if what I say is true. Are you okay with that? ‘’
‘’ Again, why should I follow your instructions? ‘’ Sigma got up defensively. ‘’ You kidnapped
me, and are now threatening my life so-
‘’ Kidnapped you? I didn’t kidnap you, I saved you from falling and dying out of blood loss.’’
‘’ Still, you took me away without my permission. Isn’t that what a kidnapping is? ‘’
‘’ I mean yes, but-
‘’ Or am I a hostage? ‘’ Sigma recoiled in thought. ‘’ That’s it, right? I’m a hostage and you’ll use
me to lure out the rest of the organization like I’m nothing more than a piece of cheese in a
mousetrap. ‘’
‘’ What are you even talking about-
‘’ Mister Sigma, we aren’t going to use you.’’ Atsushi fixed his gaze on him, his eyes sad. ‘’ We’re
just asking for your help. Still, if you don’t want to give it to us, that’s okay. We won’t undo your
healing if you’re worried about that. Nor will we throw you off some high building. That’s not the
way the Agency deals with people.’’
‘’ We won’t hurt you if you don’t help but still if you can, why not? ‘’ Chuuya wasn’t making that
much of a convincing argument and he could see it in the way Sigma was looking at him. ‘’ You
said it yourself, didn’t you? You never wanted to be a part of their group so-
‘’ Sigmaaa, is that true? ‘’
‘’ Nikolai-
‘’ You never wanted to be our friend? ‘’

All eyes turned to the man that had just appeared on top of the desk in front of them, with his coat
hanging from his hands. He was looking at Sigma with furrowed eyebrows and sad eyes but on his
lips was a smile.
‘’ YOU-
Chuuya launched into him but before he could catch him, Nikolai had already teleported to the
other side of the room.
‘’ Chuuya, you’re still angry at me? ‘’ He said and dodged. The chair Chuuya had thrown brushed
the air above his hair. ‘’ Is it about the time-
‘’ SHUT THE FUCK UP.’’ Chuuya ran into him again, as the Agency watched in complete shock.
No one had seen Nikolai in person before, they had only heard about him from Dazai and Chuuya.
But it would seem the man was much or less exactly the mess they had described.
‘’ You’re so mean, Chuuya~’’ Nikolai waved his cape in front of Chuuya’s eyes before vanishing
and reappearing on top of a cabinet. ‘’ Haha, can’t catch me, ‘’ He stuck his tongue out, mocking
him. ‘’ No matter how much you try, you can’t ‘’ He said and disappeared again.

Chuuya’s eyes scanned the room, trying to track him down. He looked at Sigma first to make sure
he was still there before his gaze fell on Kunikida and Atsushi.
They were staring at him.

‘’ Was that the Nikolai, Dazai had talked about? The teleporter that had ruined his plans? ‘’
Kunikida asked, his voice lowered.
‘’ You think? ‘’ Chuuya didn’t have to be that sharp with Kunikida, he knew, but his anger
wouldn’t let him respond in any other manner. ‘’ He’s the bastard Fyodor was working with. But
he was suppose to be fucking dead.’’
Chuuya turned his head to face Sigma, his eyes burning with anger. ‘’ WHY isn’t he dead? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know.’’ Sigma said, his voice failing him, ‘’ The Port Mafia Boss killed Dostoevsky but
Nikolai managed to escape him using his ability. He also took with him-
‘’ DID YOU MISS ME? ‘’ Nikolai appeared again, and yet another chair was flung towards the
direction of his voice. ‘’ Tch, tch, that’s not so kind.’’
This time, Chuuya wasn’t the only one that moved toward him.
Atsushi transformed his hands and tried to launch on the man while Kunikida summoned a smoke
bomb out of his notebook. Even then Atsushi’s claws found only air.
Nikolai was too fast.

‘’ If you don’t mind me, I’ll be taking him and be on my way out.’’ He said as he eyed Sigma.
Sigma quickly got up from where he was sitting and ran towards Atsushi, extending his hand.
Atsushi grabbed it too late.
The moment he made contact with him, he disappeared.

Nikolai had reached him faster.

‘’ NOT AGAIN.’’ Chuuya punched his own desk in frustration, his chuckles coming back red from
the blood.
The broken wood of the desk had scratched him deep but he didn’t seem to care about that at all.
‘’ Chuuya, sir, ‘’ Atsushi tried to walk towards him but he stumbled on his own two feet. ‘’ My
head is-
Before he could finish his sentence, the boy had fallen on the floor unconscious.

‘’ I want you to tail Atsushi.’’

‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ You heard me. I want you to tail Atsushi.’’

The boy kept staring at him, trying his hardest to keep his expression as neutral as he could.
Despite his best efforts, Dazai was still able to notice the slight movement of his eyebrows and the
small crease that appeared on the bridge of his nose, as he opened his mouth.

‘’ Is that a personal request or an official order? ‘’

‘’ It’s neither of those things. Just a favor I’m asking.’’

It could become an order very easily if Dazai so wanted, but that wasn’t what he meant to achieve
by asking that of the boy. He didn’t want to blackmail or force Akuatagawa into complying. He
wanted him to figure out a reason why he should, on his own.

‘’ Why do you want me to spy on the weretiger? ‘’

‘’ There is a storm brewing and all of creation is standing in its way. The world, the detective
agency, Atsushi, they’re all in danger. But if you do what I’m asking of you then maybe you can
save them.’’
‘’ I refuse.’’

Dazai had to remind himself, Akutagawa not agreeing instantly was another part of his plan. The
most important one.

‘’ Why would I care in whatever color flame the world or the Agency may burn? Or that were-
tiger. Why would I ever save him? ‘’
‘’ Why wouldn’t you? ‘’
‘’ Dazai, sir, are you playing dumb? He is my enemy. I have sworn to fight and kill him in a few
months' time- ’’
‘’ Exactly. So what happens if you don’t save him now? ‘’
‘’ … ‘’
‘’I won’t be able to fight him because he won’t be alive.’’
‘’ See, so you have a reason.’’

Akutagawa stared at him blankly, the question burning through his eyes. He wouldn't ask it. Not
unless Dazai willed him to speak it aloud.

‘’ Say it.’’
‘’ Why aren’t you ordering me to do that? ‘’ The boy seemed to be more courageous than he used
to be. ‘’ If you want me to save that good-for-nothing weretiger, why don’t you command me? I'm
your subordinate, I wouldn't be able to say-
‘’ I’m letting you choose.’’ Dazai said simply, his smile baffling the boy even more
‘’ But why? ‘’
‘’ I’m sorry, are you questioning my strategy? ‘’
‘’ I-I'm not.’’
‘’ Are you sure about that? ‘’
Dazai’s eyes were urging him to disagree. They were begging for him to oppose his words, to stand
up for himself, to call him out on his way of thinking.
If Akutagawa didn’t do it now, then he never would. And if he never would…Dazai wouldn’t be
able to set his plan into motion

‘’ I’m not questioning your logic, I just want to know why are you giving me the freedom to
choose.’’

It was something.
It wasn’t what he wanted, but it was something

‘’ Why do you think? ‘’

The boy seemed to be taking some time to consider his response. Dazai found the sight to be
refreshing. Akutagawa didn't use to do that in the past.

Back when he was still being trained by Dazai, it was always either respond fast or face the
consequences of your slowness.
Dazai hadn't wanted him to sit down and take his sweet time thinking about situations. The only
thing he had ever wanted for him to do was recite facts and statistics. He hadn't wanted to hear any
theories or speculations the boy may have had. The only thing that had mattered to him were
concrete unwavering answers. So Akutagawa had learned to give him that and nothing more.

Seeing him take his time now, figuring out the answers on his own…it was nice to see he could do
it. Even if he struggled a little because of the oddness of the concept.

‘’ Are you testing me in some way? Testing me to see if I deserve to be your subordinate? If I’m
loyal enough to comply even to such nons-request.’’

Nonsense?
Dazai felt a smile creeping up on his lips.

‘’ Do you think I’m testing you? ‘’

‘’ I do.’’
‘’ Okay, then. Knowing that, what is your final answer? ‘’
‘’ …"
" I’ll do it.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Because I want to prove to you that I’m someone worthy of being your subordinate.’’
‘’ Is that the only reason? ‘’
‘’ And because I want to have the chance to fight the weretiger, fair and square." He paused and
then looked at the ground." If he is defeated by someone that’s not me, it won’t be as satisfying.’’
‘’ I see…’’

Akutagawa was looking at the man expectedly, waiting to see what else he would say next.
Would he ask another favor of him?
Would he give him an order?
Would he dismiss him?
Would he-

‘’ Hey, Akutagawa.’’
‘’ Yes? ‘’
" I have another more important question to ask."
" What is it? "
A thousand ideas flooded the boy’s brain. Something more important than what he had just asked
him? What could it be? An even bigger threat than the 'storm that was brewing'? Something that
had to do with the Mafia? Or the Agency? Or maybe-

" Are you hungry? "

It wasn’t the first time Dazai had taken Akutagawa out for dinner but it was the first time he had
ever treated him to desert after.

Dazai was a very deliberate person. Everything he did, he did for a reason. Sometimes though, not
even he could understand his reasoning.
He hadn’t taken Akutagawa out to bribe him or to get into his good side. And he hadn’t done it to
make himself feel better about the way he had treated him, either.
So, why had he done it?
Taking his subordinate out for dinner once in a while had never been in his job description so why
had he done it so many times in the past? Why had he done it just now?

The answer was simple. Much simpler than one would expect.

When Dazai had found Akutagawa, the boy had still been just a boy. He had still been a kid.
A kid that had lost his entire family but his sister. A kid that had been forced to grow up in the
slums and raise himself and nine others. A kid that had grown so numb to all feelings yet would
still do anything to make sure everyone was okay. A kid that had witnessed all of his friends
getting brutally murdered before his eyes.
A kid that had never experienced being a kid.

Dazai wouldn’t call it ‘sympathizing’ but he was well aware of the ‘need’ Akutagawa had to let
himself act like a kid, sometimes. Or at least, the closer he could to that.
Dazai wasn’t a good person, and he was pretty sure in a lot of ways he had done more damage to
the boy than he had helped him, but he liked to think that Akutagawa had enjoyed, at least
partially, the times were he had taken him out and had treated him to a nice dinner after a
successful mission or a good training day.
Mori had seen it as him ‘rewarding’ Akutagawa for a job well done, but it was never like that in his
mind. Dazai hadn’t done it so he could be seen as a ‘good guy’ or someone that wasn’t the actual
devil. He had only done it because he believed Akutagawa deserved to have a few more ‘relaxed’
moments.
Unlike him, Akutagawa hadn’t had a ‘Chuuya’. He hadn’t had someone that was of the same age
as him. Someone that he could call a partner, or even a ‘pretend’ friend.
Apart from his sister, Akutagawa had been all alone.

The only other person in the Mafia he had talked to except for Gin had been his mentor. His cruel
and barbaric mentor that quite literally everyone referred to as the ‘demon prodigy’.
Unfortunately, because of schedules and all that, Akutagawa had spent much more time with the
Demon prodigy than he had with his own sister.
And Dazai had treated him so poorly.
But there had been a few moments where he had tried to give him a sense of a ‘childhood’ by
taking him out for dinner and letting him talk for a while.
The kid would stay guarded and he wouldn’t say much for the majority of the time, but by the end
of the dinner, Dazai would always have learned something new about the boy.
It could be something as small as his liking of figs, or it could even be some funny story of Gin he
had recalled.
It was probably the least Dazai could do to help the boy feel even the tiniest bit normal, he knew.
But back then, Dazai had thought it would have been enough to make the kid not completely hate
him.
Because the truth was, no matter what he said, Dazai didn’t want people to hate him.

Being hated was much more comfortable than the opposite for him but that didn’t mean he craved
it. It didn’t mean he wanted it.
So in relationships that meant something to him, he always made sure to do something that would
make the other person unable to completely loathe him. It was so selfish and so wrong, but that
was his only way of making sure someone he ‘cared’ about, or at least someone he wished he
could care about, didn’t hate him.

‘’ Why are you back? ‘’

Dazai had to do a double take to confirm that Akutagawa had been the one that had spoken.
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ Forget I said anything,’’ Immediate regret laced the boy’s face. ‘’ I overstepped, I’m sorry.’’ his
words came out hurried and panicked.

Had he really made it so impossible for Akutagawa to ask him anything remotely personal without
panicking or thinking he would be ‘punished’ for his audacity?
Who was he kidding? Of course, he had.

‘’ If you want to know something, asking only once won’t work, you know.’’
Akutagawa seemed to register that.
‘’ I was just wondering. The rumors say you had a fallout with the Agency but I don’t believe
that.’’

The ‘rumors’ Akutagawa was referring to were all over the place. Depending on who you asked
Dazai had fallen out, had gotten bored, or even had been a double agent all along.
That last one made his blood boil. For the others, he couldn’t care less.

‘’ Why don’t you believe that? ‘’

Akutagawa looked at the wall in the alleyway, keeping his eyes away from his mentor’s face.
‘’ I don’t think the Agency would let you walk away that easily.’’
‘’ So you think I’m not capable enough to evade and escape them? ‘’
‘’ No, not at all, no,’’ The panic returned to the boy’s voice, ‘’ I meant it as they seemed to
consider you their colleague. And the Were-tiger, he sees you as his new mentor. I don’t think he
would be okay with you disappearing on him.’’
‘’ Huh…’’
‘’ And then there is mister Chuuya...’’ Akutagawa continued, albeit a bit uncertain, ‘’ rumor has it
he was seen breaking inside the main building the previous morning for reasons not yet disclosed.’’
Dazai raised his eyebrows. The ‘rumors’ had always traveled fast around the Port Mafia but that
was just absurd.
‘’ Why do you think I’m back? ‘’
‘’ The Boss forced you back…?’’
‘’ Did the rumors say that? ‘’
‘’ No. That’s just what I think.’’ There was still uncertainty in his every word but Dazai couldn’t
help but think he was making progress. Painfully and agonizingly slow progress, but progress
nonetheless.
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Cause I don’t think you would leave those Agency fools.’’ Akutagawa said, his eyes still on the
far end wall, ‘’ They aren’t the Port Mafia.’’

The next few hours after Atsushi had awakened from his temporary slumber had been complete
and utter chaos. So many things had happened in such a small frame of time. From Sigma getting
taken away and their enemy's location being revealed to Ranpo coming back to inform everyone of
Dazai's plan and what it entailed.
For a few minutes, the agency had been an unorganized mob of voices and screams. which had
been only natural. All the reveals and all the parts of the plan had evoked different feelings in each
member. There had been people that had opposed it and there had been others that had agreed to it
without a second thought. Still, there had been so much yelling, so much screaming, so much
unnecessary noise.
Then, the President had stepped in and everyone had quieted.

Once order had been restored inside the office, Ranpo had finally been able to explain the plan he
had been given by Dazai and distribute all the roles among the members. After that had been
settled, everyone had positioned themselves accordingly.

Now Chuuya was watching over the dock, waiting patiently for the sign that would show him
everything was going according to Dazai’s plan. He remained seated on that little boat by the ship,
feeling the waters rattle beneath him as he gazed at the sky, willing the signal to come faster.

The commotion hadn’t started yet, but he could already distinguish some voices coming from the
front part of the ship. He could hear that of Ranpo’s and that of Atsushi’s and one more. A much
harder, much heavier one, he supposed, belonged to Fukuchi.

The man they knew now, was their enemy.

He seemed to be a lot taller than the other two. Much stronger. Much more intimidating. Chuuya
didn’t like him. There was something about the way he presented himself that he found to be so
repulsive. Was it his overconfidence? Was it that condescending smirk he wore all the time? He
didn’t know what it was but there was something about that man that was telling him to run.

Chuuya wasn’t stupid. He knew who Fukuchi was. Hell, everyone in Yokohama, if not in the
world, knew the legendary hero that man was. His feats and his accomplishments were wide-
known. And there were films and books and all that kind of stuff made based on his literal life.
Fukuchi Ouchi, even if he had turned out to be the bad guy, was a living legend.

So how were they supposed to beat him?

That question had plagued his thoughts ever since they had learned that was who they were
fighting against. But could he be blamed? The Agency and the Port Mafia, they were strong, yes,
but Fukuchi? That man was on a whole other level.

He was one of the strongest ability users. And he had that sword, the Amenogozen's blade, that
could travel through time.
How in the world would they ever strike even a single hit on him?

He was also a war veteran, and, on top of all of that, a Hunting Dog with enhanced abilities. He
was agile, he was fast, he was strong. There were so many things that put him in a league of his
own.

So how were they supposed to win this battle?

The plan was progressing smoothly, which meant Atsushi would soon be fighting Fukuchi. But
Chuuya knew the boy wouldn’t be strong enough to kill him, and if he knew, so would Dazai. So
just what was going on inside that bastard’s head?

Just what was Dazai’s full plan?

The one he had shared with Ranpo and the Agency, had to be just a part of a bigger plan. Chuuya
wasn’t a stranger to how Dazai operated. There was no chance in hell that man would reveal the
last parts of his plan before it was too late.
He always did that. Keeping everyone but himself in the dark, not sharing the full picture. It was so
frustrating. But it worked wonders, so no one ever said anything. They simply followed whatever
instructions they had been given and wished for the best.

At least that was what Chuuya was doing.

According to Ranpo, his role in the big plan was that of the supervisor. All he had to do was stand
there and watch as the plan unfolded. His job was to intervene only if something went ‘wrong’ and
a blue flare was shot up in the sky or if there was an emergency not pre-arranged by Dazai.

Dazai. That stupid bastard, he had done it again.

Finding a way to communicate with Atsushi and then Ranpo by extension. Assisting him in his
fight with the female Hunting Dog aboard the Casino. Making another detailed plan and sharing it,
or at least parts of it, with the Agency at the last possible minute.
Predicting that Sigma would have been kidnapped before he had helped them. Predicting that he
would have passed the necessary information to Atsushi through his ability. Predicting exactly
what that information would have been.
Chuuya was so frustrated with him yet so amazed at the same time.

Fukuchi was in a league of his own, undeniably, but so was Dazai.

He didn’t have the same experience, and he wasn’t as skilled at fighting but he was smart. So
incredibly smart. And he had always gotten them out of impossible situations one way or another.
His attention to detail, his perceptiveness, his ability to know how something would play out.
Chuuya had always made fun of him for all those things but the truth was, all those attributes of his
were fascinating.

Hewas fascinating.
And if someone could find a way to beat Fukuchi, Chuuya had no doubt, it would be Dazai.

Still, that feat seemed impossible.

Chuuya watched and watched until finally, he saw the flare go up.

His eyes drifted upwards at the clouds that were parting above them, and at the sky that was crying
tears of red. Then they fell back on the ship, at the white light that was now illuminating its front
part.
Ranpo had used the book. That meant three things.

First thing: Dazai had been right. Fukuchi had indeed been the one behind everything. And that had
now been confirmed by Ranpo’s ultra deduction.

Second thing: Fukuchi had declared war. If Ranpo had ‘ran away’ to the book, that meant Fukuchi
had raised his sword with the intention to strike.

Third thing: Chuuya was about to understand the missing parts of Dazai’s plan.

Dazai kept himself hidden, concealed within the shadows, watching as the impossible battle
unfolded before his eyes.

Fukuchi raised the page of the Book and showed it to the boy, a bored expression on his face as he
got up from where he was sitting. After telling him something in a quieter tone, he placed the page
back inside his uniform and returned his attention to him.
Atsushi brought his leg forward, readying himself for the inevitable fight that was to come. He
clenched his fists and with determination, he locked eyes with the man.
‘’ Umm, by the way,’’ That bored expression made another appearance on the man’s face, ‘’How
are you going to fight with that leg? ‘’
Before Atsushi could even realize what was happening, the lower part of his leg hit the ground
with a loud thud.
‘’ Huh. ’’
Atsushi stared at it horrified, as it bled out on the ground below him. Then he lost his balance and
fell.
The bored expression that had been on the man’s face just a few moments ago and now
transformed into pure amusement. ‘’ Why so surprised? Didn’t that kid tell you of my skill? ‘’
Atsushi stared at the man’s katana, outstretched right next to his body. He stared at the blood
covering the blade, slowly dripping down.

He hadn’t even seen it move. He hadn’t even felt it when it cut through him.
That man’s power…The ability to multiply every weapon’s capabilities by a hundredfold…It was
too powerful…too fast…there was no way he was making it out alive…

‘’ Get up, recruit, ‘’ The man commanded, pointing his sword at him, ‘’ compared with the trials
written in my autobiography, that doesn’t even count as a wound.

Atsushi willed himself to get up. To think of things rationally. This wasn’t the first time he had had
his leg cut off. It was something he had dealt with in the past. He could fix it.
He focused on summoning the power of the tiger. The healing aspect of it.
Fukuchi seemed to catch on.

‘’ The bleeding seems to already be dying out,’’ he observed with not much interest, ‘’ Your tiger
healing force? Very nice.’’ He took a step forward, ‘’ So what now? ‘’ Suddenly his gaze
darkened, ‘’ If I cut your head off, will that grow back as well? ‘’

Dazai had a plan.

Dazai had a plan.

He tried to convince himself that Dazai had a plan, but no matter how hard he tried to believe it the
fact remained.

He was scared.

He was so scared.

Not of Fukuchi. Not of the pain, not of what the man would do to him.

He was scared that he was alone.

In every step after Dazai had found him, there was always someone there for him. There was
always someone fighting alongside him. But now he was all alone.

And the loneliness was crushing him.

The future of the world was residing in his hands and yet he couldn’t even breathe properly.
If he won, he could get that page and prevent Fukuchi’s plan from coming to fruition. But if he
lost…If he lost the world would be destroyed. The Agency, all his friends, everything, and
everyone would cease to exist.

He would cease to exist.

He would die all alone.

He didn’t even want to fathom the idea of that. Dying alone after all he had been through. After he
had finally made himself friends.
No.
He couldn’t let that happen.
He wouldn’t.

It was such a stupid thing to do, but he didn’t care. At that moment there had been nothing left to
lose.
He closed his eyes and prayed for someone to show up. For someone, anyone, to show up and fight
alongside him.

Dazai turned the mirror he was holding slightly to the right, trying to make the reflection show him
another person he knew was positioned nearby. A person standing on the top of the ship. A person
that had been watching Atsushi and Fukuchi the entire time through a pair of binoculars.

Dazai smiled to himself as he saw the boy remove his hat.

The surprise on Atsushi’s face had been short-lived. Before he could have even reacted properly to
Akutagawa who had just descended from the top of the ship, the boy had been met with the furious
retaliation of Fukuchi.
Akutagawa had been grabbed by his arm and had been thrown violently into the wall within
seconds.

Fukuchi wasn’t going to be an easy opponent and he had made that evident.

Atsushi ran up to the other boy, asking him if he was okay. The boy didn’t answer him. Atsushi
wasted no time.
He hoisted him up, shifting most of his weight on his own body, and started running in the
opposite direction of Fukuchi, thinking that if he was fast enough, maybe they could flee to the
lower levels of the ship.

Dazai remained hidden, activating his earpiece as soundlessly as he could.

Akutagawa didn’t know it, but Dazai had attached a small microphone underneath his shirt’s collar.
Having predicted that Atsushi would try to flee with Akutagawa, he had done it in order to be able
to monitor them, even from a distance.

And it had worked.

Dazai could hear everything they said. He could hear Atsushi trying to reason with Akutagawa that
they should leave that place. And he could hear Akutagawa refusing his offer, saying that he
would defeat the man, even if his every bone had to get broken in the process.
He could also hear the reason Akutagawa had given to Atsushi when the boy had asked him why
he was being so final on that decision

Because if I don’t, I’ll go back to being something mister Dazai discarded.

Dazai felt a strange stinging in his heart when he heard that. He supposed that was what being
guilty felt like. He supposed that was his ‘conscience’ finally taking shape.

Akutagawa was willing to sacrifice himself if it meant he would make him proud. If it meant he
would make him acknowledge him and his power. Dazai had already known that but hearing it…in
a conversation, he wasn’t even a part of…It made him realize just how messed up a person he
really was.

And then he heard something else. Something that made him feel like perhaps there was hope.

It was Atsushi and Akutagawa fighting a guard they had found in their way. And it was Atsushi,
understanding that Akutagawa hadn’t immediately killed the man. That brought another
conversation, then. A conversation regarding the deal they had made.

Then you…Since we made that promise, you haven’t killed anyone?

Of course. I keep my promises.

He would give Akutagawa what he couldn’t have.

If that boy could last a little longer, he would make sure he found his path in life. The correct path
this time, the one that would lead him to the world of light.

If only they could all make it out alive, Dazai could finally set his more personal plans in motion.

‘’ At times like these, Twin Dark…they would have invariably detected the enemy’s weaknesses
with mister Dazai’s intellect, and mister Chuuya would’ve demolished them.’’
It struck him then that Akutagawa had grown up seeing Dazai and Chuuya in action while they had
still been in the Mafia. Atsushi couldn’t even imagine them there. It was such a foreign idea.

‘’ The two of us will have to match mister Dazai’s strategizing.’’

‘’ Now, that’s too much…’’ He wasn’t that bright he was aware of that, still he tried his best to
come up with a strategy he thought Dazai would have approved of.

His 'best' resulted in Akutagawa calling him an idiot.

The tactic the two of them had decided…It was too predictable…And judging by the way Fukuchi
was moving, Dazai was sure the man had also guessed it. Unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything
to warn them. But even if he could, he wouldn’t have.

For the plan to work, he needed time.

And the only way he could get the time he needed was by keeping them both in the dark.

‘’ I was waiting for you.’’

No. No. No.

It would seem their enemy had predicted their tactic.

Dazai hurried to the other side of the ship, his movements fast but silent.

He needed to find another spot to hide and observe. A spot that would be close to the fight but not
too close as to compromise his location or his safety.

As he ran away, he took a moment to look down the railing and make sure the little boat was still
stationed where it should be. Thankfully, both the little boat and the person inside it were still
there.

The knowledge made breathing just a bit easier.

‘’ Bring it on you brats.’’

Once Fukuchi had stopped ranting to them about his life and why he had found it necessary to
destroy all notions, he had, once again, pointed his sword at them, with another gleeful grin on his
face.

Atsushi thought his logic was flawed, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he used the anger his
words had evoked in him as fuel. Akutagawa, he believed, had done the same.

They heard him out and then they called upon their abilities.

Chuuya didn’t know what to do.

The orders he had been given were simple enough, but he couldn’t let that fight continue.

When he saw Akutagawa running down to aid Atsushi, a part of him had felt relieved. Another part
of him, however, had feared for the worst.

Dazai was right. Atsushi and Akutagawa made for a formidable team, but even if they cooperated,
Chuuya couldn’t see them winning. It was the hard cold truth. They were both so powerful, but
they couldn’t beat Fukuchi.

So why had Dazai sent them there?

Akutagawa had been a surprise.

Chuuya wondered how many Dazai had in store.

From where he was seated, he couldn’t see everything clearly, but using a pair of binoculars, he
could make out the figures that were fighting, or rather losing the battle.
Both Atsushi and Akutagawa were fighting for their lives, trying their hardest to avoid the man’s
attacks and all the things he was throwing at them.
But they weren’t doing that great of a job.

They took hit after hit, but even then, they wouldn’t give up. Their focus and their determinations
were commendable. They had been stabbed and punched and kicked in the guts, yet they were still
standing.
They were still fighting with everything they had.

And then it happened. Fukuchi got fed up with them.

Chuuya watched as the man threw his katana into the ocean, discarding it.
He knew what was about to follow.

He couldn’t let that fight continue. If he did, they would both die.

Fukuchi had summoned the Amenogozen's blade. He had summoned his legendary time sword.
There was no way they could win against that thing.
But they had to. Or at least, they had to do something. Dazai must have had his reason for sending
them out there. He must have known this would happen.

So if he stepped in to protect them, would he unknowingly be destroying Dazai’s plan?

He couldn’t do that. No. He couldn’t do that. He had to stay still. He had to wait to be called upon.

But what if Dazai’s plan failed, no matter his involvement? It wouldn’t be the first time-
No.
What was he even thinking? His worry was getting the best of him. He couldn’t let that happen. He
had to stay put and clear his mind. That way, once he was called upon, he would be able to do
something actually useful. If his mind was clouded, only bad things would follow.

Chuuya took a few deep breaths before continuing to watch the joke that was the fight. A joke,
because the two stood no chance against the man with the magic sword.

With bewilderment, he watched as the sword traveled through space and space. As it slashed
Akutagawa and as it stabbed Atsushi in his chest.
Then his eyes caught sight of something else.
Of a shadow.

And suddenly, his heart started to beat faster.

…

It was funny.

The man was standing right in front of him, yet he could feel his blade as it penetrated his chest
from behind

So, this was his legendary sword, huh? Truly a piece of work.

‘’ You know, before I drew this sword, there was a sliver of hope for you.’’ Atsushi looked up at
him from the ground, as he spoke. ‘’ But you couldn’t put it to good use. Do you know why? ‘’
Both he and Akutagawa were defeated on the ground, their blood pooling beneath them.
The man was standing in front of them, not a single scratch on his face or body.
‘’ Because you had no trust in one another.’’

No trust?

‘’ As vanguard, the tiger's ability excels in speed, physical strength, and regeneration. The black
cloth ability excels in raiding blind spots and building a protective formation. Thus, with the tiger
as the front, if the black cloth had defended and then, from a blind spot, functioned as the attacker,
you might’ve even been able to take this head.’’
Atsushi stared at him, one thought beating in his mind like a drum. Fukuchi knelt before him so
that he could look at his eyes from a closer distance.
‘’ The one who couldn’t get that done was solely you, kid.’’ His smirk widened, ‘’ Because you got
scared.’’

It was his fault.

It was his fault.

‘’ That’s why I told you before that if you came at me one by one, I’d just kill you one by one.’’

It was his fault.

The man was right. If they had trusted each other, if he hadn’t been so scared, then Dazai’s plan
would have worked. They could have won.
If he had trusted Akutagawa with his life, they could’ve won.
But he couldn’t have done that. He couldn’t have done something that reckless…

So they lost.

Because he hadn’t trusted him, they had lost.

They had lost because-

Atsushi turned his head at the sound of laughter, surprised to see the source was Akutagawa.
‘’ Why are you laughing? ‘’ The man asked the question before he could even conjure it up inside
his head.
‘’ Because I’m happy of course.’’ Atsushi could have sworn at that moment, Akutagawa had
scared him. ‘’ If I beat you, the undefeated hero, Fukuchi Ouchi, then mister Dazai will surely
acknowledge me.’’ There was something so dark in his expression. Something so terrifying in his
eyes.
‘’ It seems you don’t understand the current situation very well,’’ Even Fukuchi had noticed the
sudden change in his demeanor. Atsushi could see the way he was now looking at Akutagawa. It
was different than before.
The man stepped on Akutagawa’s hand with his boot. He started to threaten to torture them both to
get information on the Agency and the Port Mafia, respectively. Then he stepped back, talking
about how bored of the procedure he had grown.
To both their surprise, he sat down once more, his legs crossed.

‘’ As I said, Akutagawa, ‘’ he addressed the boy, seething his sword, ‘’ I want to make a deal with
you. Would you become my student? ‘’

Atsushi could have sworn he had never seen that much emotion on Akutagawa’s face.

‘’ Do you find it astounding? ‘’ Fukuchi continued unbothered, ‘’ But my strength and experience
are more abundant than anyone else’s, and most of all, just like you, I’m willing to satin my hands
red for my objectives.’’
Akutagawa was staring at the man dumbfounded. Atsushi was too.
‘’ You and I are similar people. Don’t you think that’s a better prospect than your current mentor?
‘’

Now he has done it.

Atsushi watched as Akutagawa’s surprised expression turned to a mocking one. He watched as the
boy started laughing again. The same twisted, haunting laugh.

‘’ That’s the most foolish proposal I’ve ever heard.’’ He said, and he believed it. Atsushi could see
it in his eyes. In the way they glistened. ‘’There is no human that could replace mister Dazai.’’
That’s when Akutagawa realized. He had severely misunderstood just how important Dazai had
been to Akutagawa.
‘’ I didn’t tell you to exchange mentors. I’d only look after you for a time.’’ Fukuchi reasoned,
seeming eager to convert the boy’s decision. ‘’ As my specialty is training ability users or work.’’
He paused, ‘’ After you’ve become the strongest ability user among the Hunting Dogs, I’ll return
you to your former mentor.’’

Akutagawa no longer looked amused. He looked angry. No, it wasn't anger, it was something else.

‘’ Akutagawa? ‘’ Not even Atsushi could read the expression on his face.
‘’ I won’t be fooled,’’ Akutagawa said, putting his hand down. ‘’I have no guarantee that you’d
keep your word.’’
Fukuchi nodded his head to acknowledge what the boy was saying. ‘’ I swear on this sword and my
title as Great Hero. I will keep my promise.’’ Atsushi stared at him again. And then at Akutagawa.
He tried to understand what exactly was going on. ‘’ Moreover,’’ the man continued, ‘’ I have a
reason to want to make that deal with you.’’
Akutagawa gave him a questioning look.
‘’ It’s because there is a job I want you to do. A single job that I, by all means, have no interest in
doing.’’ The man raised his sword and pointed it in Atsushi’s direction, ‘’ Kill that young man.’’

Dazai had heard everything.

From all the things he had considered when making up this plan, the thought that Fukuchi would
offer Akutagawa such a proposal had never crossed his mind. It was too unexpected. And to ask
him to kill Atsushi. Fukuchi wasn’t someone that was playing around.
His tactics, his way of thinking, his way of manipulating one’s opinion. It was admirable. Dazai
could definitely see how he had risen so high in the world. His abilities and various skills had made
him a hero, but it was his charisma that had made him legendary.
But he didn’t worry. No.
Akutagawa wouldn’t kill Atsushi. Not even if it were to save his own life. Akutagawa would never
kill Atsushi. Dazai would bet his own life on that.

..

‘’ What’s the matter? ‘’ Fukuchi turned to Akutagawa, who was now hoisted up by the man,
‘’ You don’t want to kill him? ‘’ he asked, and they both faced him.

Atsushi didn’t know what to do or say.

‘’ Is his life that precious to you? ‘’

He locked eyes with Akutagawa in hopes he would understand, but he was only met with an
unreadable wall. Fukuchi said something more but Atsushi didn’t catch it. He was too busy trying
to decipher the anger behind Akutagawa’s face.

He would kill him.

‘’ Stand up, were-tiger.’’

‘’ Cut it out.‘’ Atsushi didn’t like what was going on not one bit. ‘’ Do you think that guy will keep
his promise? ‘’
‘’ I don’t. ‘’ He was telling the truth, so why- ‘’ But if I don’t abide, I’ll die. That’s for certain.’’
‘’ Is your own life that precious to you? ‘’

The boy wasn’t making any sense. One moment, he was ready to sacrifice every bone in his body
to defeat the man, yet now he was saying he would do anything to live. Why was he contradicting
himself?

‘’ I don’t fear death. What I fear is dying unable to be acknowledged by mister Dazai.’’

What had Dazai done to him? Atsushi had no clue what their relationship had been like in the mafia
but apparently, it run so much deeper than he had ever thought.

‘’ Stand up,’’ Akutagawa commanded, his voice strong, ‘’ I promised I’d kill you after six months.
That has simply come a little early.’’

He really was going to kill him.

‘’ Stop it. There has to be another way.’’ He couldn’t let him do that.
‘’ There might be, but I’m not choosing any other way.’’ His eyes darkened again, ‘’ Because
defeating you...that alone is my ‘meaning’.’’
His meaning? Why was he so fixated on being acknowledged by Dazai? Why was he so-
‘’ You’re always like this,’’ Atsushi spoke, trying to get up, ‘’Why would you obsess over that as
your reason to live? ‘’
Nothing about the man made sense. Absolutely noth-
‘’ Because I have no time.’’
What.
‘’ I haven’t told anyone, but due to my lung disease, I don’t have long left.’’
Oh.
‘’ I absolutely can not afford to disappoint mister Dazai.’’
Oh.
‘’ I see…’’
And that’s when everything clicked.

Akutagawa had never had the intention to kill him. No. He was just making it seem real. He would
have never killed him. Because if he had…Dazai wouldn’t have been happy with that. Knowing he
had survived by betraying him…Just what kind of face would Dazai make if he heard that?

Atsushi and Akutagawa both launched at each other, letting the man think they were about to fight.
At the last moment, Akutagawa made Rashomon into armor for Atsushi.

The perfect attack. The perfect opportunity. Dazai was sure that was the moment he had been
waiting for all along. He knew it. He took the flare he had in his pocket, and with no hesitation, he
lit it up.

Without thinking about it much, he came out of the shadows and ran towards Akutagawa, as fast as
he could, keeping his hand extended outwards, like a shield to his body.

One second.
He had an opening of exactly one second.
He used it.

Fukuchi was too busy cutting off Atsushi’s hand to notice Dazai had made his way there. So, when
he went to slash Akutagawa, right after, he was surprised to be met with a metallic extension rather
than the boy’s body.

Dazai looked at him bored. Fukuchi stared at him in disbelief.

His ability. It would seem his sword wasn’t as mighty anymore.

But that wouldn’t matter to him, would it? His sword was able to cut through time. It should have
been impossible to stop it before it did that right?

Well, that was what Dazai had thought at first. His weapon was too powerful, but if he could find a
way to take it, he could nullify it.
The sword had been made by an ability user. It contained the essence of an ability. So
theoretically, if Dazai touched it, it would cease to work. But touching it…It was another thinking
it and a completely other making that a reality.

So, he put his mind to work. And soon, he came up with a plan. A ridiculously risky plan, but a
plan.
Fukuchi’s sword couldn’t travel through time if there was no time.

Dazai held in his breath as he felt everything around him stop.

Atsushi and Akutagawa had brought him enough time. They had brought him enough time to
guarantee them the win.

Without losing not a second, Dazai grabbed the unmoving sword from Fukuchi’s clasp. Then, he
took out the roll of fishing line he had been hiding inside his coat and took one end of the thread.
He tied it to Fukuchi’s ankle as fast as he could. It wouldn’t hold for long, but it would buy him
some more time once time unfroze.

He let the thread unravel as he ran to the railing on the other side. He looked down and there he
found Chuuya. He was frozen in mid-air, on his way to the back part of the ship. Dazai took one
look at him, before running back to his original position with the sword still in his hands.

Since Fukuchi would be unable to use his ability and his sword, he figured it would be relatively
easy for Chuuya to approach him and use his gravity manipulation, while the others escaped. He
figured, if he could place him at that advantage, he could do the rest of the work for him.
If he couldn’t…Dazai didn’t want to think about that possibility. Simply because that possibility
was the only hole in the plan.
When time stopped, the only person that could move was Dazai, and unfortunately, he couldn’t
‘bring’ anyone else with him to that little time window. So, as much as he would have preferred to,
he couldn’t make Chuuya touch Fukuchi. That, he had to find a way to do it himself.
But he didn’t worry.
It was Chuuya. He trusted he would find an opening.

The few seconds he had ‘obtained’ passed for Dazai, and suddenly everything was moving again.

‘’ DAZAI SIR- ‘’ Akutagawa looked horrified at where his past mentor had been. There was
nothing there, now.
Fukuchi was looking at the same spot, his hands empty, his eyes wide.

‘’WHAT.’’

There was no explanation. Nothing that could make sense inside his head. Atsushi was equally
confused, as the other two. He could have sworn he had seen Dazai running up to Akutagawa right
before Fukuchi had cut down his arm.

‘’ WHERE IS MY SWORD? AND WHY- Before Fukuchi could even finish his sentence, a boat
found him.
A big boat that exploded into a million pieces the moment it came into contact with his body.

‘’ So, you’re the guy behind it all? ‘’ From the air, with his leg outstretched, came Chuuya.
‘’ Hm, I thought you would have a sword.’’ He said, before launching into him.

Atsushi and Akutagawa stared at the two men as they fought. Even without his ability, Fukuchi
seemed to be much more agile and fast. Atsushi guessed that was because he was a Hunting Dog.
But even then, he knew the man couldn’t be compared to the speed Chuuya would obtain, once he
used his gravity manipulation on himself.

He waited for that to happen but it didn't. Why? Why were neither their abilities working?

‘’ Pssst,’’ Atsushi heard a low voice whisper, ‘’ Atsushi.’’ He turned his head to find Dazai hidden
around the corner. He had been too obvious. Akutagawa seemed to catch up on them. Now, both
boys were staring at him, their eyebrows furrowed.
Dazai mouthed one word.
Flee.

So, he had been there. Atsushi had been sure of it. He had saved them somehow. He had done
something to get ahold of the sword. But how?

Flee. Dazai mouthed the word again.

Atsushi looked over at Akutagawa. Akutagawa nodded his head. It was a direct order from Dazai.
Even if he had wanted to defeat that old man, he knew better than to disobey orders.
Seeing as he had no other option, Atsushi too nodded his head.

‘’ You’re quite the martial artist, kid,’’ Fukuchi said, blocking another attempt of Chuuya’s, ‘’ But
I’m your superior,’’ He attacked back, hitting him on his stomach, ‘’ I’ve been to war.’’ He tried to
hit him again, but the younger man avoided him in time.
‘’ And I’ve shared an apartment with Dazai. That's as good as a war.’’ Chuuya said, making a joke
out of the situation. He received only a confused look from the older man, as well as another punch
on his ribs.
‘’ Not a fan of jokes? ‘’ Chuuya retorted,
‘’ Fine,’’ He landed another hit, but it was still not strong enough to knock the man down.

He couldn’t use his ability and neither could Fukuchi. That meant there was something binding
them to Dazai. Since Fukuchi didn’t know about him, he wouldn’t know about his ability either.
So, if it were something it had to be invisible, it had to be-
Oh.
Oh, he could see it now. If he looked hard enough, he could see the extremely thin string wrapped
around the man's boot. Oh, Dazai was clever. He was too clever. They had used that tactic once
again but in the opposite way. With a red ribbon, instead of transparent fishing line.

Chuuya wanted to laugh. He had so many questions. So many. But if he wanted to ask them and
get answers, he first needed to deal with him

And there was only one way.

He had one chance. One chance to cut the string and touch him immediately after. If he blew it…
well…he couldn’t be thinking about that.

Chuuya gathered some momentum before launching himself on him again. Then he did something
he hadn’t done before. He dodged and went for an uppercut. It was such a western move. Real
martial artists didn’t use it that often.

It caught the man by surprise.

He had one opening, and he used it.

With his leg, he stepped on the string, to make it stretch, and with his hand, he took out his knife
and cut it. The moment he felt it snap, he touched Fukuchi’s upper arm.

The man didn’t know what hit him.

One moment he thought he would be winning. The next, he was kneeling on the ground, his body
too heavy to control or move.

‘’ I got him, down.’’ Chuuya spoke into the void, a satisfactory smile tugging at his lips. ‘’ You
can come out now.’’

Dazai walked out of the corner, with a grin on his face, and the sword still in his hands. Fukuchi
saw him, and immediately his face contorted with fury.

Normally, that would be the time when Dazai would taunt his enemy by asking them if they were
wondering how he had done it. How he had managed to trap or defeat them. But much to his
dismay, because of a particular contract, he couldn’t talk aloud to people that weren’t Mafia, unless
he had clearance. And Mori had only given him clearance to communicate with Atsushi. And only
for the sake of the mission. So, as much as he wanted to explain the details of his plan to Fukuchi,
he couldn’t.

‘’ Still can’t talk, huh? ‘’

He couldn't tell him about the brilliance of his plan. He couldn't tell him about the way he had
extorted a favor out of Ango. He couldn't tell him about his impeccable timing or gloat about the
way everything had gone as he had planned. He couldn't tell him anything.

Dazai shook his head. Then he showed him the sword and pretended to break it over his knee.
‘’ You think I can destroy it? ‘’ Dazai nodded affirmatively. ‘’ Are you sure? ‘’ Chuuya had his
doubts. Dazai didn’t blame him. He also had his doubts. But he was willing to take a risk.
‘’ Well, let’s try it.’’
Chuuya took a hold of the sword, and then compressed it with his hands, using his gravity
manipulation. Upon the activation of his power, the blade gave up under his hands and crumbled
into pieces.

‘’ CHUUYA ‘’ Dazai screamed, pushing Chuuya to the side, deflecting Fukuchi’s blow with his
body. The man’s knife managed to find his ribs before he could escape it.

Chuuya looked at Dazai horrified before he turned around to kick the man in the stomach. A smile
appeared on the man’s face, then, but Chuuya knew it wouldn't last long.
He had managed to block his attack with his hand, yes, but Chuuya had still touched him.

The man groaned in pain, as gravity pulled him and the knife he had used, onto the ground. His
bones slowly gave up under his augmented weight and started breaking. The force wouldn't kill
him, but it would be enough to leave him unconscious for a while. Once he had passed out from
the pain, and after a few seconds, Chuuya kicked him on his abdomen for good measure.
Then he ran to Dazai who had been flung across to the wall.

Dazai ‘’ Chuuya yelled, running towards the man fallen on the ground. ‘’ Dazai, are you okay? ‘’
he asked as he neared him, his voice full of concern, his eyes widened by worry.
" Oi, Dazai, are you-

Brownish eyes met his and Chuuya could finally breathe again.

That bastard.
How dare he make him feel so scared?

A ghostly smile appeared on Dazai's worn-out face and even though no sound had managed to
escape him, Chuuya knew exactly what he was thinking just by the expression he was forcing out.

I told you it would work, didn’t I?

Practically, Dazai had told him shit. But he wasn’t about to say that. Not when they had won.

He wanted to punch him and wipe that stupid smirk off his face. He wanted to grab him by his
collar and scream at him that he couldn’t do that. That he couldn’t be so reckless. but he felt too
relieved to do that.

‘’ What the hell was that plan? ‘’ his voice came out shaky and rushed but he didn’t care. ‘’ And
why the fuck did you take that hit? Look at you. It could have killed you.‘’

Dazai was many things but stupid wasn't one of them. He wasn't oblivious to the root of his
partner's anger, he was simply pretending to be for reasons that escaped even him.

He let his bloodied teeth show as he grinned, knowing damn well that response would only make
Chuuya all the more furious.
Good thing it didn’t.
And honest to god, if Chuuya hadn’t been so relieved by the fact they had both survived that whole
ordeal, he would have thrown him off that ship and into the ocean in a heartbeat.
But even with that gruesome fantasy in mind, he still took a moment to put his anger aside and
consider opening his mouth to say something more to him. To say something meaningful.
Something that could maybe leave an impact on his thick skull.

It was a waste of time.

What he said to him or how he said it, didn’t matter. Dazai would never understand why putting
his life in danger was so wrong.
Even if Chuuya spent the rest of his life screaming the reasons to him, he would still never
understand.

Dazai raised his hand and with the back of his palm, he swiftly wiped the blood from his mouth.
His eyes stayed on Chuuya for only a second before they shifted their attention downwards to his
body and all the different wounds that were causing it to bleed out.
He took a moment to stare at his leg that was bent in a not-so-comfortable angle and at the tangled
bandages messily wrapped around his arms. Then, he returned his gaze back to his partner, a
pained look on his face.
It didn’t kill me but it hurt like a bitch.

Dazai and Chuuya didn’t need words to communicate. Dazai’s expressions, looks, and movements
were enough for Chuuya to figure out what he was thinking. More than enough.
The two of them had been living together for more than seven years before they had been forced to
‘split’. Accurately guessing what Dazai wanted to be saying was as simple to Chuuya as breathing.

‘’ Hurt like a bitch, didn’t it? ’’ Chuuya offered him his hand with a smirk on his face. Hiding
whatever true feelings he might have had about the situation behind a false insufferable smugness.
‘’ You sure look like it did..’’

And even though Dazai knew he had several broken bones and bruises that wouldn't heal for
weeks, those pains paled in comparison to the agony that was not being able to talk to his partner.
The agony that was not being able to open up his mouth and laugh at his stupid jokes that were so
clearly just mere attempts at defusing the tension between them.

‘’ I know, I know,’’ Chuuya decided to interpret his silence on his own. ‘’ He is a military man.
The fact you managed to outsmart him is admirable and I should be amazed that you did that.’’
Chuuya hoisted him up, taking most of his weight on his own two shoulders. ‘’ That’s what you’re
thinking, no? ‘’ Dazai’s innocent look was enough of an answer.

Normally, he would’ve preferred to stand up on his own and not rely on him, but considering he
had a broken bone in his leg and therefore was unable to walk by himself, he had decided to put
some of his dignity aside and take up on his partner’s offer.

‘’ Well, since you didn’t die and we did manage to beat our bad guy, I suppose I could be nice to
you this once and perhaps compliment your fighting style.’’
Dazai’s eyes lit up with excitement.
‘’ Unfortunately, your technique was dreadful and you couldn’t even block a single hit, so I have
nothing good to say.’’

If he could have, he would have laughed.

But that was unfortunately impossible without hurting him, so he did the next best thing he could
do.
He gave Chuuya a smile.
The most sincere smile he had ever given anyone.
A smile straight from the bottomless abyss that was supposed to have once been his heart.

To his surprise, Chuuya smiled back.

The same fondness residing behind his eyes.

God, why did he have to lose this?

THE NEXT DAY

‘’ Is this the report? ‘’ Mori asked, extending his hand so that Dazai could give him the paper he
was holding. Dazai did his best to contain himself and not crumble it up on a ball and throw it on
his face.
‘’ Yes.’’ he said, with his voice low.
‘’ Let’s see then.’’ Mori flicked the paper once so it would straighten. Dazai didn’t see a reason to
do that, seeing as the paper was already in perfect condition, but whatever, he didn’t care enough to
point the movement and its oddness out.
‘’ The prevention of the War against Kamui. ‘’ Mori read the title aloud, ‘’ Very interesting,’’ he
acted like he was reading the latest issue of some kind of gossip magazine and not an official
mission report by an executive. His attitude was making Dazai’s blood boil.

‘’ The use of a favor provided by the Special Division’s agent, Sakaguchi Ango. Through this
personal connection of mine, I was able to obtain clearance for one’s transfer from the Mersault
prison to Yokohama, for just a little under an hour. The notice I gave was too late, but fortunately,
the paperwork was finished in time, and the means of transport were as well provided.’’ Mori
stared at Dazai, ‘’ So that’s how you did it, huh? Getting the help of your friend and-
‘’ Ango is not my friend.’’ Dazai replied, perhaps sharper than he should have. ‘’ But yes, I did ask
for the assistance of the Special Division. Defeating Fukuchi and his sword could only be feasible
if I found a way to stop time from moving, and thus his sword from tearing through it. I couldn’t
have done that without their cooperation.’’
‘’ I’m impressed.’’ Dazai couldn’t care less whether Mori was impressed with him or not. His
opinion honestly meant nothing to him. ‘’ You managed to bring a top prisoner from Europe, here,
in under twelve hours. You must have done some big favor to the Special Division, for that to
happen.’’
He had saved Ango’s life.
He knew that was the only reason Ango had acted so fast.
He wouldn’t reveal that to Mori though.
‘’ You could say that, yes.’’
‘’ Says here you also used the Agency to track down Nikolai and Sigma.’’
‘’ I didn’t use the Agency. I simply constructed a plan and incorporated them into it. They could
refuse to be a part of it, any time they wanted.’’
‘’ Yes, I’m sure the same goes for Akutagawa, the were-tiger, and Chuuya.’’ Mori had always been
one to think of what words he would speak. The word used, for example, he had used it for a
reason. And it was the same reason he now referred to Nakahara as Chuuya, instead.
‘’ They also had a choice. They chose to believe in my plan and-
‘’ Oh, Dazai, you can’t actually believe what you’re saying.’’ Mori mused as he looked at him, ‘’
These people, they don’t have a choice. That’s just a lie you tell yourself to make using them
easier.’’
‘’ It’s not-
‘’ I’m sorry, I misspoke.’’ Mori quickly defended, ‘’ I meant to say, using the affection they have
towards you. Their feelings, in other words.’’
Dazai wouldn’t let him get under his skin that easily.
‘’ Is there anything else you don’t understand? Or has the ability to comprehend simple texts
returned to you? ‘’
Mori turned his attention back to the paper.
‘’ You didn’t kill him.’’ He said, reading the corresponding line in the text. ‘’ Like with Nikolai,
and the ability user that can stop time, you arranged for him to be sent to Mersault.’’
‘’ He is a highly dangerous skill user. I think it was the right call to make.’’
Mori’s expression told him the man had been expecting something else. And Dazai had to. But
fortunately, staining his hands again hadn’t been necessary to bring the man down.
‘’ Only time wilL tell,’’ Mori answered, placing the paper on top of his desk right next to his pen.
‘’ And I see you already handled the Hunting Dog situation, as well? ‘’
‘’ Like my report states, I had Kunikida and the President of the Detective Agency arrange for a
meeting with them to clear up any confusion created and explain to them what transpired with their
boss.’’
‘’ The Page? ‘’
‘’ Again, if you just took the time to read through my report instead of asking me about it, you
would see that I very clearly state that the recovery of the page has been successful.’’
Mori nodded his head, ‘’ Very well then.’’
‘’ Am I allowed to leave or is there anything else-
‘’ You can go, yes.’’ Mori signaled with his hand, ‘’ You did a good job averting this crisis.’’

Daza didn’t even reply to that. He simply walked to the door and then out of that room.

At least the world had been saved.

He entered his office and headed straight for the couch in the middle of the room. He exhaled once
before throwing himself on top of the cushions.

He had saved the world. But who would save him?

He rolled off the couch and into the floor, thinking that its coldness was much more inviting than
the warmth of the couch. He shifted his body so that his arm would be freed from underneath him,
then he stretched it.
With his other hand, he started removing the bandages wrapped around it, slowly revealing a
picture and some letters underneath, alongside a folded piece of paper.
He took the paper out of the ‘pocket’ that had been created by his gauzes and unfolded it.

He was greeted by a smiling Chuuya and a smiling him, And then, by three more serious-looking
people. Those two photos were the only things he had managed to take with him in the Port Mafia.
And if he were, to be honest, they were the only two things that mattered enough.
Although, a few more photos of his time with the Agency wouldn’t have hurt.

His time with the Agency.

Only a few days had passed since he had made that deal, yet his life there felt more like an old
movie he had once watched when he had been a child, rather than something he had lived.
His life there seemed like something so alien to him, now. Something so old, so distant.
So far out of reach.
He hated that feeling.

‘’ Oi, Nakahara,’’ Yosano called out to the man, ‘’ How are you feeling? ‘’ She asked, approaching
him with two glasses of wine in her hands.
‘’ We won the war, so pretty damn good.’’ Chuuya lied, forcing some cheerfulness in his voice,
‘‘ You sure about that? ‘’
‘’ Fukuchi and that bastard clown have been sent to Mersault and the Hunting Dogs aren’t out for
our heads. After an eventful week, I can finally relax, so yeah, I’m feeling pretty good right now. ‘’
He took the glass the woman offered him and downed it.
‘’ If you’re feeling as good as you say, why aren’t you joining us at the party? We’re celebrating
the same exact things you named, you know.’’
‘’I’m celebrating in my own way.’’
‘’ With that empty bottle behind you? ‘’
Chuuya turned his head to see if the bottle was visible from where she was standing.
‘’ Yes.’’ It was. So there was no point in denying its existence.
‘’ You read the report that was sent to us, right? ‘’
‘’ I did.’’
‘’ It’s impressive how he managed to save our asses even from there.’’ Yosano said, with a light
smile on her lips, ‘’ How he managed to contact the Special Division, and how-
‘’ Can we not talk about him? ‘’ Chuuya didn’t sound angry. He sounded exhausted.
‘’ Please? ‘’
Yosano took a sip out of her own glass, before sitting on the chair next to him. ‘’ Okay then. What
do you want to talk about? ‘’
‘’ Him? ‘’ Chuuya whispered, knowing he was contradicting himself. ‘’ I don’t know. I just-Do
you remember the last time we were here? ‘’
‘’ In this bar? ‘’
‘’ Yeah.’’
‘’ I remember t, why? ‘’
‘’ I think I figured out why what Ranpo had said had made me feel like it had.’’
‘’ Did you, now? ‘’
‘’ Yeah…’’ He grabbed Yosano’s drink and downed the rest of it without any warning. Then he
turned back to her. ‘’ I got angry because he figured out how I was feeling for him before I did.’’
He admitted. ‘’ And now that I finally did, it’s too late.‘’
Yosano couldn’t say anything to that. She couldn’t make fun of him or of his feelings this time
around. It wouldn’t be funny, it would be cruel. And she wasn’t a cruel person.
‘’ What made you realize that? ‘’ she asked, thinking that telling the story could maybe help
lighten up his mood.
‘’ I opened our fridge the day after all had been said and done,’’ He started, his voice quieter ‘’ and
inside it, I saw an empty bottle of water.’’ he snickered at the memory, with bitterness
‘’ My first reaction was to grab it and throw it at the wall.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ Cause I couldn’t throw it at Dazai’s head, anymore? ‘’ It was such a stupid thing to say but it
rang true. That was the moment he had realized just how big a part of his life Dazai was.
‘’ It was a given. I would tell him to refill the bottles every day. He would never do that. I would
get mad and throw the bottles at him. He would be forced to go and buy us some more.’’
‘’...’’
‘’ Yesterday, when I opened the fridge again, late at night, there were no bottles there. And there
 were no bottles on the counter either.’’ his eyes fell on his wrist, and then at his tattoo, ‘’ There
were no bottles at all.’’

Chapter End Notes

The fight with Fukuchi, god, figuring out how it could work and make sense
ABSOLUTELY destroyed all my remaining brain cells. But I think there is some logic
behind the fight and how it played out. Or at least I hope it seems like that.

I really hope you liked this chapter. It doesn't have that much Soukoku in it, due to
many reasons, but it has plenty of Dazai and Chuuya being their amazing and
competent selves, so I think that's okay. (for the time being.)
 Come Back...Be Here...
Chapter Summary

Dazai is still in the Port Mafia.

Chuuya is still in the ADA.

This is their first year apart, ever since they were fifteen.

Chapter Notes

OKAY OKAY I KNOW THE CHAPTER TOOK SO LONG BUT

It's legit 45k words...I believe that makes up for the lateness, not?

I honestly don't even know how that happened, but let me tell you, I SUFFERED,
writing this BUT THEN Christmas break my beloved came, and I was SAVED.
So many things happen in this chapter...I just hope you like it<3

P.S.
( This chapter is LONG AF so if there are any mistakes, I'm sorry I didn't beta-read the
entire thing:( please do your best to ignore them)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

‘’ I told you everything I know, everything, so please.’’ The man in front of him begged for his life,
tears falling from his eyes like a waterfall, ‘’ Let me live,’’ his voice came out shakier as he tried to
speak louder, ‘’ Let me live and I swear, I’ll do anything you ask of [Link].’’ Snot was
coming out of his nose and blood was dripping down from his mouth. ‘’ I beg of you, please-
‘’ Oh, shut up.’’
The coldness in his voice quieted down the man in an instant.
‘’ All you’ve done since I arrived here is beg for your life.’’ The shadow spoke again slowly,
letting his voice echo inside the small room. ‘’ Even now, even after I’ve taken both your hands
you’re still begging me to release you. Why?’’
The man moved his head around trying to find the source of the voice. He looked to his right and
to his left but he didn’t seem to be able to find what he was looking for. Too disoriented to continue
his search, he fixed his gaze on a spot on the horizon.
‘’ I want to live.’’ He said, his voice too weak and too low. ‘’ Even without hands, even without
legs, even without a kidney or two, I want to live.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’ The shadow’s voice grew stronger, ‘’ What do you have to go back to? ’’ It grew
louder, ‘’ What could you possibly have, ‘’ He slammed his hand on the table in frustration as he
looked at the nearly dead man.’’ that makes you cling so tightly to life?‘’
‘’ I have a family.’’ the man said, more tears falling from his eyes. ‘’ I have a beautiful wife and a
son on the way. I want to be there for them both.’’
‘’ You have a son on the way yet you decided to cross the Port Mafia-
‘’ It was a mistake’’’ The man shouted, his lungs clearly burning from the pain. ‘’ I crossed the
Mafia because they forced me.’’ he said, his voice lowered, ‘’ If I hadn’t, they would have killed
her.’’
‘’ Well, now you’re the one that’s going to die.’’
‘’ Not if you don’t kill me.’’ The man desperately tried, ‘’ My life is in your hands, good sir.’’ His
head shot up to look at him. His eyes were almost closed, ‘’ I can go back to my wife if you only let
me. I can see her again, I can be there when my son is born.’’ His eyes fluttered one last time, ‘’ So
please, please. Save me.’’

Dazai wished he could.

He wished he could walk up to the man on the chair and untie him. He wished he could open the
door of the cell they were in and let him run away. Let him return to his loved ones. Let him have
his life.

But an order was an order.

So as much as he didn’t want to, he had no other choice but to do it.

‘’ Plea-

A gunshot echoed inside the small chamber as blood splattered everywhere and covered him
whole. A gunshot whose echo would haunt him for the rest of his life.

He wiped his gun clean with a handkerchief and put it in his back pocket. Then he looked at the
body on the chair. At the hole between his eyes, and at the blood that was now dripping down his
face.

‘’ I’m sorry.’’

It was a whisper he knew would never reach anyone other than himself but even then he had found
it necessary to say.

‘’ I’m so sorry.’’

He threw the bloodied handkerchief down on the floor and turned to the door. With shaking hands,
he reached for the handle. He stained it red. He stared at it for only a second before he turned the
handle slightly to the left and walked out.

He had done it.

He had killed again.

He thought it would have been way worse. He thought the guilt and the regret would have been
eating him alive. He thought he would have been feeling remorse
But no,
There was nothing.
Maybe a twinge of pity for the poor man, but that was all.

But weren't good people supposed to feel guilty when they did something bad?
If so, why wasn’t he feeling guilty?
Why wasn’t he feeling anything at all?

Dazai stared at the broken mirror in the hall and at his obscured reflection. He stared at the spots
of red he had yet to wash away. He stared at his hands that were still shaking.
Why were they painted red?
The question echoed inside his head as he watched the blood on them dry.
Why were his hands painted red again?
If it had been the blood of someone he had saved or lost in a case or a mission he would have
understood. His brain would have registered that. But the blood wasn’t of a colleague's. It wasn't
of someone he had tried to save.
The blood was of a person he had killed.
Of a husband who would have become a father if he hadn’t pulled the trigger on him.

His hands were painted red because he had killed…Again.

After keeping his hands washed for so many years he had stained them once more. But this time, it
was different. This time he knew water wouldn’t be enough to cleanse them. He knew that no
matter how hard he scrubbed, that stain wouldn't leave.

‘’ Osamu, good morning. Did you do what I asked of you? ‘’

‘’ The information I gathered is all written down on the paper in front of you.’’ Dazai said in a
monotone, his hands indicating the paper on the top of his desk. ‘’ He wasn’t the mastermind
behind the operation. He was simply someone that had been forced to play him.’’
‘’ I figured that much out…He didn’t look like someone that could come up with such a plan.’’
Mori commented, taking the paper in his hands. ‘’ So, in what condition did you leave him? ‘’
‘’ Dead.’’ Dazai spoke the word calmly, no sentiment behind it. ‘’ As you requested.’’
‘’ Good, very well.’’ The man looked at Dazai and then paused, ‘’ And how did he die? ‘’ he
asked, ‘’ Some elaborate torture of yours, I assume, or-
‘’ I shot him in the head.‘’
‘’ I see.’’ Mori leaned back on his chair, his eyes traveling down to the page he was holding.
‘’ Not so creative anymore, are we? ‘’

Dazai imagined taking his gun out and shooting him.

He hadn’t felt bad when he had shot that poor man a few minutes prior but he was sure he would
feel good if he shot Mori.
Unlike he did with the man, Dazai wouldn’t shoot Mori once, no.
If he were to shoot him he would do it right.

‘’ At any rate, I have another job I need you to do.’’

One shot for every year he had tortured his mind.

‘’ And that is…? ‘’

Eight shots in total.

‘’ At exactly midnight, I’ll need you to be at the entrance of the 17th warehouse. Your job is to meet
up with some business partners of mine and assist them in any way you can.’’

Maybe he wouldn’t use his gun but rather a knife.

‘’ Some business partners of yours? I think I need to know a little more if I’m to meet with them.‘’

No. A scalpel.

‘’ Trust me, you don’t. You already know more than enough about them.’’
A scalpel so he could slowly slice his throat the same way he had done to his predecessor.

" If you say so." Dazai turned around to leave, the thought of killing Mori still entertaining his
mind. It was a thought he had been having every day for the past couple of months, now. One of
the many he wished he could act upon.
‘’ Oh, and I almost forgot,’’ Mori spoke again, and Dazai had to greet his teeth in order not to say
anything he would regret. ‘’ There is another executive meeting taking place tomorrow. It will
concern a certain proposal that was offered to me this morning. Keep that in mind.’’

A certain proposal?
Dazai had no idea what that meant, and honestly, he didn’t want to know. It would probably be
some kind of business opportunity for the Port Mafia. Some deal that could be proven very
beneficial to the organization perhaps. Some deal Mori would make Dazai accept on his behalf or
investigate to see if it was a trap or not.
Whatever the case, it would surely concern the Port Mafia, and that was enough reason for Dazai
to not want to do it.

Actually, there were plenty of things he didn’t want to do

He didn’t want to attend another pathetic ‘Executive’ meeting with just him, Kouyou, and Mori.
He didn’t want to be the one that came up with all the good ideas about how they could make the
organization flourish. He didn’t want to be the one that had to materialize said ideas, and make
them a reality. He didn’t want to torture people. He didn’t want to interrogate people. And he
didn’t want to kill people.

He didn’t want to do any of those things. But no matter how much he didn’t want to do them, he
had to. Because it was either ‘do these things’ or ‘ have Chuuya die because you didn’t do them’.

And he wouldn’t have the latter.

Chuuya stared at the board in front of him. At the pictures and at the torn pieces of paper hanging
loosely by some pins and threads. ‘’ I’m still thinking.’’ He replied, his eyes following all the
different routes the red string could lead him to. Trying to figure out how every photo and every
article were connected with each other. ‘’ Give me a moment.’’
‘’ Chuuya, sir, if you can’t-
‘’ I’ll find it.’’ The man said sharply, squinting his eyes, trying to look harder.
The answer had to be there. It had to be right under his nose. It had to be staring back at him.
‘’ I just need a couple more minutes.’’

There were six people killed in total. Three men and three women. But it ‘just so happened’ that
these six people were also the murderers. So the question was: Who had killed whom and why?
And how had the last of the six been killed? Was there a secret seventh killer? Were they still on
the loose? Or-

‘’ Do we know anything else about them? ‘’ Chuuya turned to ask the two kids standing beside his
desk, ‘’ Or is this all? ‘’
‘’ This is all.’’ Kyoka replied for what she was sure was the fourth time that hour.
‘’ Hmmm.’’
Fuck.
‘’ Are you sure? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’ Atsushi sighed, exhausted. ‘’ We are.’’ But why did he sound so tired? It hadn’t even been
that long since-
Oh.
‘’ Atsushi.’’ He made the name sound more like a question.
‘’ Yes? ‘’
‘’ How many times have I told you ‘I just need a couple of minutes?’ ‘’ Chuuya asked, looking at
the clock on the far end wall, willing the numbers to change. ‘’ Actually, scratch that. How long
have I been staring at this board for? ‘’
‘’ An hour and a half.’’ Kyoka seemed completely unfazed by her answer, but that was to be
expected. Like him, she had been raised by Kouyou. Even if she were ready to fall asleep out of
tiredness, she wouldn’t show it.
‘’ It’s not that long if you think about it.’’ Atsushi tried his best to reassure him.
‘’ It’s a hard case and there is little to no evidence and-
‘’ There is no need to sugarcoat it, kid.’’ Chuuya scoffed, pushing his body onto the back of his
chair. ‘’ Just say I suck.’’
‘’ No, no,’’ the boy dismissed his statement, waving his hands frantically. ‘’ It’s not like that,’’ he
continued trying to make the situation sound better. ‘’ The case is quite misleading. Even someone
like Da…gawa Ranpo would have found it to be troubling.’’
Chuuya raised his eyebrows at him, keeping his eyes half-open. ‘’ You know I’m not going to bite
your head off if you say his name, right? ‘’
The boy looked nervously around him before his eyes fell on Kyoka. ‘’ I know.’’ He said, unsure of
his words. ‘’ I was just…I didn’t think it would be…proper…? ‘’
‘’ It wouldn’t be proper because your statement would have been factually incorrect.’’ Chuuya
kept his voice low and his eyes on the boy. ‘’ I assure you, Dazai would have taken one look at the
pictures and he would have instantly known who had killed whom.’’
‘’ You think so? ‘’
‘’ You don’t? ‘’ Kyoka stared at Atsushi in confusion. ‘’ I didn’t know mister Dazai for that long
but even I can tell you he would have known that.’’
‘’ See? Kyoka isn’t lying to make me feel better for being a lousy detective.’’ said Chuuya, eyeing
the girl and then the boy. ‘’ You should do the same.’’
‘’ But I don’t think you’re a lousy detective.’’ It would seem Atsushi was quite adamant in
defending his opinion. ‘’ You have solved so many cases over these past two months, alone. The
fact you’re now stuck on one doesn’t change that.’’
‘’ Whatever, kid,’’ said Chuuya, suddenly eager to drop the subject. There was no merit in arguing
with the boy, so he didn’t do it. ‘’ Ten minutes, okay? If I haven’t solved it by then, I’m giving up
and I’m treating you two to some ice cream. How does that sound? ‘’
‘’ Ooo, I want ice cream too! Yelled Kenji from inside the hallway. Supposedly, he should have
been taking his afternoon nap on the hallway couch. But as it would seem, he was wide awake.
Chuuya didn’t even question it. No one stuck to their schedule in the ADA. Well, no one but
Kunikida. But he was an extremist perfectionist so it didn’t count.
‘’ Fine, fine, you too, kid.’’ A distant cheerful ‘yay’ was heard coming from the hallway and then
nothing. Silence befell the office once more.
‘’ Ice cream, huh? ‘’ Kyoka nodded her head happily, ‘’ Okay.’’ she smiled, turning to Atsushi.
Atsushi returned the smile. ‘’ Sounds great.’’

Chuuya didn’t want to act like the ADA’s babysitter again, so he figured that ‘deal’ would be
motivation enough for him to solve the case as quickly as possible.
The man looked at the pictures again,
There was something he was missing. He knew there was something. But unfortunately, he knew
neither what it was nor how he would figure it out.
Alright. Let’s do this one clue at a time.
The women had all been wearing dresses of the same color and cut. The man had all been suited
up, with their ties matching the color of the women’s dresses. So the most likely scenario was that
the murders had taken place right before or right after some kind of formal event they would all
have been attending.
But there was nothing about said event.
Nothing in their work schedules. Nothing in their socials. Nothing in their personal agendas.
Absolutely not a single mention had been made by any of them about any kind of formal event. The
Agency had even tried to contact their family members, close friends, and partners, and inquire
about it. There had not been a single written mention in sight. Not a verbal one either.

Why?

Most of them, as claimed by their employers and close associates, had been punctual people. The
kind of people that write every appointment they have down on their agenda. Always keeping tabs
on important events and situations. So, why had they left this one specific event out of it?
And how had they coordinated such a thing? According to the research the Agency, mostly
Chuuya, had done, the six people were not connected at all. They weren’t from the same
workplace. They hadn’t gone to the same school. They had next to zero similar interests or
hobbies. Not even their socials were entwined.
So how were they all connected?

Two minutes had already gone by.

Come on.
What was it that was escaping him? What couldn’t he see?
It had to be something obvious, he was sure of that. It had to be something Dazai would have found
instantly. Something so simple he would have kept making very vague comments about, until
Chuya would too, have figured it out.

What did that bastard always say? If you can’t find anything on the bodies, look around. Most
clues come from the surrounding area, not the bodies themselves.
The surrounding area…The pictures were too focused on the bodies. The only other things visible
were the meadow beneath them, the grass, and the flowers.
The flowers.

‘’ Oi, Kyoka,’’ Chuuya addressed the girl again, a suspicion rising in his mind. ‘’ Would you
happen to have some general knowledge about flowers? ‘’
Kyoka looked at him. her eyebrows knitted. ‘’ I…I wasn’t taught much about flowers.’’ she replied
with sincerity.’’ So no…I don’t think so.’’ Chuuya nodded his head.
‘’ I do.’’ His head snapped to the boy next to her. ‘’ I’m not an expert in any way but there was a
garden in the orphanage. and I was the one that had been tasked to maintain it.’’
‘’ I see…Would you happen to know if these types of flowers can be grown in a meadow, then? ‘’
Chuuya leaned even further back on his chair, making sure the boy could see the board and the
pictures clearly.
‘’ They can but…it’s obvious someone put them there. Most of the flowers I see are-
‘’ Can you name them? ‘’ Chuuya took a pen and a sticky note from the stationary pile that was
covering his desk and turned his attention to the boy.
‘’ Uh…Let me see.’’ Atsushi leaned forward, his finger trailing the first photo, pointing at a
reddish flower. ‘’ This one next to the blond woman, is an azalea.’’ He said, and Chuuya wrote the
name down,
‘’ And the small pile of blue ones next to the bold man is called nemophila. We had a whole little
square of those right by the orphanage’s entrance. They don’t bloom until spring. So even though
they can grow on fields like these, they couldn't have bloomed so soon.’’ Chuuya wrote that name
down as well, his eyes still on the boy's fingers as they moved from picture to picture. ‘’ And that’s
another azalea, and that’s a tulip, and-
‘’ That’s an iris, right? ‘’ Kyoka asked, pointing at the purple-violet flower next to the brunette.
‘’ Mhm,’’ Atsushi nodded affirmatively,
‘’ and the last one, the one next to the blond man, is a hydrangea. A pink one, more specifically.’’
‘’ A hydrangea? ‘’ Chuuya wasn’t that familiar with flower names. The only things he knew
regarding the subject were the names of some ‘basic’ flowers, more commonly known, and of some
parasitic plants, Kenji had told him about when he had visited his farm.
‘’ Yes, that's what it's called but why did you-
‘’ I think the seventh killer left us a way to find them.’’
Both kids stared at him, their eyes eagerly waiting for an explanation.
" The flowers must be some kind of code," Chuuya started to elaborate, " If I crack it, I think I'll be
able to find something about our killer."

Walking the hallways of the Organization had never made Dazai feel anything. But that had
changed now. Walking the hallways of the Port Mafia made him feel sick.

Two months.
That’s how long he lasted without killing anyone. Two months.

Was there a significance in the number? If Mori had commanded him he could have killed anyone
even on the first day after his contract had been sealed. So why had he waited two whole months?
Why hadn’t he ordered him to kill earlier before that day?
There were so many questions in his head. So many.
For instance, why had he been ordered to kill that poor man? Dazai had interrogated more than
seventy people since his return to the Executive spot. And he had tortured at least one-third of
those with brutal and cruel methods. But Mori had not commanded him to kill any of those seventy
people. Why? Objectively, they had done much worse things than being a lackey for someone else,
so why?
Was there a reason? Or had Mori done it just to mess with his head? Just because he knew Dazai
would try to come up with a reason or a meaning?
Thinking about all the jobs Mori was making him do was exhausting him but it was better than the
alternative.

‘’ Tachihara Michizo? ‘’ he called out the boy’s name as he stepped inside the training room.
Nobody answered him. He looked at the booth and he immediately understood why.
They were all wearing earmuffs to protect their ears from the various shooting sounds going on
around. It was such a childish thing to do. In a mission, you wouldn’t even have the time to put
those protectors on you. It really was pointless.
Dazai kept those thoughts to himself as he made his way toward the boy. He was surprised to see
the boy wasn’t even using an actual gun.
‘’ Tachihara…? ‘’ he tried again, reaching for his shoulder.
Tachihara jumped back in surprise, ‘’ Executive…’’ he said, unsure if calling him by his name
would have been better.
‘’ I see you chose to join us full-time? ‘’ Dazai remarked his eyes on the boy in front of him and at
the girl sitting nearby in the corner.
‘’ Uh…Since the Hunting Dogs were disbanded and the Boss made it clear he would take me
‘back’ to the organization, I decided to…stick around, yes.’’ Dazai noticed the boy was still
nervous whenever talking to him. He made long pauses and waited for interruptions that would
never occur. He wondered why that was. He had never had a problem with the man, albeit that he
hadn’t even spent that much time with him, to begin with.
He figured it was because of his reputation.
‘’ I took a month off at first after all hell had broken loose. I sat back and took my time figuring out
if I really wanted to stay here or not. Since I hadn’t reached a conclusion within a month, I took
another two weeks, and…now, here I am.’’ From the corner of his eyes, Dazai could see Gin
covering her mouth with her hand in order to stifle her laughter.
‘’ So you took a nice, relaxing vacation, and then you came back here to showcase your ability? ‘’
‘’ Pretty much? ‘’ He could see then, a fraction of the confidence Hirotsu had described he had.’’ I
mean, I did have to go and get two surgeries done before I got here, but yes, it was a lot like a
vocation.’’ the boy said, turning to Gin. ‘’ I had a great time.’’ a smirk tugged on his lips. In
response, Gin very kindly threw a knife near his shoe. Missing his foot only by an intentional
centimeter.
‘’ Anyways,’’ Dazai cleared his throat, ‘’ As great as it is to hear you two had a great time, I only
came here to remind Tachihara that there is an insane amount of paperwork he first needs to deal
with before he is declared an official member of the Port Mafia. The sole reason I’m the one
reminding him instead of the Boss is because, henceforth, The Black Lizards assault group will be
under my command, per his request.’’
‘’ Really? ‘’ Tachihara looked at Dazai, not surprised per se, but definitely amused.
‘’ As I stated already, it was the Boss’s request.’’
‘’ Awesome.’’ Tachiihara nodded his head once too many times for Dazai to believe he was finding
this development good. ‘’ Shall we call you Boss, then? Executive? Bandage Boss? By your name?
By-
‘’ I think sir, would suffice.’’ Gin proposed instead, knowing a few more things about Dazai and
his work ethic than Tachihara did. ‘’ Is that alright by you, Dazai, sir? ‘’
‘’ Osamu.’’
‘’ What? ‘’ Gin looked at him perplexed, slightly tilting her head in question.
‘’ I no longer use the name-my old name.’’ Dazai’s words came out hurriedly and on top of each
other. ‘’ You can call me whatever you want, I’m fine with all nicknames. But if you want to call
me by my name, please, use Osamu instead.’’
He couldn’t believe he was saying those words aloud. He couldn’t believe Mori had made him do
this. No. He believed it alright. It was exactly what he had expected from the man.
‘’ My bad then, sir.’’
The same discomfort he could see in Gin’s eyes, he knew he was feeling inside of him.
‘’ So Bandage Boss is a yes? ‘’ Tachihara raised his eyebrows at Dazai, urging him to confirm.
Dazai gave him a small nod. ‘’ Sure.’’ he said, and Tachihara grinned.
‘’ Alrighty.’’

Dazai figured that was the Tachihara Michizo Hirotsu had talked to him about. This loud,
energetic young man that was grinning at him now like an idiot. He had to admit, he was a lot
better than the nervous guy he had been the first few times they had crossed paths.

‘’ Ey Boss, do you have a job for us or not yet? ‘’

‘’ Eager to return to the battlefield, huh? ‘’ Dazai said with some cheer in his voice, ‘’ Well, finish
that paperwork by midnight and maybe I’ll have something for you tomorrow.
‘’ You got it.’’
The salute Tachihara gave him after he said that, was the thing that broke Gin. She gave in and
finally laughed at the boy’s idiocy, repeating how much she hates him, over and over again.
Tachihara stayed grinning, finding smart ways to counter all that she threw on him.

Dazai slowly made his way out of the room, careful not to be noticed.

He returned to his own office, a bottle in his hands.

His schedule for that day was empty apart from Mori’s request to meet up with some business
associates at midnight, so he decided to grab a bottle and stay inside until that time came.

He opened the bottle and drank from it, not bothering to pick up a glass to pour the liquor in.
Tachihara was so lucky.
He couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy.
After the whole Fukuchi-ordeal was done, Tachihara had taken a whole month and a half for
himself, to relax and think in peace. To have fun sneaking around various places with Gin and to
solidify what his relationship with other Hunting Dogs would be like moving forward. Then, once
he had taken care of all of that and had made up his own mind, he had been accepted back to the
organization he knew he belonged to without it even being made into a big deal.

Dazai was so sickeningly envious of that.

He wished he could have taken the month off. He wished he could have been anywhere but inside
that place. He wished he could have been having fun with Chuuya instead of torturing traitors. He
wished he could have had a break, after all that turmoil.

But the universe, it would seem, had favorites. Tachihara was one of them.
Dazai would never be.

But he guessed he deserved that.

He had killed so many people with his own hands in the past. His plans had also brought the death
of hundreds of men. He had tortured, with methods that could only be considered crueler than
those of medieval times. He had manipulated and exploited people to no end. He had helped the
most disgusting, the most vile of people, with no hesitation,
He had really been nothing but a terrible person.

He really was nothing but a terrible person.

So in retrospect, all that he was going through, he deserved.

He deserved the grief he was feeling about the life he had lost and he deserved the sadness and he
deserved the pain. He deserved the aching that sting his heart and he deserved every bad word
anyone had ever said about him. He deserved everything Mori had ever done to him. He deserved
to be bound to that place forever. He deserved to remain away from all the people he cared about
and cared about him in return.
He deserved to be away from Chuuya.
Away from his only chance at a happy life.

He deserved it.
He fucking deserved it.
…

Cracking codes and deciphering secret messages had always been something Chuuya was good at.
Even before he met Dazai and got to polish that talent of his, Chuuya had still been able to crack
most codes he had needed to during his time with the Sheep. But his talent hadn’t really shined, not
before he had become Dazai’s partner in the Mafia.
Being that boy’s partner required you to have a brain fitted for that job. If you were stupid you
couldn’t have survived him. So even if Chuuya had been sharp enough since he was a kid, he had
still been ‘forced’, in a way, to polish that talent of his to perfection.
Dazai adored using secret codes as a means to convey messages during plans. Making up different
gestures that mean different things. Hiding something important behind a ‘small’ trail of clues to
secure it. Leaving ciphers behind for Chuuya to solve, before going to do something completely
uncalled for.
If you couldn't match his intelligence, or rather the level of intelligence he knew you were capable
of having, you would have died. If you had failed to see through whatever riddle or code he had
thrown in your way, and thus had jeopardized the plan, you would have died.
If you were what he considered stupid, you simply would have died.

For Chuuya to have remained alive for so long, went to show just how smart he really was.

‘’ Hinata.’’ Chuuya finally found it. He knew he did. ‘’ That’s the name of our killer.’’
‘’ How did you come to that conclusion? ‘’ Atsushi asked, lifting his eyes from the paper he was
staring at. ‘’ In what order did you put the letters? ‘’
‘’ The order in which they were killed,’’ Chuuya answered casually, typing the name on his
keyboard, waiting for the computer to show him the connection he had struggled to find between
all the victims. ‘’ I just reversed it.’’
‘’ Oh, okay.’’ Atsushi tilted his body slightly to the left so he too could see the computer screen. ‘’
There.’’ his finger tapped the side of the screen and the list of names that had just appeared. ‘’
That’s one of the six, right?’’
‘’ And there are the rest of them.’’ Chuuya moved the cursor to the names a little further down that
list. ‘’ But if they are all linked to this one person-
‘’ Why didn’t she show when we searched them up? ‘’ Atsushi completed his sentence for him.
‘’ They must have made the connections private.’’ Chuuya theorized aloud, trying to think of a few
more possibilities.‘’ Otherwise, it should have popped up when-OH.’’
‘’ Wait, what happened? ‘’ Kyoka couldn’t see the screen that clearly so she couldn’t understand
why Chuuya had been so surprised. ‘’ Why-
‘’ It would seem miss Hinata is a florist.‘’
‘’ Well, that surely is suspicious.’’ Atsushi stated, ‘’ Still, we can’t be sure if-
‘’ According to her latest updates, she didn’t go to any formal event, but she hosted one.’’ Chuuya
wrote down some information on the back of the sticky note, destroying the tip of his pen in the
process, ‘’ The day they died, she held her wedding. And the place she chose for the ceremony was
relatively close to the field they were found. Only half an hour away by car.’’
‘’ Did they show up uninvited or did she invite them for the sole purpose of killing them? ‘’ Atsushi
thought about it, ‘’ But what reason could she have to do that? And why did she leave this trail of
evidence behind to find her? ‘’ The boy was asking all the right questions but still, the most
important one was escaping him. Chuuya thought he ought to give him a nudge in the right
direction by voicing it aloud.
‘’ If she was the one that killed them all, then why were their DNAs found on the murder weapon?
‘’
‘’ Maybe they tried to stop her? ‘’ Kyoka offered, ‘’ but the likelihood of them all getting to grab
the weapon and still failing to save themselves is really low.’’ she added, contradicting her line of
thought.
‘’ I don’t think that’s the case here.’’ Chuuya observed, looking at the photo of the murder
weapon, ‘’ I think something else went down.’’
" So? Are we going to find her? " Atsushi got up from his chair, readying himself for their
inevitable departure.
Chuuya followed his lead. " Can't do much else."

Atsushi and Kyoka, although both were official members of the Agency, were not fully fledged
detectives yet. Which was completely normal, seeing as they both lacked the proper 'training' for
the job. The Agency did not require you to go through any kind of training course to join, but you
did have to go through a 'learning' phase.
But because of all that had been happening ever since they had joined the Agency, the opportunity
had simply never arisen for either of them. So for that reason, the President had requested Chuuya
to let them tag along with him in a few cases, now that the waters had finally calmed.

Chuuya didn't really have any problem with that. He didn't mind the kids shadowing him for a little
while. What he did mind was that the President had chosen him for the job. Their 'newest' and most
inexperienced detective. The one that still made the most mistakes among the fo-three best
detectives of the Agency.
The reason it bothered him was because he didn't want the kids to learn to do things in his way.
His way was simply too messy and too slow, compared to all the other detectives. He made so
many wrong speculations before arriving at the true conclusion. He missed so many clues and
evidence before finally noticing them. He wasn't the greatest detective but he always got results.
He guessed that was why the President had given that job to him. So that the kids would have a
chance to learn that not all detectives were like Ranpo. Not everyone could solve cases in mere
seconds like he did, and that was okay. That was normal.
Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit offended. Sure, he wasn't the best
detective, he knew that, but he was still trying hard to do a good job. It wasn't his fault he wasn't as
observing and as perceptive as Ranpo or Dazai. His talents lied elsewhere.

The woman had wanted to be found.

When Chuuya, Atsushi, and Kyoka had finally arrived at her house to ‘pay’ her a little visit the
woman had welcomed them with open arms. Straightaway, she had asked them if they were cops
sent there to question her.
The glint in her eyes had told them all they needed to know.
She hadn’t tried to hide. She hadn’t tried to flee. All that she had done was stay seated on her
couch and offer them some tea. She had even gone as far as to say that she would answer any
question thrown at her truthfully.
Chuuya wasn’t sure if Kyoka or Atsushi had picked up on it, but there had been something so
empty in her expression when she had that.

Following the protocol, the first question they asked her was if she had known the six people that
had died. When she had first heard the question she had laughed. An empty, hurting laugh that had
shown them the true ‘sentiment’ behind the killings.
As it turned out, Hinata and the other six had all met each other on the same day, more than
thirteen years ago. At a wedding. The wedding of one common friend that would have ended up
dead not before the clock had struck midnight.
Before that, they hadn’t even known each other's names. The only thing they had known was that
the bride was dead right in front of them, and they were the only people that knew about her death.

The woman had explained their history together in perfect detail. How they had accused each other
initially, how they had tried to play the ‘detectives’ and solve the case of her murder, and how the
group got so carried away that they ended up entangled inside something much bigger than they
had thought. How they put their lives at risk to find their friend’s killer.
How one of them ‘died’, and that caused the whole group to disband and never talk again.

It had been quite an interesting story.

Hinata and the others had spent months going around, playing the vigilantes, trying to uncover the
truth of what had transpired that day. And all had been going well. The more time had passed, the
more clues they had found. They had reached a point where the truth had been right under their
noses. That’s when everything had gone south.

Hinata had died.

He looked over at the clock on the wall and sighed. It was a quarter before midnight. If he left the
room now, he would be down at the docks and at the entrance of the 17th warehouse at exactly
twelve.

He willed his body up from the couch and walked straight to the door.

Pacing around the building, he caught himself thinking of what Chuuya could be doing at such an
hour. He did that often. Wonder if his partner was having a better time than he was.
He really hoped he did,
If only one of them could remain on the side of the light, he was happy it was Chuuya. He deserved
it way more than he ever would.

Dazai wasn’t stupid. He knew exactly who he would be meeting with. Connecting the dots wasn't
that hard. They were close business partners of Mori and according to him, Dazai knew a lot about
them. Of course, that had narrowed down nothing. Dazai knew everything about everyone. What
had sealed his suspicions had been Mori’s smirk as he had said that.
It had been deliberate.
Understanding that, had made everything clearer.

Mori wasn’t someone that forgot. If you had ever dared to outsmart him or his organization he
would remember it for the rest of his life. Or to put it better, he would hold it against you for the
rest of your life. That depending on what you had done, would most likely be short-lived.

When Chuuya and he had confronted that ring of human traffickers some years ago, Dazai had let
his emotions get the best of him. With his mind clouded by this dark desire to relapse into his old
ways, he had sent Mori a message using the ring’s leader. In a desperate attempt to atone for some
of the most horrible things he had condoned while still in the Mafia, Dazai had brought the whole
operation down in one single night.

Up until some hours ago, he had still been under the impression that all the men involved in that
operation had long since been jailed. He had thought they had been left to rot behind bars. But no.
It couldn’t have been so easy. It couldn’t have been that simple.
It made sense. Mori would have never allowed for something like this to happen. The ring had
been contributing an insane amount of money to the Port Mafia. Mori wouldn’t have let it ‘die’
that easily.
It really was his fault.
If he had kept a few tabs on the police department. If he had told them to keep him updated on the
prisoners’ conditions-
If he had paid just a little more attention to them, then maybe he could have prevented them from
getting out. Maybe he could have found a way to stop Mori from using such vile and disgusting
men for his stupid organization’s benefit.
If he hadn’t been that caught up in all the other thoughts he had been having, he could have
stopped them from ever returning back.

How many kids?

How many kids had they abducted since their ‘release’? How many people had they sold, because
Dazai had simply been too preoccupied with other thoughts to spare one at that ring?
How many people had suffered because of his negligence? Because of his inability to do the bare
minimum as a ‘considerate’ person?
Hundreds, probably. Maybe even thousands.

Even when he tried to be a better person he still failed. Maybe Mori was right. Maybe he really
wasn’t meant to be on the side of good. Maybe he truly did belong with the-
No.
No.
God, what would Chuuya say if he knew he was thinking that?
He would be so disappointed. So disgusted with him.
Or maybe he wouldn’t be disappointed. Maybe he wouldn’t care as much as to be.

Why would he? Dazai had thrown everything they had built out of the window.
If Chuuya ended up hating him, he wouldn’t even blame him.

No.
He had to stop thinking of that stuff. He had to stop causing more pain to himself.
Chuuya didn’t hate him. He was his partner. He was his friend. He didn’t hate him. He had that
photo to prove it and that note he had left him. Chuuya didn’t hate him.
Right?
Right.

But two months had passed since he had last spoken to him.
Maybe things had changed. Maybe Chuuya had reverted back to hating him. To really hate him,
this time around.

And maybe he deserved that.

NO

He slammed his fist against the wall and then his head. If pain could cause his brain to
temporarily stop thinking then he would welcome him with open arms. He took a small step back
and then brought his head forwards again with more force than before.

Leaning against the wall, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled.
He had two minutes to calm himself down and hurry to the meeting spot.

Two minutes.

‘’ Well, well, well, ‘’ the bold man started chanting, making his way to the entrance where Dazai
was standing still. ‘’ Look what the cat dragged in.’’
‘’ I’m here for business if-
‘’ Business? ‘’ The man echoed, laughter escaping him and his buddies that were now
approaching them. ‘’ You do remember what you did to me, right? ‘’ The man asked, his voice
colder than before. ‘’ You do know that you and your little ‘friend’ were the reason we ended up in
prison. The reason I lost my job for a good while. The reason I lost MY EYE.’’ The man screamed,
removing his eye patch, showing Dazai the hole his eye used to be in.’’
‘’ I don’t think I did that.’’ Dazai replied, sounding almost bored. ‘’ The rest sure, but I don’t
remember taking your eye out.’’
‘’ Your ‘friend’ did that.’’ The man revealed, his face contorted with anger. ‘’ His kick
permanently damaged my skull.’’ The man brought his shaking hands up and pointed at his head.
‘’ I had to take my own eye out, in order to live, just because I called you deranged, in front of him
’’
Chuuya had done that? He hadn’t told him anything.
‘’ You lost your eye, boo hoo hoo,’’ he deadpanned, ‘’ like I care.’’
‘’ You-
‘’ I’ll tell you what.’’ Dazai cut him off before he could get angrier at him. ‘’ Let’s just go inside,
and let’s talk business. Like adults.’’ He smiled, ‘’ That’s why I’m here. Not to listen to your sob
story.’’
The man was practically fuming from his ears. Dazai could see as he slowly turned red from
suppressing his anger. Then something shifted in his eyes.
‘’ Mori Ougai and I have been business partners for quite some time, you know,’’ he said, his
voice dangerously calm. ‘’ He trusts me a lot. ‘’ the man continued. Dazai had a really bad feeling
about where the conversation was heading. ‘’ He let me in on a little secret.’’
‘’ What kind of secret? ‘’
Dazai knew exactly what the man was referring to but he chose to approach the subject with
caution rather than impatience or arrogance, for one wrong move could make things go south
really fast.
‘’ He said you can’t say no to anything.’’ a smile tugged on the man’s lips, then. A cruel, sardonic
smile. ‘’ Is that true? ‘’
Oh no.

The only reason he had been acting so unbothered was because he had thought he had had
leverage. He had thought he had had the upper hand.
He had been wrong.

‘’ Your silence tells me all that I need to know.’’ The man turned to his left and walked towards the
metallic doors of the warehouse. He opened them. His men all got inside before him. Once he made
sure everyone had gotten in, he stepped inside himself.
With his shoes still at the threshold, he turned to face Dazai who was still standing outside.

‘’ Now come.’’ his voice sounded more commanding than Dazai would have liked it. ‘’ Let’s talk
business.’’
…

Or at least the group of six had thought they had killed her.

Hinata had told them all about how her supposed ‘partners in crime’ had abandoned her. How
they had left her behind thinking she was dead. How they had left her to rot inside a casket meant
for someone else.

She had killed them, because of that. But that, they had already known, so she hadn't wasted time
repeating it. Instead, she had told them how she had done it.

She had used her skill. A skill she had never revealed to anyone before. Using it, she was able to
control their bodies for a few seconds. Enough, to make them kill each other by stabbing one
another in the back.
She had thought it was fitting. Long ago, the six of them had also 'stabbed her in the back' by
betraying her and her trust. The only thing she had wanted to do was repay that favor. The only
difference was that she had used an actual knife instead of a metaphorical one. To show them just
how much their betrayal had hurt her.

When Atsushi had asked her why she had told them all that, by the end of her story, the woman had
taken another grim look. She had told them that because of what had happened so many years ago,
she had developed an awful lung disease. Being buried alive had damaged her respiratory system
beyond repair. Learning she had less than some months to live, she had made it her goal to take
her revenge by killing all the six traitors she
had once considered her friends.

It hadn’t been the conclusion anyone had been waiting but that’s how it is sometimes. Not all cases
lead to something bigger. Not all cases lead to a criminal mastermind or a terrorist organization.
Some are simpler. Some lead to normal humans that for whatever reason, had done something
awful.

Once she had answered all the questions they had had, the lady had asked them if they would
arrest her for first-degree murder. Seeing as she had planned everything out, and had managed to
kill all six, she thought she ought to be left to rot in prison.
Chuuya had taken a few seconds to think over his answer. The woman had killed those six people,
that much was true, but because of them, she was dying.
He didn’t think jail would fix anything. According to the woman, she only had a few months to live.
Four months had already passed by. She would be dying soon.

‘’ So, did you find anything? ‘’ Kunikida asked, seeing Chuuya, Atsushi, and Kyoka enter the
office. ‘’ Or was that woman a dead end? ‘’
‘’ Oh, we certainly found something,’’ Chuuya echoed, walking towards the blond man, ‘’ But I
don’t think it’s what you want to hear. ‘’
‘’ Why so? ‘’
‘’ Cause we didn’t arrest her.’’
Kunikida slightly raised his eyebrows.
‘’ But she was the killer, wasn’t she? Kenji said you were sure of that."
‘’ She was our killer.’’ Chuuya confirmed, taking a chair no one was using and positioning it next
to the man’s. ‘’ But she was also dying.’’
‘’ Wait, ‘’ Kunikida turned to look at him. ‘’ Why would she be dying? Was there someone else in
the house with you? ‘’ His eyes flew to Kyoka and Atsushi, scanning them thoroughly for any kind
of scar or bruise that could indicate a fight had happened.
‘’ She was dying because of a lung disease.’’ Chuuya explained, ‘’ which was caused because
those six people had buried her alive some years ago.’’
Kunikda’s eyes widened. ‘’ So this was a last effort? A last chance to get her revenge on them,
before she died? ‘’
‘’ That’s what the woman told us, so yes.’’
‘’ I see.’’ Kunikida looked at his notebook, sprawled open on the top of his desk. He flipped some
pages and then opened his mouth again. ‘’ I do not condone such behavior, but I understand why
she did that. Still, those people had families. Some of them had kids, I don’t think-
‘’ I made her an offer.’’ Chuuuya spoke again, ‘’ I told her that if she wrote the victims’ families in
her will, I wouldn’t arrest her. She agreed. She said she had no one to leave the money to, so might
as well help innocent people that had no idea who their loved ones were.’’
‘’ I think that was the optimal thing to do.’’ Kunikda wrote down something on the page, his pen
moving faster than the wind. ‘’ But to make sure, I'll need all the details.’’
‘’ Then, I'll be on my way to write the report.’’
‘’ Good.’’

Chuuya had come to love writing reports.

In order to satisfy Kunikida, his reports had to be as accurate and as thorough as possible. As
detailed and as precise as they could. To achieve the desired result, Chuuya always made sure to
put in a considerable amount of effort while writing them.
For just a few hours, his computer screen would have his undivided attention. And the task at hand
would have his utmost focus. Until the paper would be done, he wouldn’t allow himself to think of
anything else but all those cases and all those names and all those unnecessary details, he had
struggled so much to uncover.
Those few hours he would dedicate to writing his reports were his heaven on Earth. That was when
his mind was the most peaceful. When he could finally focus on something else other than his
torturous thoughts.

‘’ Chuuya, sir.’’ Atsushi crept up into his office, his sudden appearance there startling him. ‘’
Could I ask you something? ‘’
‘’ Sure,’’ Chuuya kept typing his report on his computer, hitting the keyboard keys much slower
and much softer than before in order to not make as much noise. ‘’ go ahead.’’
‘’ If someone you knew suffered from a lung disease that would kill them soon, what would you do?
‘’
Chuuya stopped typing the moment the kid had started speaking that sentence..’’ Is it a friend of
yours? ‘’ He asked with caution, not having expected to be having this sort of conversation with
the boy.
‘’ No…’’ Atsushi replied truthfully, a sad undertone detectable in his voice.‘’ But I’m the only one
that knows about it and I have no idea what to do with that information.’’

Chuuya considered the boy and his words carefully. Atsushi was a good kid. Even if he had just
said that the person wasn’t his friend, it was so obvious that he still wanted to help them.

‘’ Why did that person tell you that? If you aren’t friends, why would he share something so
personal with you? ‘’
‘’ To justify himself? ’’ Atsushi seemed unsure of his own answer. ‘’ To give me a reason as to why
he was doing what he did? I don’t know… ‘’
He.
So there was a boy that was not friends with Atsushi yet cared enough to justify himself and his
behavior to him. He was also dying because of a Lung-
Oh.
Could it be-
‘’ If he was a friend of yours, I’d advise you to ask Yosano and see if she can treat him. I’m sure
she wouldn’t mind. But since you aren’t as close, the only thing I can think of telling you is, try and
help him in some other way…? ‘’ He didn’t even know what he was saying. ‘’ If he is dying and
that can’t be stopped, maybe the best thing you can do is try and make him feel somewhat happier,
before…you know…that…happens. ‘’
Atsushi’s eyebrow furrowed as he heard that answer. The disappointment became apparent in his
eyes. ‘’ I don’t think I can help him like that.’’ he said, keeping his head lowered. ‘’ he doesn’t
really like me. He would probably kill me if I offered him any kind of truce because of his
condition.’’
He would probably kill me.
It was him. It had to be.
‘’ Could the person you’re talking about be Akutagawa? ‘’
The boy’s eyes widened as he heard the name. His reaction was an answer on its own.
‘’ I see…’’

Chuuya couldn’t say he hadn’t seen it coming. He had had an inkling the subject was Akutagawa
from the very start of the conversation. Still, he was surprised to learn that the boy was sick.

" He has tried to kill me so many times, and he has made his hatred towards me quite clear.’’ he
paused, ‘’ If I was nice to him out of nowhere, even after all that happened when we were fighting
Fukuchi, it would be too weird. "
‘’ Don’t try to offer him a truce, then.’’ said Chuuya, ‘’ Offer him a challenge.’’
‘’ But what kind of challenge? I have already made that deal with him to not kill anyone for six
months. I don’t think he will accept a challenge even if-
‘’ Make it so that he won’t have room to refuse.’’ Chuuya continued, the idea slowly forming in his
mind. ‘’ Next time you cross paths, simply state that you’re better than him on one thing, and that
won’t ever change.’’
Atsushi gave him a blank stare and then a questioning look.
‘’ Say you’re better at saving people.’’

Chuuya’s ‘idea’ was the following: Akutagawa, much like younger him, was someone that hadn’t
found his place in the sun, yet. He was a person that was still hiding in the shadows.
But if an opportunity, like say, a challenge, appeared to him, then maybe he would ‘step out’ of
those shadows, even for a short while.
Not killing isn’t enough to make someone feel like they’re becoming a better person. Chuuya knew
the feeling too well. When you don’t kill, you feel lighter, yes, but you also feel like you are simply
doing the bare minimum. You can’t say that you’re doing something good, because you aren’t
doing anything at all.
But that changes when you save people.

According to Atsushi, because of their deal, Akutagawa hadn’t killed anyone in a little less than
four months. That had to have made a change on him. Not something big, but rather something
subtle. Something barely there. If he tried ‘saving’ people, then maybe that change could become
bigger.
Maybe he could have an ultimate change of heart like Chuuya had.
Maybe, just maybe, Atsushi could save that boy’s soul before his body died.

‘’ Eh?’’

FOUR MONTHS SINCE DAZAI HAD BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THE ARMED
DETECTIVE AGENCY

Four months had passed since he had returned to that cold unwelcoming place.

‘’ Sure Boss, I’ll get to it right away.’’

Seventeen weeks since he had last stepped foot inside the Armed Detective Agency’s office.

‘’ It’s already done.’’

A hundred and twenty-two days since he had last spoken to Atsushi and Kunikida.

‘’ I thought I dealt with that already, no? In that case, consider it done.’’

Two thousand nine hundred twenty-eight hours since he had last done something of his own
volition.

‘’ Of course, I’ll see to it immediately.

One hundred seventy five thousand six hundred eighty six minutes, since he had last seen Chuuya.

Dazai’s life, if it could even be considered that anymore, had turned into a constant stream of
‘yes’s, ‘of course’s’ and ‘right away’s’. A living nightmare in other words.

For Dazai, who liked to be in control of every situation he found himself in, there was no worse
thing than having no autonomy of your own body. Than having to do whatever was asked of you
even if you didn’t want to do it, because you had no other choice.
It was such an awful position to be in.
Being fully conscious as you did things you didn’t condone. As you killed and tortured and signed
papers that destroyed hundreds of people’s lives. As you bore witness to the the ruination of
yourself and of all the progress you had made, knowing you couldn’t have done a single thing to
stop it from happening,

Dazai hated being in the mercy of someone that wasn’t his own self. He hated it.
It made him feel powerless and weak.

‘’ Is that the only reason you summoned me here?’’ asked Dazai, fixing his eyes on the man that
was seated on the desk in front of him, ‘’ because Higuchi said it was something important that
couldn’t wait and I fail to see-
‘’ That isn’t the sole reason I called you here, no.’’ Mori spoke over him, not letting him finish his
sentence.’’ There is another matter at hand, a more pressing one, I need to discuss with you.’’
Of course. There was always something.
‘’ If it is about that small group of burglars that call themselves-
‘’ It’s not about those imbeciles.’’ Mori cut him off again. Dazai had grown too used to it by now to
pretend like he cared. ‘’ I'll need you to track someone down for me."
Dazai stayed silent, waiting for him to elaborate on his request.
" The young boy whose ability I used to tie you down to the Port Mafia." Mori began explaining, "
I was keeping him in an apartment inside the facility but it would seem he managed to escape." He
said and looked at the window and at the city below them, " I'll need you to find him."
" A little boy outsmarted you? " Dazai wouldn't lose the one chance he had at making fun of the
older man. " For that alone-
" It's an order, Osamu." said Mori sharply. His smile a clear indicator of how much he relished
wielding the power he had over him. " Find him."
It was an order.
Dazai couldn't say anything to oppose it. He knew that all too well.
" As you wish, sir." He nodded his head and turned to leave.

He half expected Mori to stop him and continue on with his ridiculous requests like he often did,
but that didn’t happen this time. Like always, Mori’s eyes were glued to him as he made his way
through the room, but the man was saying nothing. Even when Dazai was reaching for the door,
he stayed quiet.

Find him.
If Dazai managed to find that boy, he couldn't promise he wouldn't kill him

" Osamu, sir? " Dazai took his eyes off the papers he was holding to look at the door. Among his
subordinates there was only one person that preferred to call him by that name and not Boss. ‘’
May I come in? ‘’
" Higuchi,’’ he addressed her, making sure his voice was loud enough to be heard over the door, ‘’
please, do."
The woman pushed the door open and entered the room, revealing her honey-blonde hair
familiarly pinned up into a tight bun. " I'm here to give you yesterday's report." She said,
approaching his desk, fixing the sunglasses on top of her head as she handed him the paper. " And
to apologize for its lateness,’’ she added, dropping her voice,’’ Writing the Black Lizards’ reports
is my job, I know, but Mister Akutagawa insisted I’d let him write it, and I know I shouldn’t have,
but he asked it of me so kindly and I couldn’t have possibly-
" That's fine." Dazai cut her off sharply. He knew it was rude, but if he hadn't done it the girl
wouldn't have stopped blubbering, and he was already getting a headache so he thought he would
prevent the worst. ‘’ I haven't had any complaints about your punctuality for two months now, so
I'll let that slide, this once. But do tell me, did Akutagawa tell you why the sudden urge to take up
report-duty? ‘’

" Well, he didn't tell me the reason, but I was walking to the training room and I happened to pass
by his office and the door was ajar and I may have accidentally overheard him talking with Gin
about it. Apparently he wanted to write it himself and then take a picture of it."
" A picture? "
Higuchi nodded her head. " That's what I heard. But I could be wrong." She continued,
" Mister Akutagawa doesn't use his phone for anything that isn't work related. And I have never
seen him take any pictures before. But then again, if he had a secret camera roll, I wouldn't be
surprised." Her words came out faster than Dazai could register them, " Although that's highly
unlikely. He doesn't seem like the type of person that would go out of his way to photograph
something as dull as a report from a not-that-important mission." She paused only so she could
take one singular breath, " Of, course, no one knows what they can expect from Mister Akutaga-
" Higuchi."
" Yes? "
" I have a report from a not-that-important mission to read so if there is nothing more…"
" I'm sorry, sir." She quickly bowed once, before walking to the door. " I'll be on my way."

Higuchi Ichiyo was a terrific woman.

She was smart and she was strong and she was fearless. And she was cunning and brave and so
determined. Always improving herself, not taking shit from anyone that wasn't her superior, able to
be up even for the hardest of tasks. That woman truly deserved her place in the Mafia.
Over the course of a few years, Higuchi had managed to earn the respect of all her subordinates
solely through her actions and not through means like bribery or lies. Which was no small feat,
considering that she had also managed to maintain that respect and even strengthen it.
Not just anyone could do that.

Higuchi had also proved herself over and over again, in the span of those two to four past months,
Dazai had been back. Slowly but steadily, she had learned to regulate her emotions and be more
stable during missions. She had started to panic less as time went on and make more calculated
decisions in the heat of the moment. She had also made great progress in not letting her sentiments
get the best of her.

Dazai could say with certainty that she had improved immensely.

When Higuchi wasn't talking, she had truly become an example of a mafioso. But then she opened
her mouth and all her hard work and accomplishments went down the drain.
No, that wasn't exactly the case.
When Akutagawa wasn't near, or when a conversation did not concern him, Higuch was actually a
really funny and interesting person to talk to. She had plenty of stories to share and her delivery
made them always so entertaining to hear.

Dazai had nothing personal against her. On the contrary, he found her a delight to be around.
But If he heard one more time how ~dreamy~ Mister Akutagawa's eyes were when he used
Rashomon to inflict pain to traitors, he would jump off the roof.

Higuchi's embarrassing crush on Akutagawa, albeit useful at times, was insufferable. It heavily
reminded Dazai of Naomi and her outlandish behavior towards Junichiro. When not obsessed with
her 'brother', Naomi was quite the smart and capable girl. It was a pity her true potential got
overshadowed by her irrational and crazy at times, showcase of love.
The same applied to Higuchi. If only she didn't act so strangely and obsessively around
Akutagawa…

Dazai's eyes fell down to the paper the blonde woman had handed him just seconds ago. With a
quick glance, he skimmed through the text and decided on whether it was worth reading the entire
thing or not. It was.
The moment his eyes had spotted that one single word he had known it was more than worth it.

Saved

It was a word he had never expected to come across in a Port Mafia report. Much less in one
written by Akutagawa Ryunosuke.

‘’ Oi, Nakahara,’’ Kunikida called out, striding towards the train station’s main entrance. ‘’ We
don’t have all day, you know.’’
Chuuya let out a sigh before accelerating his step. ‘’ I’m coming,’’ he said, now sprinting.
‘’ Jeez.’’

Ah, another day, another case solved. And before the clock could strike twelve, too. It would seem,
the more time passed, the more efficient and quick Chuuya and Kunikida became.

‘’ The train is arriving a minute later than I had been expecting.’’ The man standing beside him
muttered with worry in his voice. ‘’ My whole plan for the day is going to be off by a whole minute,
now.’’
‘’ A whole minute? ‘’ Chuuya deadpanned, looking over at him, ‘’ Oh no, whatever will we do?’’
‘’ I know, it’s terrible.’’

Chuuya could have simply reminded him that they had plenty of time to make it to the Agency, but
he chose against it.

‘’ We’ll we be able to make it in time? ‘’ He asked, faking the fear in his voice. ‘’ Or will we miss
Ranpo’s birthday party? ‘’
Kunikida took out his notebook and made some fast calculations. Then he turned to Chuuya, again,
the relief visible in his face. ‘’ We will.’’
‘’ But what if there’s an emergency stop of some sorts? What if-
‘’ Wait-’’ Kunikida ran some more calculations, his pen catching fire by the speed he was writing,
‘’ If the delay is under ten minutes, we will be perfectly fine. If it is between fifteen minutes and
twenty, we will have to run.’’
‘’ And if it is more than twenty minutes? ‘’
Kunikida shook his head slowly, a grim expression on his face. ‘’ Then we won't have time to
prepare for everything.’’

Kunikida put the notebook back in his pocket and sat down on the bench nearest the train track.
Chuuya sat down next to him, his eyes flying on the glowing sign that showed them when their
train would arrive.

Four minutes.
It was too much time.

‘’ Say, Kunikida, what do you think Poe’s surprise is going to be? ‘’ Chuuya turned to ask him
again.
‘’ Hmm,’’ Kunikida put some thought into his answer before speaking it aloud. ‘’ My best guess is
some kind of clue hunting? Like, a mystery taking place here, in the real world.’’
‘’ That’s a good guess.’’
‘’ Do you have any ideas? ‘’
‘’ Mmm, no, not really.’’ That was a lie. Chuuya knew exactly what the surprise entailed. Yosano
had told him all the details while drunk at a bar, some weeks ago. Of course, he hadn’t mentioned
it to anyone. He hadn’t wanted to spoil the surprise or jeopardize Poe’s trust in Yosano.
The train finally arrived, and the two of them boarded it in comfortable silence.

Much to Kunikida’s relief, there had been no delay.

‘’ Nakahara,’’ Yosano rushed to him, her coat in her hands ‘’ You’ll be the one driving us to the
venue, right? ‘’ she asked, placing her coat over her shoulders, fixing the sleeves so that they
would face outwards.
‘’ Sure, yeah’’ Chuuya replied casually, taking his hands out of his pockets.‘’ Kunikida’s car?‘’
Yosano flashed him a knowing smile as she tossed him their co-worker’s car keys. ‘’ You know it.’’
Chuuya caught them in his hands without even looking.
‘’ Hold on a second-’’ Kunikida stared at them, baffled from his office. ‘’ Are those my keys? ‘’ he
asked puzzled, his hands frantically searching his pockets. ‘’ They are.
‘’ Nakahara s driving.’’ stated Yosano, already on her way to the door.
‘’ Wait,‘’ Kunikida followed her with his gaze, ‘’ Why aren’t I the one driving us? ‘’
‘’ Cause you’re too slow and too careful.’’ Yosano smiled at him, her hand on the doorknob.
‘’ Ranpo gets too bored whenever you drive. So yeah…’’
Kunikida shook his head dismissively but made no comment.‘’ Fine,’’ he said, turning back to his
computer screen,’’ just give me five so I can finish this.’’
Yosano let go of the door and headed to the chair next to Chuuya. ‘’ You got it.’’ she said, sitting
down.

Chuuya had tried his best not to turn around and yell at them as he had been driving the car.

‘’ Are we passing by the sea now? ‘’

‘’ How can you tell? You’re blind folded.’’
‘’ Salt in the air, and the drop of temperature.’’

‘’ Are we going in circles because you’re trying to throw me off? ‘’

‘’ No? Why would we do that? We have no reason to-’’
‘’ Oh, come on, Poe, I’m not stupid.’’

‘’ Kunikidaa~’’
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ Are we there yet? ‘’
‘’...’’

‘’ Seventeen minutes have already passed.’’

‘’ You’re keeping count? ‘’
‘’ You aren’t? ‘’

‘’ Can I take the blindfold off? ‘’

‘’ No.’’
‘’ Pffft. That’s no fun.’’

‘’ Are we there yet? ‘’

‘’ I told you no.’’
‘’ How long until we’re there? ‘’
‘’ Ten to fifteen minutes, depending on the traffic.’’
‘’ Hey, Poe? ‘’
‘’ Yes? ‘’
‘’ I’ll ask you questions about the surprise and you will answer them with a yes or no.’’
‘’ No.’’
‘’...’’

‘’ Nine minutes are up.’’

‘’ I’m aware.’’
‘’ We’re not there yet.’’
‘’ I’m also aware.’’

‘’ When will we-

‘’ WE’RE HERE.’’

The drive there had been a living nightmare, but after forty four minutes they had finally arrived at
their destination. A very old looking, half-ruined building, Poe had swore was the right place.

‘’ Looks lovely.’’ Chuuya deadpanned, looking over at Poe.

‘’ Wait till you see the inside.’’ Poe countered, pride in his voice, ‘’ And the basement beneath us
and the secret path that leads to-’’ It dawned on him then that he had been speaking aloud. ‘’
Nothing. There’s absolutely nothing here.’’ He said quickly, trying to salvage the remaining parts
of the surprise. Ranpo turned his head towards him.
They couldn’t see his eyes due to the blindfold covering them, but they were all familiar enough
with the detective to know he was judging them and their inability to keep a secret. But that was
good. That was exactly what they wanted. Because if he was really thinking that, that meant their
plan, mostly Poe’s that was, was working.

Kunikida had been very close with his guess, but not quite. Poe hadn’t designed just another clue-
based treasure hunt, no, he had taken it leagues further. With a whole building decorated
accordingly, and a plethora of other places scattered around the Yokohama map, Poe had been
able to bring to life his newest and most difficult to solve yet, murder mystery book.
But that was not all.
Atsushi, Kyoka, Tanizaki, Naomi, Kenji, and even Haruno, were all in on the trick. Through
Yosano, Poe had asked them all for their assistance two weeks ago, and much to his surprise, they
had all agreed. Excited to have a part in ‘outsmarting’ the Ranpo Edogawa.

So now, they were all scattered around in various places, dressed up and with a role assigned to
them, waiting for Ranpo to come.

‘’ Can I take the blindfold now? ‘’ Ranpo asked, crossing his arms in front of him. tapping his
shoes on the ground nervously.
‘’ No, no, we have to get inside first.’’ Poe explained, signaling to Yosano to grab Ranpo’s arm
and guide him through the door. Yosano did as she was instructed. She took Ranpo’s arm, and
helped him navigate to the room where his birthday surprise would begin.
Chuuya followed them, careful not to make any noise. Ranpoi would see him soon enough but that
didn’t mean he had to make it obvious he would be in the room with him.

‘’ Kunikida and Nakahara aren’t coming with us, why? ‘’

‘’ Don’t worry about that.’’
‘’ You’ll see.’’

Once they reached the room on the top floor of the building, Yosano helped Ranpo sit down on one
of the chairs in there before putting a small speaker-like device on his coat’s pocket. Then she
turned around to signal to Chuuya and Poe that everything was ready
Poe rushed inside a room accessible only through the closet’s door, while Chuuya laid on the
floor and in a not that comfortable position. He tore open the small clear bag of fake blood Poe
had provided him earlier, and poured it on himself.
Then he gave Yosano a thumbs up.

She cleared her voice before running to Ranpo.

‘’ THEY KILLED HIM.’’ She yelled, grabbing his arms and shaking him, ‘’ LOOK BROTHER,
HE’S DEAD.’’
Ranpo removed his blindfold, only to be met with a scared Yosano and a dead Chuuya on the
ground.

‘’ During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds
hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had arrived to a crumbled by the time house in the
company of my dearest sister, and had found laying on the ground the body of a past friend of
ours.’’

The voice, coming from the speaker on his coat, spoke the words with passion and clarity. Ranpo
couldn’t help but smile as he realized what was going on.

‘’ Whatever shall we do about dear Frederick? ‘’ Yosano asked. pointing frightened at the corpse
on the floor.’’ When I arrived to this room he was already dead.’’

‘’ William looked at the eyes of his dear sister and then stirred them towards his once close friend.
He had just arrived at the room after hearing those cries and screams. He knew not what was
happening or whomst had dared to paint their hands with the blood of his friend but he took a
silent oath to find the answers even if it would cost him his own life.’’

‘’ Let me take a closer look at him.’’ Ranpo finally spoke, walking to the corpse on the floor.
‘’ Maybe there is something on him that will tell us who did it or why.’’

The last needle fell down to the iron plate and the weight crushing the man’s right hand was
finally dropped. A loud crack echoed throughout the room before it got replaced by an ear-
piercingly painful scream.
Dazai didn’t bother to look at the man seated on the iron chair or at the sickening sight his hand
was sure to have become. Instead, his eyes found the half-melted candle that was laying on the
shelf above that bloodstained chair. They found the small plate beneath it that had once been
attached to the rope from which the weight had been hanging from.

‘’ If only you had answered my question…’’ Dazai moved himself towards the left side of the chair,
his eyes on the man’s seemingly perfectly well left hand.
‘’ NO,’’ The man started shouting again, thrusting around in his restraints,’’ PLEASE NOT
AGAIN,’’ He yelled, looking at the weight hovering over his left hand and at Dazai that was ready
to light up the second candle. ‘’ PLEASE. NO. PLEASE GOD NO.’’
‘’ Are you willing to cooperate? ‘’ Dazai asked, his lighter next to the candle’s wick. The fire
barely not touching it.’’ If you are-
‘’ NEVER.’’ The man seemed to regret opening his mouth. ‘’ I WILL NOT SPEAK A WORD.’’ he
stated, the hate for himself evident in his voice and expression. ‘’ I’D RATHER DIE THAN BE
USED BY THE MAFIA.’’
‘’ Well, lucky you. ‘’ Dazai beamed, turning to face the man with a wide smile etched on his face.
‘’ Some of us don’t even get that choice.’’ His smile remained, but so did the crazed look in his
eyes.
‘’ Do you know just how much I would give to die right now? ‘’ Dazai asked, pained laughter
escaping him, ‘’ how much I would give to be able to take this gun,’’ he pulled the gun out of his
pocket and showed it to the man, ‘’ put it here,’’ he moved it to his temple, ‘’ and pull the trigger?
’’
The man looked at Dazai horrified as he held the gun on his own head.
He was at a loss of words.
‘’ Come on, you’re not even screaming anymore.’’ Dazai observed, ‘’ Why is that? Are you so
scared that your voice left you? Or is my little contraption not working? ‘’ He moved back to the
weight, completely ignoring the man and his attempts at escaping the ropes and the chains that
were bidding him. ‘’ Oh, i see now.’’ Dazai joked, hitting his head with his palm. ‘’ I forgot to light
up the candle.’’

The man started shouting again as the weight slowly descented. As it pressed his hand to the glass
surface beneath it.

‘’ How many hours do you want? One? Two? Three? ‘’ Dazai asked, taking a handful of needles
out of his pocket, ‘’ I suggest going for three. It will be much more painful for you, sure, but it will
give me some extra time to run a few errands.’’
‘’ ONE.’’
Dazai’s head snapped to the man.
‘’ At least make it quick.’’ the words came out broken between his sobs, ‘’ If you want to kill me do
it-
‘’ I don’t want to do anything.’’ Dazai sincerely replied, putting the first needle on the candle. ‘’
But to your misfortune, the order I’ve been given is to torture and kill you.’’
‘’ You can disobey them.’’ said the man in a desperate attempt to persuade Dazai into letting him
walk out of that place alive.’’ You can let me go. You can make it so that I escaped.’’
‘’ Now, why would I do that? ‘’ he placed the second pin on the candle, right underneath the first
one.
‘’ You said you didn’t want to kill me.’’ The man clung into his words as if they were his lifeline. ‘’
you said you had more important things to deal with, errands to run.’’ his voice grew stronger, it
grew hopeful. ‘’ So spare me? ‘’
‘’ You refuse to cooperate, you say you’d rather die than give the Mafia information and you still
think you can persuade me into letting you go? ‘’ Dazai found the man and his way of thinking to
be quite amusing. ‘’ You are much more entertaining that I thought you’d be.’’
‘’ So does that mean you’ll let me go? ‘’ he was in so much pain yet he was doing his best to keep
his cool. Albeit that he had been crying and sobbing a few minutes ago. Dazai didn’t know what to
make of him.
‘’ I can’t let you go.’’ He finally confessed, shattering every hope the man had ever had.
‘’ Sure you can. You just-
‘’ I can’t. It’s not as easy as you make it sound.’’
The man must have noticed the change in his demeanor. He must have noticed the pained sincerity
in his words.
‘’ So what? You’ll just break my hands and leave me here to rot? ‘’
‘’ No, no, not at all. Once your other hand is also shattered, I have been instructed by my Boss to
start cutting you to pieces.’’ The man stared at him horrified. Dazai continued unbothered. ‘’ And
then, when I’m done butchering you, I’ll be taking your body parts, putting them in nice little boxes
and sending them to your second in command every three days, demanding information in
exchange for your ‘safe’ return.’’ Dazai paused, steering his attention back to the candle for only
a second. ‘’ Of course, that will only be a lie we’ll tell them to secure the intel we want.’’
‘’...’’
‘’ Boss said to cut you up while you’re still alive and awake.’’ Dazai continued, ‘’ But he didn’t
order that.’’ he put emphasis on the word order. The man wouldn’t know what that meant, but he
did.
‘’...’’
‘’ I can’t spare your life, but I can end your suffering faster.’’ he said, taking out his gun. ‘’ Just
say the word and I’ll make sure you won’t be forced to go through that excruciating pain.’’
‘’ …Why…? ‘’ That was all he could do. The image of what would become of him was still too
fresh on his mind to allow him to form full sentences or speak properly.
‘’ I’d rather not deal with your screams and cries later on.’’ Dazai said, flashing the man a not
that reassuring smile. ‘’ I have nothing else to gain but a few moments of silence.’’
‘’ …then go ahead and shoot me….’’
Dazai aimed his pistol at him, his hands steady on the trigger.
‘’ As you wish.’’

Twenty-four.

Dazai had killed exactly twenty-four people since his first victim two months ago.

Not one. Not two. Not three, but twenty-four.

Which, in comparison to the number of people he had killed whilst younger, wasn’t necessary a lot.
Twenty four people were but a mere one twelfth of all the people he had killed in his life. Probably
a lot less if he accounted for all the times his orders had people killed with the assistance of
others. But the thing was, it didn’t need to be some outstanding number for him to start feeling
heavy again.

He didn’t need to break his records or get the highest kill count among the Port Mafia members to
feel that burden again.

‘’ Did he break? ‘’ Mori asked in a light-hearted tone, as if he were ready to make a joke,
‘’ Or will we have to pay for postage stamps? ‘’
‘’ He wouldn’t speak no matter what I did to him.’’ Dazai said, looking at the maroon carpet on
the floor.’’ He was very adamant on keeping his secrets.’’
‘’ As expected….’’ Mori looked at Dazai for half a second and then back at the folders in front of
him.’’ Well then, let’s see if his subordinates are cut from the same cloth.’’

Mori was playing a very twisted game and Dazai hated to admit it, but he was winning.

After spending a few hours completing all the different tasks Mori had assigned to him in regards
to taking ‘care’ of the man’s body, Dazai was finally able to return to his apartment at the Mafia
complex.

The first thing he did was take a shower.

He stepped inside, pulled the lever of the shower diverter and turned on the hot water. He was still
wearing all his clothes, but he didn't care, he would take them off in a few minutes. What he needed
now was for the water to stream down his body.
To feel it burning his skin.
He held no delusion that his actions would be washed off of him by the water but at least the blood
staining him would be. Even temporarily, even for only a few hours, the smell of it would leave his
skin, and he would be able to feel ‘cleaner’.
Cleaner because he would never be clean.
As long as he breathed, the blood he had spilled would never leave his hands. It would remain on
them forevermore as a reminder of what he was and what he had done.

The funny thing was, he had truly believed he could have had a fresh start, once.
He had been fully convinced he had been granted a second chance at life. A chance to do better. To
be better.

And the funniest thing was, he had thought he had been doing good…

He wrapped a towel around his lower body and got out of the shower. A train of rose bandages
following him. He told himself he would clean them up later. There was no rush for him to do it
now.
Afterall, there wasn’t anyone else that would use that shower next.

He moved to the chair he had piled his clothes on, and chose a few pieces from the not-yet-worn
pile. He wrapped some new bandages all across his body and then put the clothes on.
Once he was ready, he let himself fall onto the floor. On the messed up bed he had formed out of a
thin blanket and a flat pillow. He turned to his back and looked at the wall facing him.
There was a calendar there.

Dazai stared at it. It didn’t take long for him to realize it was in the wrong day and month.
It was pretty pointless, but he thought he ought to fix it.

He got up from the bed and changed the calendar's pages, leaving it on October 21st.
It was Ranpo’s birthday today.
He wondered how the Agency would be celebrating it.

Probably with a ton of sweets and a three-store high cake. Maybe some kind of birthday surprise
as well. An attempt to ‘surprise’ the detective that could see through it all? Definitely a few
presents from everyone at the Agency. And if work wasn’t hectic, maybe even a party?

Whatever the case, he was sure they would be having a great time.

…
Colorful confetti rained down on Ranpo as he passed through the door.
‘’ ~HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST DETECTIVE IN THE WORLD~’’ all the voices
shouted at the same time, some more enthusiastically than others, but all happy to be wishing him.
‘’ ~HAPPY BIRTHDAY RANPO~’’
The man of the hour stepped out of the entrance and took a long look at the table laid on the roof
of the Agency and at the people that were surrounding it. His eyes landed on Yosano who was
lighting up the candles on top of the giant cake placed in the middle of the table. A three stores
high monstrosity, made out of chocolate and strawberry.

‘’ Only three stories high? ‘’ Ranpo asked, trying to suppress the smile that was making its way on
his lips, ‘’ Do you guys even like me, at all? ‘’ He said with a scoff, clearly aiming to make a joke.
And if it weren’t for the fact Poe had already predicted that would have been his reaction, maybe
some of the people gathered there would have laughed.
Everyone shared a knowing look with each other then, before their eyes drifted to the oldest man
in the space. Right on cue, Fukuzawa moved slightly out of the way to reveal a second cake behind
him. One as tall and grand as the first one.
Ranpo stared at it in disbelief.
‘’ You didn’t think we’d be leaving you with only one cake, now, did you? ‘’ Fukuzawa looked over
at the boy and smiled.
Seeing the old man being so expressive was definitely a little weird, but it was fitting. Ranpo was
like his son. Of course he would be happy celebrating his birthday.
‘’ I didn’t think that, no,’’ Ranpo tried his best to keep fighting the muscles in his face, ‘’ I’m not
stupid nor blind. I already knew you were hiding a second-’’ he bit back the words, his eyes
suddenly turning soft.
‘’ Thank you.’’ He whispered, smiling. ‘’ Thank you all, so much.’’

And it would have made for such a heartwarming scene, but Chuuya couldn’t help but feel sad.
Because when he looked at Fukuzawa ruffling the detective’s hair, and wishing him a ‘Happy
Birthday’, all he could see was Ranpo crying at his grave in another world.

‘’ Shall we cut the cake now? ‘’ Yosano asked, turning to Ranpo.

‘’ In a bit, ‘’ said Ranpo, his attention shifting to Poe who was standing next to her. ‘’ I first need
to know if my answer to the mystery was the correct one. ’’

Chuuya tried really hard to listen to the conversation and ignore the images that were flooding his
mind, but no matter how much he tried to shake them away, they wouldn’t leave him alone.

‘’ Yes, dear Ranpo. Your answer was the correct one.’’

‘’ Haha, I knew it. ‘’

No matter where he was looking, all he could see was that cursed cemetery everyone who had died
during the Vampire Outbreak had been buried in.

‘’ But it did take you much longer than we anticipated.’’ Yosano added, not wanting her friend to
feel so high and mighty.
‘’ Well, I couldn’t use my ability so…’’

All he could feel was the emptiness that Chuuya had felt when he had seen all the new graves. All
the new inscriptions written upon them.

‘’ Of course you couldn’t.’’ Yosano replied quickly, ‘’ If you could have, it wouldn’t have been as
fun.’’
Ranpo nodded his head in agreement. ‘’ That’s true.’’
The Chuuya present in that funeral had never had any strong feelings for the President of the
Detective Agency or his best detective, but he did.
So a world in which Fukuzawa had died and Ranpo had been left alive to mourn him…
The memory of that was enough to make his heart ache for them.

‘’ Shall I cut the cake, then? ’’ Yosano took the big knife in her hands, her eyes waiting for Ranpo
to give her the okay.
‘’ Mhm ‘’

The grief was becoming heavier and heavier as more images resurfaced. As more graves and more
names came into view. Chuuya tried even harder to focus on the present.
To ignore all the dark scenes that were intruding on his thoughts, to keep his attention on Yosano
who was cutting the cake.
On Kunikida who was distributing the slices among the members.

‘’ Nakhara? ‘ ’Kunikida made his name sound more like a question as he handed him his plate. ‘’
Is something wrong? ‘’
‘’ No, no,’’ he said, shaking his head a bit more aggressively than he should have,’’ I was just
thinking about something, that’s all.’’
‘’ Want to share? ‘’

In the months that had passed, Kunikida had proven to be a very supportive and caring person.
And whether he knew that or not, he had helped Chuuya tremendously.
Always offering to assist him in a hard case, calling to wake him up when he overslept, reminding
him of certain responsibilities, when he forgot about them…
There were so many little things he did that had made life easier for him.

‘’ I was just trying to make sense of Poe’s mystery, ‘’ Chuuya lied through his teeth, taking the
plate in his hands, ‘’ The plot is so intricate and confusing. I can’t fathom how someone could
come up with that.’’

And for that reason, he would never burden him with something so heavy.

‘’ In all honesty, I have yet to make full sense of the story, so I can not help you with that.’’
Kunikida said, thinking about the matter, ‘’ However, I’m sure if you go and ask the writer
yourself, he will be more than happy to explain everything in detail.’’

He would never burden him with the knowledge of other worlds. Of the variations of himself that
existed simultaneously as he. Of the memories that he had of them, but were not of them.
He wouldn’t do that to anyone.

‘’ Hmm,’’ Chuuya pretended to be thinking over the man’s suggestion, ‘’ You’re right.’’ he said,
spotting Poe standinding on a corner. ‘’ I probably should,’’ he added, for good measure, ‘’ I’ll go
and ask him.’’

Chuuya stuffed the cake into his mouth before walking away from Kunikida and towards Poe.

If he were honest, he didn’t care all that much about the story or making sense of it. But he needed
a distraction. And the plot of his story seemed like something that could grab his attention.

‘’ Okay, so I have some questions.’’

Poe turned to greet Chuuya with a confused expression on his face. ‘’ Questions…? ‘’
‘’ About the story we put up.’’ Chuuya clarified, pointing at the clothes they were wearing.
‘’ About the story…’’ Poe’s eyes, visible beneath his bangs for only a few seconds, seemed to light
up. ‘’ What do you want to know? ‘’
Kunikida was right. Poe did seem a lot more than happy to have a chance at explaining everything
to him.
‘’ First of all,’’ Chuuya started, trying to remember how the story had originally gone. ‘’ Who
killed me, and why? ‘’

Thankfully, as Chuuya had expected, the explanation of the plot of the story had been enough to
make him forget, even temporarily, about that stupid god-awful world he had once experienced.
With a very convoluted cast and an incredible plot twist, the storyline had been entertaining
enough as to keep his interest for the rest of the party.
But the distraction could have lasted only for so long.
As soon as the celebrations had ended and he had been left all alone inside his office, the
memories had returned to him.

Memories of a world where he had stayed in the Mafia. Where he had been used as a pawn in
Dazai’s plan against Dostoevsky. Where he had been forced to use corruption.

The way the Book worked was that you could only experience one moment inside of it. But in that
one moment you were bound to also experience all the feelings ‘you’ had ever had leading up to it.
Alas, you could not experience feelings you ‘would’ have. ‘Your’ future wasn’t something known.
At least not while you were inside the Book.
Once you were out, you were able to feel everything you had ever felt leading up to your inevitable
death, no matter how much time had passed from the ‘moment’ you had lived.
So while inside the Book, Chuuya couldn’t remember having ‘been’ to the big Funeral after the
Vampire incident, because it hadn’t happened yet. However, after he had gotten out of it, the
memories of him being there had been ‘unlocked’ on a random day, months later.
More specifically, some hours ago at Ranpo’s birthday party.
Watching the detective talk with the President, it would seem, had managed to trigger the memory
into resurfacing. Or surfacing…cause he had never had it before but also he had..?

It was confusing, and most of the time, painful and draining, but he couldn’t do anything about it.
He had absolutely no control over his mind. Awful memories would pop up in his brain at the most
random of times and he would just have to ‘deal with it’.
All he could do was suppress them, act like they weren’t tearing his heart apart, and move on.
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t ideal. But it was the only ‘solution’.
The only thing he could do.

‘’ Oi, Nakahara,’’ Ranpo’s head popped up from the doorframe and Chuuya turned to face him. ‘’
You’ll be joining us, right? ‘’ the man asked, looking at him expectedly.
‘’ Of course,’’ Chuuya replied, as casually as he could, avoiding the other man's eyes.‘’ I’m
finishing this up and I’ll find you downstairs? ‘’
Ranpo nodded his head once, before disappearing
‘’ You bet.’’

…
The first rays of sunlight infiltrated the room through the open window, casting their light on
Dazai who was still wide awake, curled up on the corner of the makeshift bed.
The light didn't come as a surprise. Most of his mornings started that way. With the moon and the
stars suddenly vanishing from outside the window. With the sun returning to its rightful place in
the sky. With him believing that moving his body to the left and thus ‘shielding’ his eyes from the
brightness of that sun, would somehow postpone the start of the new day. It would be nice if that
could happen, but unfortunately, the light didn’t just disappear when he turned his back on it. No.
That wasn't how it worked. The brightness of the sun remained, warming his skin through his
clothes and bandages. Reminding him that no matter what direction he turned to, it would continue
making it impossible for him to focus on anything else but the vexing realization that the night was
no longer.

Dazai let out a loud groan as he turned his head back towards the window. He moved his body
closer to the aperture and looked outside of it, hoping the scenery would help clear some of the
most troublesome thoughts out of his mind. Much to his dismay, he discovered that the longer he
stared at the ever-changing colors of the daybreak, the more frustrated and the more enraged he
felt.
But why?
Why were his eyes so eager to avert their gaze from the horizon? Why was his stomach turning into
knots so suddenly as he peered at the bright pink sky? Why was-
He understood then, as he asked himself those questions, that as time had passed, and without
realizing it, he had grown hateful of the sunrise.

What he had once considered a peaceful start to a day he was looking forward to live, had now
transformed into an incredibly silent yet obnoxiously loud, alarm clock. A harbinger of dread for
the hours that were to follow.

The sunrise still kept some of his most treasured memories encapsulated in its light, but the
fondness of them had now been tainted by the darkness of thoughts that would occur to him,
everytime he watched it.
Once, he used to watch the sunrise with his partner, sitting either on the roof of their apartment or
at the highest point in the park nearby. Exchanging all kinds of words and stories between them
over whatever bottle of alcohol they had brought along. Joking and laughing until their lungs
began to burn and they couldn't take the pain anymore.
It had been great. So so great.
Whenever those interactions happened, his heart would loosen up and happy thoughts would fill
his head. Thoughts such as how lucky he was to be there. And how he wouldn’t trade it for the
world.
Now that everything had changed, those thoughts did nothing but serve as a bitter reminder of all
he had lost. Lingering memories of feelings he was certain he would never get to experience again
in this lifetime.
How could he? He was no longer in his home. And he was no longer with his partner.
Whenever he caught the sun reappearing after the moon, now, he was always alone.
Imprisoned in a frigid and forsaken apartment that he couldn't call his home, with no one but
himself and the phantoms of his memories that belonged to a life he would never get back.

Another sunrise only meant that another sleepless night where he had done nothing but ponder
over his life choices, had come to an end.

It only meant that another torturous day was about to begin.

" Dazai."

The young man continued making his way through the long halls of the Port Mafia, completely
ignoring the distant yet familiar voice calling out to him.

" Dazai, please,"

His fingers clenched the binders in his hands tighter. His shoulders hunched and his head dropped
lower. He thought that by making himself appear smaller, the older man would simply overlook
him and move on.

" A word."

He was wrong.
The voice grew more impatient as did the footsteps of the person it belonged to. That persistence
told Dazai he had no intention of ‘overlooking’ him.

" Young man, if you don’t-

" Hirotsu, sir! " Dazai happily exclaimed, turning towards the man. Forcing some cheerfulness in
his tired voice. " Long time no see." His chuckle came out sounding more awkward and nervous
than he had intended. Which wouldn't have been that big of a problem, had Hirotsu not noticed.
Unfortunately, judging by his face, he definitely had.
" Long time indeed…I wonder why that-
" Sir-" Dazai cut him off rudely, his head already facing the other way. " Look. I would loove to sit
down and catch up but I have sooo many things I need to do."

Dragging every vowel imaginable in the alphabet, Dazai made it abundantly clear he was aiming
to avoid any sort of communication between the two of them.

" So, if you'll excuse-

" I'm not excusing anything."

The older man wouldn't put up with such behavior just because Dazai was his superior now. He
would keep his voice calm and he would remain respectful, but he wouldn't let him walk over him
like that.

" You've been actively avoiding me for four months now, and don't-
" Have I? " Dazai tried hard to play dumb.
" Work has been so overwhelming lately. I didn’t even notice I had been-
" Oh, save your lies for someone that will believe them."

Okay. Maybe Hirotsu was right. Maybe he had been actively avoiding him ever since he had
gotten there. So what? Dazai avoided talking to almost everyone in there. It meant absolutely
nothing. He just didn't want to have to deal with their nonsense. He was too tired to be listening to
Hirotsu blubbering about his younger years. That was all. He didn’t see why that had to be made
into a bigger deal than it was.

" Like I said. I wish I had the time to stay and converse, but I really need to be-
" You are my Boss, now, boy. Sure. But don't forget that I was the one overseeing you when you
were a kid." Hirotsu's voice remained stern as he reminded him of that. " If you don't want to talk
to me, that's fine. You owe me nothing. But at least tell me why you have chosen to give me the cold
shoulder. I believe I deserve that much."
If there was anyone in the entire world that Dazai owed an explanation to for cutting ties with, it
was Hirotsu. The man had never done anything to provoke such harsh and unfair treatment.
He had never done anything to deserve his silence.

" Fine, then…What do you want me to say? " Dazai's eyes couldn't find the man's so they found the
ground instead. " As I'm sure you know, I have fully returned to my duties as an executive. I'm the
top executive of the organization, and the handler of the Black Lizard assault group. Both
Akutagawa and Higuchi answer exclusively to me. I’m also the one responsible for- "
" As you said, I already know that much."
" Then what more do you want to know? What more do you want me to tell you? "
" Why are you here? To begin with.’’ Hirotsu started, his voice quieting down, ‘’ How did the Boss
make you return? Where is-
" According to most rumors, I had a major fallout with the Agency and I begged the Boss to have
me back." Dazai interrupted him before he could continue asking his questions. Hirotsu didn’t
seem bothered by his bad manners.
He did, however, seem affected by the words he had just uttered. " I don't listen to that kind of
gossip, my boy.’’ He said, almost reassuringly. ‘’ It always paints you in blacks."
" But what if it’s the truth? " Dazai challenged, a part of him looking forward to hearing what
Hirotsu's counter would be. " What if that’s what happened? Wouldn't their 'dark paintings' of me
be justified, then? "

Hirotsu didn't answer him right away. Dazai initially thought it was because he had nothing to
reply to his words. But then the man's expression changed, and Dazai realized the reason was
different.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know what to say. It was that he wished he didn’t have to say it for Dazai to
understand.

" I'll believe those rumors only if you can look me in the eyes and tell me that you chose to leave
the Agency of your own volition." The man challenged him back, an edge on his voice." If you do
that, I'll leave you alone."
Dazai stared at him.

Inside that building, Hirotsu was the only person whose opinion on him mattered to Dazai.
Which was why, if he could, he would never speak to him again.

‘’ I left the Agency of my own volition.’’ It was a lie, they both knew, but he made it sound
believable. He made it sound true.
Hirotsu's disappointment was palpable as he looked at Dazai and sighed heavily. He made no
attempt to hide what he thought of his answer.
‘’ You lie like no one else, my boy,’’ He said, his tone that of a parent’s that’s about to advice their
child, ‘’ Just be careful not to believe those lies yourself.’’

Chuuya's mind was a complex and contradictory web of thoughts and emotions.
He was a walking paradox.

On one hand, he needed to be surrounded by others. He needed nothing else but to be out and
about with all his friends. Always seeking new experiences and distractions. Always at a constant
rush of emotions. Always on the move. Taking every and all opportunities to get out of that
apartment. To be doing things that could provide him with the stimulation and distraction he so
desperately craved.

On the other hand, he struggled severely with being around those he knew, feeling uncomfortable
and uneasy in the presence of anyone he was familiar with because of certain ‘memories’.

‘’ Night, Doc.’’
‘’ NIght..’’

Ranpo's birthday celebration had been an absolute blast, but now, as the clock struck five in the
morning, Chuuya found himself back at his apartment.
He was feeling slightly intoxicated and extremely dizzy, the effects of the alcohol he had consumed
throughout the night evident, as he stumbled through the door. He threw his keys on an ashtray
placed on top of the coffee table, and his coat on the couch, and walked towards the kitchen.
Hoping that some water would help get him out of that pathetic state.

He opened his fridge and reached for the bottle of water on the side of the door. A nice, new by the
look of it, clear bottle, filled with cold water. He took it in his hands, removed the lid, and purred
some of it into the first cup he found laying around.
He lifted the cup to his lips, and took a sip. Then, he put it back on the counter.

‘’ Oi, Daza-

His words died in his mouth. His throat suddenly felt hoarser than before.
He had only wanted to ask what time it was…

Chuuya put the bottle of water back into the fridge, slamming the door shut, letting go of his
frustration and exhaustion. With sloppy and clumsy movements, he trudged over to the couch and
collapsed onto it, thinking he was too tired to sit and ponder over what he had just done,

He closed his eyes and willed sleep to come.

Soon enough, that bastard made it quite apparent he wouldn't be coming tonight.

Chuuya rolled onto his back, and gazed up at the ceiling.

He was supposed to be drunk, so why wasn’t his mind clouded? Why wasn’t he doing stupid things
he knew he would regret in the morning? Why wasn’t he calling up Dazai’s phone, only to
remember he had stuffed it away in his closet?
Why was he so fully aware of everything?

Not even alcohol seemed to work anymore.

Not even that could make him forget those horrific memories of his.
Why?
Why couldn’t he just forget them? Why did they have to resurface so suddenly? Why did they have
to exist inside his head, at all?

Because of them he couldn’t even look at his friends anymore without wanting to bash his head into
the nearest wall.
It was torturous.
Not to mention completely pointless. There was no reason for him to have them.

No reason at all.

He tried to force the foreign memories away by replaying the events of the whole day, from start to
finish. He tried to remember how happy Ranpo had looked while he had been solving his birthday
gift. He tried to recall Yosano and Poe’s exact expression when the detective had hugged them to
show how much he had appreciated everything the two had done.
He conjured up the moment Kunikida had brought them the first tray of drinks. The disgust in
Ranpo’s face as he tried a sip of wine. The terror in Poe’s as he realized what he was trying wasn’t
wine but rather whisky.

Nothing worked.

No matter how much he tried to change them, the images inside his mind remained the same.

Yosano being told of Fukuzawa’s death in that one stupid world, where Fukuchi had won for a few
minutes. Ranpo, crying at his funeral, trying his hardest not to break down in front of everyone.
Yosano, holding his hand tightly, as they watched the dirt cover the President’s coffin. Poe,
standing silently in the corner, with Kunikida and the rest of the ADA. Atsushi wiping his tears, as
they continued to fall. Tanizaki, Naomi, Kenji and Kyoka, all looking miserable, as they witness the
burial ceremony,
It was too much. Too fucking much.

He forced his eyes shut and shook his head with such vigor that he ended up striking the armrest of
the couch with his skull. After only a few seconds he hit the armrest again, this time, intentionally
with more force.
The pain did nothing to drive those thoughts away.

He could still see everyone placing their flowers on top of the President’s grave.
Everyone that was supposed to be there, but Dazai…
Because in that world, Dazai had died too. And his funeral was to take place right after
Fukuzawa's, at sunset. As with the President’s, it was supposed to be a private ceremony among
the Agency members. But somehow, an invitation had made its way to Chuuya.
Which was how he had been able to be there and have those memories of the agency he had never
befriended.

In his mind and heart, he hadn’t deserved to attend his ex-partner’s funeral. Not when he had been
the reason he had met his end.

It was that one stupid world, where Dazai had forced him to use corruption. Where Chuuya had
been so angry with him, that his feelings had grown numb. Where Dazai had tried so hard to
explain himself and to apologize to him, but Chuuya hadn’t cared.

While inside that Book, Chuuya hadn’t realized that Dazai had given up his life in order to
apologize to him. He hadn’t realized that he had used his last few minutes of life to try and make
amends with him. Try and reconcile.
It was only after he was out of the Book, that he learned the full extent of what had happened. That
he had seen the whole picture.

And he didn’t like it not one bit.

‘’ Hey, Doc, you still up? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ Yosano sounded tired as she spoke, ‘’ I’m answering you while asleep, obviously.’’
‘’ Good,’’ Chuuya exclaimed, glad she was up, ‘’ Now, question for you. What is the fastest way to
make yourself fall asleep? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know,’’ She said with a yawn, ‘’ counting sheep or something? ’’
‘’ Okay, let me rephrase,’’ Chuuya tried again, ‘’ How do I knock myself out? ‘’
‘’ Unfortunately, you can’t punch or kick yourself that hard, so may I suggest some very strong
sleeping pills? ‘’
‘’ You already know nothing like that works on me…’’
‘’ That’s true. Have you ever tried inhalants? Valeria and that stuff? ‘’
‘’ Yes. We were trained to build resistance to it in the Mafia, so it won’t work either.’’
‘’ Good lord.’’ Yosano sounded so done with him. He couldn’t blame her. ‘’ Okay then, try this.
Go someplace, where if you fall, you won’t hurt yourself. Then, breathe heavily in and out for
about 30 seconds. Breath really fast. Pinch your nose, close your mouth and try to exhale. It won’t
knock you out for more than a few minutes but it will make you lightheaded and dizzy. And you’re
already a bit drunk so passing out right after wouldn’t be that improbable.’’
‘’ You’re the best Doc. Good night! ‘’
‘’ Just be caref-

Chuuya hung up the phone before Yosano could finish what she was saying. He placed it on the
table and then walked towards his room.

Once he was sitting down on his bed, he did exactly as Yosano had instructed him.

‘’ Nakahara,’’ Ranpo greeted him, same way as he always did. With his eyes traveling all over his
body, trying to read his physical and emotional state and his lips curling into a smirk after he'd
figured it out. " I'd say good morning, but judging by your face, I don't think you got much sleep
yesterday."
" Really? You don't say…"
" Well, too bad for you. Anyways," Ranpo continued, moving closer to Kunikida's office, "
Kunikida said you two have a very interesting case at hand." He opened the first drawer and took
something out, " He told me to give you this and tell you to meet him, here." He said and handed
him a small piece of paper with an address written on it, and an envelope with a seal.
" Is he there already? "
" He left a while ago, yes. Said he had a few errands he needed to run around the area."
" I see." Chuuya wasn't looking forward to leaving his office this early in the morning, but oh well.
He had a job to do. " I'll be going-
" Yosano is also looking for you." Ranpo added, before Chuuya could backtrack out of the door. "
She told me to send you to the infirmary as soon as you walked in."
" Did she say why? " Chuuya asked, looking towards the door of Yosano's 'office'.
" She didn't, but my best guess is that it's related to your sleep problems."
" You know about that? " Chuuya felt stupid. It was Ranpo. Of course he knew. " Actually, scratch
that." he said, moving towards Yosano's door, shaking his head, " I'll just…yeah."

SIX MONTHS SINCE CHUUYA HAD ENTERED THE BOOK AND THUS HAD
DESTROYED HIS LIFE
Every year on the same day, Dazai would always visit his friend.

Whenever he did, he would bring a few flowers with him to give to the man, and sometimes even a
bottle of scotch, so they could share. He would arrive at the designated spot, always the same
place, and he would sit down on the grass beside his friend. A seat reserved solely for him. Then,
he would just stay there for a couple of hours, telling him all about his life and how it had changed
since he had last visited him.

Although their time together never lasted more than a few hours, it always felt like an eternity had
passed. There were just so many things Dazai wanted to tell him, each time. So many new stories
he wanted to share with him about the shenanigans that happened in his everyday life in the ADA.
About the adventures he and Chuuya found themselves in. About how he was slowly realizing that
he had finally found what he had been searching for.

Whenever he talked to the man, Dazai would always feel better afterwards. His heart would grow
lighter, and his mind would become at peace. Speaking to Odasaku had always had that effect on
him when the man had still been alive. But even in death, it would seem, the same could be said.

Four years now, Dazai had found great solace in those annual visits.

It pained him deeply that he could no longer continue their little tradition.

‘’ So you are Yamamoto Riko...’’ Dazai observed, looking at the young boy in front of him. ‘’ I
have to admit, tricking the Boss, escaping him, making it so difficult for me to track you down…
those are no small feats. You definitely have some skills.’’
‘’You can have them.’’ the boy replied, not much sentiment in his words,
‘’ I never wanted them in the first place. All they’ve done is land me in trouble.’’

The boy wasn't scared. That was the first thing Dazai noticed about him. His door had been broken
into, and he wasn't screaming. He wasn't crying, he wasn't trying to escape.
He had simply accepted that he had been found.

‘’ How old are you? ‘’

‘’ Fourteen.’’ The boy didn’t seem to care much about answering or not. ‘’ Fifteen next month, if
you care for such technicalities.’’

Dazai considered him.

It was true, the boy didn't look much older than fourteen. His eyes, although already faded, were
still big, like a child's. And his height and proportions were still a bit off. Both signs that his body
had not fully developed yet.

Just a few months ago, when Dazai had first seen the kid, he had looked different.
From what he could remember, the boy had been a few inches shorter than now, and his face had
been rounder.

In his mind, while looking at the boy's altered appearance, Dazai tried to piece together the story
of what had happened to him.

‘’ You’re only a kid, still. How did you end up working for the Boss? ‘’ asked Dazai, like he hadn't
been in that same position before. The kid didn't know that, of course, so he didn't comment on the
irony of Dazai's words.
‘’ Like I said, my skills have only ever landed me in trouble." The kid repeated with a sigh, looking
at the older man, " I thought I could use the Boss of the Mafia to get something I wanted…The
Boss ended up using me." For just a fragment of a second, his voice trembled, " It was my own
fault, really. I shouldn’t have been so sure of myself.‘’

From his thin face and the dark circles beneath his eyes, one could easily tell that the boy had
experienced a great lot in his short life. The way he carried himself and the way he spoke was also
evidence of that.
He had the kind of confidence you could only find in someone who didn't care about the outcome of
their actions.
A cold confidence born from uninterest and apathy.

" Why were you so sure you could do that?"

" Cause I'm smart."

Dazai raised his eyebrow ever so slightly. He didn't need to ask him to elaborate. He knew he
would do so on his own.

" Too smart for my own good. That’s what your Boss and countless others have said.’’ the boy
continued, sitting down, trying to make himself comfortable. ‘’ You see, unlike my peers I have the
tendency to actually think before I act."

If someone were to hear the child speak, they would most likely think that he was being an
arrogant and condescending prick. But Dazai knew better. The kid wasn’t saying that stuff out of
pride or to belittle and make fun of his 'peers' for being less intelligent than him.
No. There was no arrogance in his voice.
Only envy
The kind of envy you have for someone that didn’t have to suffer the way you did.
The kid considered his intelligence to be a harbinger of trouble. Dazai knew exactly what that felt
like.

" But unlike your ‘peers’ you had to develop that tendency, didn’t you? ‘’ Dazai asked, now even
more intrigued by the strange boy. ‘’ Your smartness isn’t something you take pride in. It’s a tool
that has helped you survive. One you don’t necessarily enjoy using.’’
‘’ What are you talking about? ‘’ The kid asked, puzzled, curious to know how Dazai had come to
that conclusion. ‘’ How can you tell that? How can you- ‘’

The boy wasn’t like him or Ranpo. He wasn’t a ‘naturally born’ genius. He was someone that had
been forced to become one in order to survive.

‘’ Oh, it’s quite obvious.’’ Dazai remarked, his eyes on the kid. ‘’ It’s the same way I can also tell
that you don’t want to have to survive anymore. That you don’t want to have to rely on that brain of
yours. That you don’t want to have to keep running.’’
‘’ You-WAIT’’ for a second, before he had composed himself, the kid had seemed genuinely
frightened. ‘’ That was not an answer, you just-
‘’ Why aren’t you running? ‘’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’ Why aren’t you running away? ‘’ Dazai repeated his question, glancing at the open door and
then back at the kid. ‘’ I have no subordinates with me. No gun. No other weapon. And no vehicle.
The door is fully open. And we are on the ground floor, which would give you a great advantage
should you try to escape me.
‘’...’’
‘’ Answer me that, and I’ll tell you how I know so much about your inner psyche.’’
As Dazai expected, the kid seemed rather amused by his proposal.

‘’ I’ll answer your question with a better one.’’ The boy spoke again, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
‘’ Why should I be running? ‘’

Something in the way the kid had said that felt oddly familiar. From the tone in his voice to his
expression, to the way he was looking at him.
Dazai tried his best to push the thought away, and keep listening to him.

‘’ I might have underestimated your Boss, but that doesn’t mean I’m stupid.’’ The boy reminded
him with bitterness.‘’ You may not have a gun with you, but I could argue that your intentions are
much more dangerous than any gun would ever be.’’ he continued, his eyes never wavering away
from him. ‘’ You’re not here to sit down and have a little chat with me. And you are not here to
take me back to your Boss, either.’’ he paused and smiled. ‘’ You’re here to kill me.’’

There was no fear in his voice, no sadness, no regret, nothing. And there was no relief nor
happiness either. His voice was simply devoid of emotion.

‘’ So do it.’’ The kid instructed, keeping his voice neutral. ‘’ I won’t run.’’
‘’ Why do you think I'm here to kill you? ‘’
‘’ Revenge…? ‘’ The boy offered that as his best explanation. ‘’ After what I did to you…I wouldn’t
blame you if you wanted to plant a bullet in my brain…I very much encourage it.’’ he added, a
second later, a smile tugging on the corner of his lips, ‘’ You've managed to locate me despite my
best efforts to remain hidden and out of sight. You can have your revenge. You’ve earned it.’’

It wasn’t often that Dazai was left speechless.

‘’ Seriously, kill me. You'll free yourself, and you’ll be doing me a favor. It’s a win-win situation.’’

‘’ A win-win situation? ‘’ Dazai scoffed, looking at the boy in bewilderment, ‘’ Believe me, if I
killed you things would only become worse.’’
‘’ Why so? ‘’ The boy’s curiosity made Dazai like him a little more. ‘’ If you kill me, your contract
automatically ends. The Boss will hold nothing against you, you will be free-
His speech got interrupted by the loudest laugh he had ever heard. A laugh so empty it sent shivers
beneath his skin.
‘’ Free? ‘’ Dazai echoed, still laughing, ‘’ You think I would be free? ‘’
‘’ You would be…Your contract would-’’
The man’s laughter came to a halt.
‘’ You’re an orphan, are you not? ‘’
The boy looked surprised by his question, but he answered it, nonetheless. ‘’ I lost my parents some
time ago, yes, but I fail to see-
‘’ I’m sorry then. But even if you begged me, I wouldn’t be able to kill you.’’
‘’ I don’t understand.’’ The kid looked at him perplexed. ‘’ I essentially ruined your life. Why
aren’t you killing me? ‘’ He looked distraught. ‘’ According to your Boss, my contract brought you
back to the place you hate most in the city. It made you his puppet. His right hand-man, something
you clearly didn’t want to be. Yet despite all that, you aren’t killing me because my parents died in
a car crash some years ago? ‘’
The reminder of all that the contract had cost him, made his heart ache a little but he kept on
smiling. ‘’ Pretty much.’’ he said.
‘’ Why? ‘’
‘’ It’s simple, really…If I killed you, he would never forgive me.’’
…

‘’ Hey…Oda…’’

Chuuya felt stupid as he walked towards the grave. He felt even stupider, when he realized he was
still talking aloud.

‘’ I know you were waiting for someone else to come, but I’m afraid he can’t be here today…I’m
sure he wants to. But he’s most likely…preoccupied at the moment.’’

He felt stupid for doing this but it was all he could for him. He thought that since Dazai wouldn’t
be able to make it there, this year, maybe he could go instead.

‘’ We never had the best relationship, with only meeting once or twice and me being a complete
dick to you everytime, but that doesn’t matter.’’ he paused to look down at the gray stone bearing
the man’s name, ‘’ Dazai cared a lot about you, and I know he wouldn’t want your grave to be left
unattended.’’ he said, placing a singular yellow flower on top of it. ‘’ I haven’t spoken to him in six
months now, but I’m sure he’s spending the day thinking of you. He always does that whenever this
day comes around. I’m sure today is no exception.’’

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a switchblade knife. ‘’ I’m sure he’s wishing he
could be here instead of wherever Mori has him running around.’’ he said, and knelt.

Dazai had told him some years ago that every year when he went to visit the grave, he carved the
name into the stone again because he didn’t want it to fade away. Chuuya had thought that was
one of the most considerate things Dazai had ever done for someone. It was such a simple thing,
but it meant so much to him.
Chuuya would be an idiot if he didn’t help him preserve that little ‘tradition’ of his.’’

‘’ You know, there is a world out there were you actually live.’’ Chuuya thought he would let the
man know of that world, as he traced the letters engraved on his stone. ‘’ Were you get to be in the
Armed Detective Agency and write your novels in peace.’’ He moved the knife away from the
stone, careful not to damage or crack it. ‘’ It’s a good world for you, that one. The only negative is
that you and Dazai never become friends. But something tells me that was the only way he could
save you.’’

He couldn’t talk about the worlds to any other living human but he had found the rules didn’t
apply to people no longer occupying space in the realm of the living.

‘’ I don’t even know why I told you that just now, but, yeah…that’s that.’’

He was a hundred percent sure Oda wasn’t listening to him but still, if there was even the tiniest
chance some spirit or ghost or whatever was listening, he didn’t want to let it know he died in
every other world…it would be too depressing…

‘’ Well…All I wanted to do was bring you a flower and fix your stone a little, so now that I’m done
with that, I’ll be heading back.’’ he said, standing up on his feet.
‘’ I hope I won’t have to do this again next year.’’

‘’ Nakahara, where were you? ‘’ Kunikida asked, his voice slightly raised. ‘’ I tried calling your
phone but it-
‘’ I was out, I’m sorry.’’ said Chuuya, entering the room hurriedly, ‘’ I had something important I
needed to do.’’ and with that, he made it apparent that, that, would be the only explanation he
would he giving him.’’ Now, do we have a case or-
‘’ No, nothing new yet.’’ Kunikida replied, already heading back to his office, ‘’ But you do have a
few reports to write, if I remember correctly…? ‘’
‘’ You do…I’ll get to that shortly.’’
‘’ Great.’’

Chuuya despised his office.

His office used to be the one closest to Dazai’s, which had made perfect sense at a time where they
had still been partners. The nature of their job had required them to work together much more
often than not, so having their workplaces be next to each other, had been very beneficial,
communication and productivity wise.
It had been for the better.
Alas, the same can’t be said now, however.
Dazai is no longer his partner, and the office next to his, is only but an empty space, once occupied
by the man. Nothing more and nothing less. Just another reminder of him, that Chuuya had to deal
with on the daily.

He pushed the thought out of his mind and began to read the emails Kunikida had sent to him. As
always, all emails had titles that accurately reflected the context of each one. They had also been
separated into different groups, based on their level of importance, and arranged alphabetically.
Finding the files for the case he wanted to write about and opening them was the simplest thing.
All he had to do was drag his mouse to the email with the title he was looking for, and click on it.

Kunikida had truly made work so much simpler.

Chuuya didn’t have to search for hours, or try and decode where the file he was looking for was
located, anymore. He didn’t need to go through various, harmful for his computer attachments, or
open files that were only there to pose as another practical joke, courtesy of his partner. He didn’t
have to waste time yelling at him for being so difficult to work with.
Kunikida was a great partner.
He was always on time and always wherever he needed to be. He was adamant in completing all
his reports promptly after a case was resolved, and he refrained from engaging in any distracting
or disruptive behavior, such as pulling pranks or causing unnecessary difficulties for Chuuya. In
addition to all that, he also made a habit of communicating with Chuuya before taking any actions,
ensuring that they were always on the same page.

Kunikida was the perfect partner. But Chuuya didn’t want perfect. He wanted Dazai.

He leaned back on his chair, spinning it away from the screen as he did so. He closed his eyes and
stretched his arms, attempting to alleviate the stiffness he felt in his body. Once he had heard a few
cracks, and he felt a bit more relaxed, he tried to take in a deep breath and clear his head from
poisonous thoughts like that one.
He hated when he had those kinds of thoughts. It really wasn’t fair to Kunikida.
The man had done everything in his power to make the adjustment easier for Chuuya. Getting
compared to Dazai, for simply being his new partner was just unfair. It wasn’t his fault Chuuya
was still hung up on Dazai…

He shook his head, and opened his eyes again. The moment he did, he regretted it.

Watching Dazai’s chair stand there idly, not swirling around like a hurricane, made him want to
grab it and throw it off the window. Same with his desk that had been wiped clean of all the
doodles they had drawn over the years. The office was too polished, now. Too organized. Too…
empty.
His eyes couldn’t bear to look at it.

‘’ Hey Kunikida, ‘’ He called out, moving his head towards the man’s direction.
‘’ Yeah? ‘’
‘’ I think I’m gonna take up on your offer.’’ He said, getting up from his chair.
‘’ My offer? ‘’ Kunikida sounded unsure of what he meant, ‘’ You mean the one about this desk? ‘’
He asked, pointing at the empty desk near his own.
‘’ Yep.’’ Chuuya exclaimed, a bit more cheerfully than he should have.’’ If you’ve finished with
your paperwork already, can you help me with it? ‘’
Kunikida looked a little surprised by the suddenness of Chuuya being so willing to move from his
office, after having refused so many times, but he didn’t comment on that.
‘’ Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be happy to help.’’
‘’ That’s good then, ‘’ Chuuya said, picking up a few folders from inside his drawers and moving
them to the top of the desk. ‘’ I’ll just sort these out, in the meantime.’’

When Dazai would return to the ADA, Chuuya was certain he would hold a grudge against him
from transferring that quickly, but that was okay. He would get over it. If he didn’t, Chuuya would
start mocking him for his childish behavior and he would have to stop.

‘’ Chuuya, sir, ‘’ The man in question turned his head to the door and the boy that was calling his
name. Atsushi was standing on the threshold, looking beaten up.
‘’ Atsushi? ‘’
‘’ Chuuya, sir, can I ask you something? ‘’ the boy said, rushing to him, almost tripping on his
way there‘’ If you refuse to tell me, that’s okay but-
‘’ Shoot it.’’ Chuuya urged him, curious to know what was so important it couldn’t wait not a few
minutes more. ‘’If it’s so-
‘’ What was Mister Dazai like, in the Mafia? ‘’
Chuuya tried his best to hide his surprise as he looked at the younger boy. ‘’ Is there a specific
reason you’re asking, or are you just curious, all of a sudden? ‘’ He decided to approach the
matter strategically and with caution.
‘’ Mister Dazai is not here, so I can’t ask him about it…but…I wanted to know what his
relationship with Akutagawa was like…’’ The boy explained, looking at the ground. ‘’ Of course
asking you is a last resort but-
‘’ Did something happen? ‘’ Chuuya cut him off, ‘’ You look a little on edge.’’
‘’ I said something, and he took it way worse than I thought he would.’’ Atsushi tried, stumbling
over his words, ‘’ I- I didn’t know it would make him so angry, I was just trying to-
‘’ You said something about Dazai, didn’t you…’’
Atsushi nodded his head ashamed. ‘’ I shouldn't have. I know that now, but I don’t understand why
it upset him so much. I didn’t even say somethin bad. All I said was-
‘’ Don’t- Don’t try to rationalize it.’’ Chuuya said, placing his hand on the boy’s shoulder, trying
to calm him down. ‘’ When it comes to Dazai, Akuatagawa is very emotional.’’ he offered, ‘’ Even
the mention of his name can trigger him.’’
‘’ But why? ‘’
‘’ I would say ask Dazai, but…yeah…that won’t do.’’ Nobody could communicate with Dazai.
Mori had made it impossible. ‘’ And Akutagawa…he isn’t the most reliable narrator, when it
comes to that ‘story’ or to Dazai, in general. Not even he knows, why he reacts like that.’’
‘’ How can that be? ‘’ Atsushi looked so lost, so confused. ‘’ I know that mister Dazai was his
mentor once, but-I still don’t understand why Akutagawa is like this…’’ the boy’s eyes found
Chuuya, ‘’ How different was Mister Dazai back then? ‘’

Fuck. This wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have with anyone. Especially not with Atsushi. The
boy held Dazai on a pedestal, For Atsushi, the man was the one that had saved him. The one that
had given him the chance to turn his life around.
What if what he tells him tarnishes his opinion of him? What if he makes the boy hate him?

Fuck. Dazai should be the one explaining himself, not he.

‘’ Do you really want to know? ‘’ He didn’t want to tell him, but he couldn't keep silent. Not when
the information could be important for Atsushi to better understand Akuatagwa.
‘’ I do.’’ Atsushi said, the slightest hesitation detectible.
Chuuya let out a sigh and then looked back at the boy.‘’ Then I’ll tell you.’’

‘’ He? ‘’
‘’ A friend of mine, yes. If I killed you, he would never forgive me. SO, here’s what we’re going to
do instead.’’ Dazai said, brushing the topic aside as quickly as he could,
‘’ You’re going to help me with something, and then, in exchange, I’ll make sure Mori never finds
you again.’’ he paused, ‘’ How does that sound? ‘’
The boy stared at him blankly, his confusion visible in his eyes as he tried to registered what Dazai
had just said.‘’ You aren’t going to kill me, and you’re offering to help me escape? ‘’ His voice
came out uncertain, ‘’ Yeah…I’m not buying that.’’ His doubt was clear as he struggled to
understand him, ‘’ I can’t think not of one single reason for you to-
‘’ Oh, but there is. ‘’ Dazai countered, enjoying the confusion he was causing the kid, ‘’ Like I
said, before I help you get to safety, you’ll first help me with something.’’
‘’ I can’t break your contract if I’m alive, you’re aware of that, right? The only one with the power
to do that is-
‘’ I’m not talking about helping me with the contract.’’ Dazai clarified, his voice stern, ‘’ I know
there is nothing that can be done.’’
‘’ Then with what? ‘’ The boy continued looking at him with the same puzzled expression on his
face. ‘’ If not with the contract, what do you need me to help you with? ‘’
‘’ With a boy. A boy that much like you, was down on his luck,’’ The man replied, his mind on the
young teenager he had found six years ago. ‘’ He, you see, had the misfortune of meeting me back
when I was still in the Mafia. Because of me, he ended up joining the organization and becoming a
mafioso.’’
Even though Dazai’s gaze found the ground for only a second, the boy still managed to catch a
glimpse of regret inside his eyes.
‘’ Due to certain circumstances, he doesn’t have much time…Which is why I need your help to save
him while I still can.’’
"You can't be serious,"
The boy said, unsure of how to react to his words.
‘’ Do I look like I’m joking? ‘’
The boy was surprised to find that there was no trace of humor in either the man's facial expression
or his voice. Nothing that could indicate he was joking.
"No, but-" The boy struggled to find the right words. "You aren't how I thought you'd be." Dazai
didn’t ask him what he meant by that. Neither did he urged him to elaborate.
‘’ I thought you’d be angry with me. I thought you would want to kill me in some horrible way, I-
‘’ Yeah…no.’’ Dazai cut him off before he could continue his rant. ‘’ First of all, you’ve done
nothing to me. The one responsible for this situation is the Port Mafia Boss, not you.’’ he paused,
‘’ And second, I rarely do the ‘angry killing’ thing. If I had wanted to kill you, I would have gone
about it in a drastically different way.’’
‘’ So you’re really here just so you can help me and that other guy out? ‘’
‘’ Not quite.’’ Dazai said, pulling out a nearby chair, and sitting on it. ‘’ I’m here for a multitude
of reasons. Helping you and Akutagawa, are two of them, yes, but I also have a few theories of
mine, I want to test.’’
The boy stayed silent for a few moments.
Then he spoke again.
‘’ Why does the Boss hate you so much? ‘’ he asked all of a sudden, his curiosity getting the best of
him. ‘’ Is it because you left the Mafia and became a good person? ‘’
‘’ A good person? ‘’ Dazai chuckled loudly, trying to blink his surprise away, ‘’ I’m a lot of things
kid, but a good person? I can tell you with certainty, I’m not that.’’
‘’ Even if that’s the case, you don’t seem to be the devil the Boss described either.’’ the boy
rebutted, shifting his body so he would sit cross-legged on the bed. ‘’ But you didn’t answer me.
Why does the Boss hate you? No, wait, scratch that. Why does he think of you as the devil? ‘’
‘’ Cause he can’t help but see the worst in me.’’ Dazai said, his voice cold.‘’ It’s because in a lot
of ways, he thinks I remind him of himself.’’
‘’ Do you? ‘’
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ Remind yourself of him. ‘’

Dazai hated kids. They had this way of always saying and asking what was on their mind with zero
consideration for the other person, that annoyed him to no end.
Even smart ones were guilty of that. Even he had been no exception.

‘’ I see.’’
At least the boy was respectful enough to not persist in getting an answer.
‘’ Anywho. Let’s put that aside for now. What I need you to do for-
‘’ Who’s Chuuya? ‘’
Dazai debated on killing the kid right there and then.
It seemed he was much more noisier and curious than he had originally thought.
‘’ Struck a chord with that one, didn’t I? ‘’ Yep. Right there and then. ‘’ It’s just- the Boss made it
such a big deal that you couldn’t communicate with him, I figured he is someone important to you?
‘’
‘’ You talk a lot.’’
The kid looked away innocently,‘’ Only when I’m interested in something.’’ he said, his attention
back to Dazai.
‘’ And you’re interested in my life, now? ‘’
‘’ Sounds intriguing thus far.’’ he replied, ‘’ and you did say you couldn’t kill me, so why not
entertain myself with a story? ‘’
‘’ I didn’t say I couldn’t. I said I wouldn’t. There is a big difference.’’
‘’ Whatever,’’ The boy dismissed his words with his hand, ‘’ You said you wouldn’t kill me
because your friend would never forgive you, right? ‘’ he asked, then he paused, ‘’ Is your friend
that would never forgive you the one named Chuuya? ‘’
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Then who-
‘’ Ah, ah, ah.’’ Dazai exclaimed, trying to push the thought of grabbing the kid’s head and pushing
it on the wall, out of his head. ‘’ If I were you, I’d be more careful asking questions,’’ he advised
him, keeping his voice in calm.’’ I’m fully on board with ignoring certain things and making a deal
with you, but I’m not going to sit here idly and listen while you scrutinize my life.’’ Dazai’s voice
grew sharp, ‘’ Is that understood? ‘’
The boy looked at the floor anxiously, obvious that he had realized his mistake. ‘’ It is.’’ he
managed to say with a gulp, his voice barely audible.
‘’ Good.’’

Dazai had never intended to kill the boy.

On the contrary, ever since the Boss had ordered him to find him, he knew he would have kept him
alive. Riko was a crucial part of the plan he had made. If he killed him, he wouldn't be able to use
him as a means to get Akutagawa out of the Mafia or organize one last surprise for Chuuya, by
using the only loophole in the contract he could find.
Finding the kid and using him, had always been a part of his plan.
As had been freeing him, in the end.

Even if the kid hadn’t agreed to helping him, he still would have provided him with a way out.
Even if he had denied his offer, and had consequently damned all his plans, Dazai would have still
helped him escape Mori.
But the kid didn’t need to know that.

‘’ Is that really all I need to do? ‘’ There was some skepticism in his voice, but Dazai could see he
was inclining towards accepting his offer. ‘’ It doesn’t seem like much…’’
‘’ I never said you would have to overgo the twelve labors of Hercules, did I?. I only said I needed
your assistance with something.’’
‘’ Stil, it’s too simple.’’ The boy insisted, disbelief in his words. ‘’ The first thing is a little
challenging, sure, but it’s nothing I can’t do. But the second? The only thing you want me too do
is-
‘’ There’s no need to repeat the plan to me. ‘’ Dazai interrupted him. ‘’ I’m the one that made it. I
know it’s simple. Still, both are things I’m not able to do on my own.’’

The contract forbade him from interacting with outsiders. And it forbade him from doing certain
things too. Dazai hated making himself sound so pathetic, but he had no other choice. He needed
the kid’s help so desperately, he was ready to do anything to acquire it. Anything. Even if it meant
showing his patheticness to appeal to his emotions.

‘’ So once I do those things, you’ll just help me get away from Yokohama? ‘’
‘’ I will.’’
‘’ Why? ’’ The boy seemed to continue being rather suspicious of the offer. ‘’ I get the part where
I’m doing your bidding, but why help me after that’s done? What’s in it for you? What could you
possibly achieve by having me move away from the city? By keeping me alive? ‘’
‘’ Honestly? Nothing.’’ Dazai responded, his voice lowered. ‘’ Helping you flee the city makes it
even harder for me to kill you and break the contract if I want to, in the future. And in order to do
that, I’ll also be forced to extract a favor from a person I rather not interact with.’’
‘’ Then why do it? ‘’
‘’ I have my reasons.’’
‘’ Which are? ‘’
‘’ None of your business.’’

As annoying and invasive the kid and his questions were, Dazai would be lying if he said that
conversation wasn’t the most fun he had had those past six months.

‘’ If you don’t tell me, I won’t accept your offer.’’ The boy tried to challenge him.
Dazai wasn’t one to be intimidated so easily. ‘’ Don’t accept it. ‘’ he countered, his tone aloof. ‘’
See if I care.’’
‘’ But then the boy you’re trying to save will die.’’
‘’ And you will return to the Port Mafia.’’
It was just a bluff, but it was enough to provoke a reaction out of the kid.
‘’ So if I refuse you’re seriously just going to let him die? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ But you said you wanted to help him.’’
‘’ I want to. But if you refuse and I have no other means, I can’t really go out of my way to help
him, can I? ‘’
‘’ Again, why go out of your way to help me.’’ The boy insisted on the same stupid question. ‘’
Wouldn’t letting me die be better for you? ‘’

Talking to the boy was refreshing.

He seemed to always have something more to say. Dazai liked that. As long as he didn’t ask any
more private questions, Dazai had no problem continuing to ‘negotiate’ with him and thus
spending his time as far from the Mafia as he could.

‘’ You say you won’t kill me, so what if I kill myself, instead? Then your little ‘plans’ as well as
your mission will go straight out of the window, and you won’t-
Dazai sighed as loudly as he could to stop the boy from continuing. ‘’ If you died, I would be free
to do as I please. So going through with my plan would be so much easier, believe me. Your death
wouldn’t stall it.’’
‘’ EXACTLY! ‘’ The boy yelled, making his frustration evident.’’ If I killed myself or died, you
would be free from the Mafia. You would have a chance to return to your old life. So why- WHY
don’t-
‘’ It’s not as easy as you make it sound.’’ Dazai said sharply, lowering his eyes. ‘’ That life is no
longer. The moment I returned to my Executive position, I lost it. ‘’ he said, the words coming out
of his mouth like poison, ‘’ I can’t return to that life, so the best thing I can do now is help two
other people get their second chance.’’

‘’ So Akutagawa joined the Mafia because of Mister Dazai…’’

‘’ He didn’t force him into the Mafia, if that’s what you’re thinking.’’ Chuuya was quick to add,
feeling the need to defend his former partner, ‘’ Dazai warned him about what the mafia life
entailed, and then he let him choose.’’
‘’ Still, that’s-’’ Atsushi seemed ready to say something more but he refrained.
Chuuya couldn't make out what the expression painted on his face meant. Was it confusion?
Anger? Denial? A combination of the three?
He couldn’t tell.

‘’ How old was Akutagawa when Mister Dazai found him? ‘’ the boy asked, just a few moments
later. His gaze still averted.

Chuuya didn’t want to be having this conversation, but unfortunately, he had already started it. So
even if he wanted to, he couldn’t back down, now.

‘’ Fourteen.’’
‘’ Four…teen? ‘’ Atsushi’s eyes momentarily widened as the realization hit him.
‘’ But that would make him the same age as Kyoka and Kenji. That would make him a-’’ the boy
stopped himself from saying what he had wanted to. Chuuya saw the terror in his face before he
hid it.
‘’ A kid, yes.’’ Chuuya finished his sentence for him, his voice remaining neutral. ‘’ He was a kid
at the time, but so was Dazai. So don’t be-’’
‘’ That doesn’t make it okay.’’ Atsushi’s voice grew stronger, ‘’ With all due respect, Chuuya, sir,
Akutagawa was just a kid. No matter the reason, Mister Dazai shouldn't have done that.’’

There was sadness in his eyes, as he said that. Sadness and anger and frustration and-

‘’ No wonder why Akutagawa reacts like that whenever I mention his name. He must have thought
of Mister Dazai as his savior. As the one person that helped him out of a life in the streets. ‘’ His
words trailed off, as he seemed to realize just how important the man had been to the boy. ‘’ He
was much more than a mentor to him…’’
‘’ Akutagawa has always regarded Dazai highly.’’ Chuuya chimed in, offering his knowledge on
the matter. ‘’ Even after everything he has put him through, the boy still respects him more than
anyone.’’
Everything he has put him through.
‘’ Mister Dazai wasn’t the same person back then, was he? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ Chuuya said, definitively. ‘’ He was a lot different.’’

Atsushi let the information sink in, before he spoke again.

‘’ Much like Akutagawa, I too was found by Mister Dazai, and was offered a job. ‘’ He started,
unsure of what his point was going to be. ‘’ But instead of hurting and killing people, I ended up
working for the side that saves them.’’
‘’ That happened because when you met Dazai, he was in a much better state that previously.’’
Chuuya reasoned, ‘’ Unfortunately, when Akutagawa had met him, he had been at his worst.’’
‘’ So if, for some reason, I had been the one he had found back then, instead of him, would I-
‘’ Atsushi.’’ Chuuya practically forced the word out, ‘’ Don’t do hypotheticals.’’ he said in a
desperate attempt to stop him from continuing what he was about to say. ‘’ They’re just a waste of
time.’’

Even if Atsushi had noticed the discomfort in his face, he was kind enough to not point it out or
make it into a bigger deal.

‘’ Chuuya, sir.’’ Atsushi called again, turning his attention back to the matter they had been
discussing. ‘’ How did Akutagawa react when he learned that Mister Dazai had left the Mafia? ‘’
‘’ He didn’t take it well.’’

Didn’t take it well.

That was a nice way to put it.
‘’ Actually, I was the one that broke the news to him.’’ Chuuya revealed, the memory of that day
still fresh in his mind. ‘’ When I initially told him of Dazai’s departure, he had simply pretended to
accept it. But two days later, Hirotsu came into my office to inform me of a few incidents that a
certain someone had caused.’’

A few incidents that had led to numerous deaths, destructions and explosions.

‘’ I see…’’
‘’ Akutagawa had been frantic, Atsushi. For a whole week all he would do was cause chaos and
search for him. Maniacally. By the end of the seventh day he had searched the entirety of the Port.
Every warehouse and every complex near.’’
‘’ For how long did that continue? ‘’
‘’ I don’t know…’’ Chuuya replied truthfully, ‘’ Before the start of the new week, I had already
left. But from what I understood, the boy hadn’t really stopped searching for him, before they were
reunited some years ago

From his body language and the way his eyes wavered, Chuuya could tell that Atsushi was gettin
overwhelmed by the knowledge.

‘’ So Akutagawa stayed loyal to him even after he left…’’ That wasn’t new knowledge.
Atsushi had noticed how loyal Akutagawa was to Dazai way before he ever wondered the reason.
You would have to be blind not to notice that. No, even blind people would figure it out.
Akutagawa’s desperation for his mentor’s approval had always been most audible.
‘’ He cares about mister Dazai so much and he just, uses it to his advantage.’’

Atsushi wasn’t wrong to say that, but still, Chuuya found it unfair.
Dazai did use that affection and loyalty to his advantages, but not for personal reasons…Most of
the time, he was just trying to save the city. One time, even the world.

‘’ Even if he doesn’t admit it, Dazai also cares about the boy.’’ Chuuya said, attempting to uphold
the impossible trial of defending Dazai and his actions, yet once more.’’ And yes, he does use his
affection to his advantage, but he does it in order to progress his plans. You know, those crazy
plans of his that have saved Yokohama more times than you can count.’’
‘’ That doesn’t justify what he’s doing to him.‘’

Suddenly, Atsushi’s voice broke down as another realization struck him.

‘’ That doesn’t justify what I have been doing to him.‘’

Regret.
That was the most prominent emotion his eyes were reflecting. Deep regret.
Chuuya wondered if that regret was the byproduct of countless encounters, where Atsushi had said
something awful to Akutagawa, without having known he was rubbing salt in a wound that was
much deeper than he could ever realize.

‘’ If I had known what Dazai means to him, I wouldn’t have told him all those hurtful things.’’
Atsushi concluded, ‘’ I would have found another way to enrage him or provoke him, I wouldn’t
have used mister Dazai’s name, I-
‘’ Why are you beating yourself up? ‘’ Chuuya looked at him confused. ‘’ I’m sure Akutagawa was
no saint to you either, so-
‘’ No, you don’t get it.’’ Atsushi snapped, before immediately cooling himself down. ‘’ When my
orphanage Headmaster died a few months ago, Mister Dazai had made Akutagawa gather some
intel about how he had died. He had me meeting up with him in a warehouse.’’ he paused, ‘’
Akutagawa gave me the files and a verbal report of the information he had gathered and then
simply walked away. He didn’t insult me, and he didn’t try to fight me. When he saw I was
confused with that behavior he said that his ‘master’ was Dazai, but he wasn’t mine. He said mine
was the man that had died that day. So because of that, he would let me go.’’
‘’ So he showed sympathy for your situation.’’
‘’ It’s more than that.’’ Atsushi lost control and raised his voice again. ‘’ Later that day, MIster
Dazai and I were talking about what had happened. At the time i was too emotional to pick up on it,
but what he had tried to do was point out that the Headmaster wasn’t that evil of a person.’’
‘’ But your headmaster treated you horribly, didn’t he? You’ve told us he used to lock you up in a
cage and-

Oh.
Chuuya could see now, where the boy was getting at.

‘’ I think my headmaster’s death reminded mister Dazai of how he treated Akutagawa when he was
still his mentor…I think he wasn’t only trying to make me feel better about it, but also himself.’’

It made sense.
Dazai had been a lot worse than usual that day. And when Chuuya had asked him why he was in a
faulty mood, he had said he had remembered something.

‘’ Dazai treated Akutagawa cruelly, that’s not a lie, do keep in my mind, that he couldn’t exactly
understand why what he was doing was wrong.’’ Explaining Dazai’s point of view to Atsushi was
difficult for one sole reason. You can’t explain something you yourself have failed to understand.
‘’ I’m not trying to justify his actions by saying this, but Dazai has always struggled with
morality…’’ It was the truth. Dazai had always had that problem. And although his grasp on
morality had gotten better over the years, he had still needed to go a long way. ‘’ When he took
Akutagawa in, he had really thought he would be helping him.’’ Chuuya tried again,
‘’ And even if it doesn’t seem like that to you, in a lot of ways he did help him. But alas, at the
same time, he also caused him a lot of harm.’’

Atsushi looked conflicted. On one hand, he looked angry and frustrated, but on the other, he
looked sad and confused. Chuuya was sure he was debating whether he should be angry at Dazai or
not. He didn’t blame him. He himself had been enraged by the man and his actions countless of
times. But it wasn’t the same.
Atsushi saw Dazai as the person that offered him his second chance at life after having been tossed
out of his orphanage. He saw him as the one person that believed in him from the very beginning.
Learning all that about him.
Chuuya had no doubt the knowledge would affect his perception of the man.

‘’ I was working on a case today, and at some point, after searching for a few hours around the
scene, I reached a dead end.’’ Atsushi explained, shifting his body to the left so he would sit more
comfortably on top of the ledge. ‘’ That’s when I ran into him.’’
‘’ And how did that happen, exactly? ‘’ Chuuya asked, leaning into the wall, ‘’ Did he ‘happen’ to
pass by or-
‘’ Without meaning to, during my search, I had accidentally crossed into Port Mafia territory. He
was the one that informed me about that.’’
‘‘ He just warned you? ‘’ Chuuya raised his eyebrow, certain there was more to the story than that
little interaction.
‘’ No, no. He appeared out of nowhere, and asked me why I was there. I told him it was because of
a case. Then, he asked me if I knew that I was standing on Port Mafia territory and I told him no.
Then, he called me stupid.’’
Chuuya nodded along to the story, showing Atsushi that the behavior he was describing was what
he would expect from the boy.
‘’ Before I knew it, we were fighting.’’
‘’ And you said something, right? ‘’ Chuuya said, eyeing the boy, ‘’ Judging by your state when
you arrived at the office, I’d say it was something that pissed him off. And taking your question
about his relationship with Dazai, into account, I’d say it was something about him?‘’
Atsushi nodded his head, disappointed by what he had done. ‘’ While we were fighting,’’ he
started off again, ‘’ Akutagawa pointed out I had ‘grown weaker’ ever since Mister Dazai ‘had left
me’. To which I replied that I was only trying to hold back.’’ he paused and grimaced, ‘’ Yeah, he
didn’t like that.’’ He said, his eyes traveling down to the newly formed bruises and the various cuts
visible on his arms. ‘’ We exchanged some more words, and he kept bringing up Mister Dazai,
which, considering all that has happened, I didn’t really like. I got angry and in the heat of the
moment, I told him that even if Mister Dazai is on his side now, I
I’m sure he thinks of us.’’
It was now Chuuya’s turn to grimace at the words the boy had just uttered.
‘’ It was too much, I know, but at that moment I couldn’t help myself.’’
‘’ I see…’’
‘’ I thought when he left after that, he would stay gone, but to my surprise, he returned after only a
few minutes.’’ Atsushi continued, trying to recall the exact interaction. ‘’ He appeared behind me,
threw an unconscious body on my feet and said, ‘’ I hope you end up like him.’. Then he vanished
before I could say anything.’’
‘’ An unconscious body…? ‘’
‘’ The man I had been searching for.’’

Dazai was walking back to Headquarters empty handed and with a failure to report to the Boss, but
for the first time ever since returning to that place, his heart was telling him he had done the right
thing.
Helping the boy stay away from Mori and the Mafia was what Odasaku would have wanted.

As he headed towards his office, passing through the hallways, it became quite apparent to him
that members of the organization had already adorned the place with decorations for Christmas. He
looked at the garlands hanging from the walls and the various trees scattered throughout different
rooms. At the mistletoe placed on selected doorframes, and at the ‘stockings’ decorating the walls.
Had he stepped inside the Port Mafia Headquarters, or had he magically been transported to ‘Santa
Clause’s’ secret workshop in Yokohama?
He honestly couldn’t tell.

‘’ Osamu, sir, ‘’ Higuchi exclaimed as she walked up to him with a spring in her step.
‘’ Happy Christmas Eve! ’’ Her whole face lit up as she handed him one of the chocolates from
inside the basket she was carrying. " Welcome back! " she announced excitedly, giving him her
warmest smile.
Dazai didn’t seem to share her excitement.
‘’ Why so overboard? ‘’ he asked in a monotone, his eyes on the colorful wall decorations and the
ornaments nestled in her basket. ‘’ I don’t recall the Organization putting this much effort when I-
‘’ Oh, that’s because the Boss said that he wanted the Port Mafia to go
all out this year.’’ She replied, her smile still as wide, ‘’ He said he wanted you to come back from
your mission and find everything dolled up and ready for Christmas.’’
" He said that."
‘’ He did." Higuchi confirmed, lowering her basket. " So ever since you left, everyone's been doing
their best to make this place as lively and as Christmas-y as it can be.’’
‘’ Did he say why he wanted me to return to such a…sight? ‘’
‘’ If I remember correctly, he said Christmas is your favourite time of the year.’’

Of course, he did.

‘’ I see.’’ Dazai said, holding back a thousand other words he wanted to be saying instead.
‘’ Well. Your efforts in bringing the Christmas spirit here have been truly remarkable.’’ he made
the word sound more like a cuss. ‘’ Keep up the great work.’’ He forced a smile and walked away.

Dazai used to hate Christmas.

Every year, on Christmas day, when Dazai had still been just a kid, his family would host a big
annual Chrstmas party. Due to him being the host’s son, his presence was always required.
Dazai grew up to hate that party. He hated how his parents acted towards all their different guests,
and he hated the guests themselves. He hated the small talk they would force him to make with
them and he hated the small talk his parents would be forced to make with him, to show the world
they actually cared for their son.
It was pathetic.
The whole scene was pathetic. The fakeness in everyone’s actions and words as they laughed and
drank. The forced smiles they were wearing, as they greeted and conversed with each other. The
fragile bonds between them, as thick as a thread.

The annual Christmas party was the catalyst that had solidified it for him.
People bored him.

As long as he had lived at his house, there had been not a single moment where he had felt anything
but emptiness.. It just so happened that that emptiness was emphasized when Christmas was around
the corner.

Dazai continued making his way to his office, trying his best to ignore the smell of burning wood
and hot chocolate in the air. Hot chocolate? Even Dazai was impressed by their effort. They had
seriously gone up and beyond. Of course they had. What other choice did they have? It had been a
direct order from their Boss.

Passing by the hallway the infirmary was located on, he couldn't help but notice that the door to the
room was ajar. That was strange. Usually, the infirmary kept it close, in order to protect the
patient's health and even their privacy.
Dazai’s curiosity got the best of him, and he ended up nearing the door.

‘’ Osamu, sir? ‘’ He turned back to see Higuchi coming up from the opposite corner, he had.
‘’ Why didn’t you tell me you were visiting Akutagawa too? We could have come here together. ‘’
she said, closing the distance between them.
‘’ Higuchi…’’ Dazai trailed off, brushing her questions aside.’’ I was under the assumption you
were heading towards my office to deliver a certain report…? ’’
Her eyes widened, but she covered her surprise quickly. ‘’ I- I was.’’ she said stuttering, ‘’ But then
I took a little detour cause I wanted to see how mister Akutagawa was doing..’’
‘’ Aha...’’
‘’ You know what? ‘’ Higuchi laughed nervously, ‘’ I’ll go and deliver the report right now’’ she
said and turned, ‘’ I can check up on him later.’’
And with that, she disappeared.

Dazai turned his gaze back to the door.

He hadn’t been there so he didn’t know what had happened, but if he had to guess, he’d say his
illness was worsening. If it had been any normal injury caused during a fight, Akutagawa wouldn’t
have agreed to be brought to the infirmary. Not unless he had been bright unconscious, which was
highly unlikely. If that was the case, Higuchi would have already been there, sitting on the chair
beside whatever bed they had given him. That was what she always did. There was no reason for
her to stray from that behavioral pattern. So it had to be his illness.

Dazai debated on whether he should enter the room or not. His relationship with Akutagawa had
always been shaky, at best. He cared for the boy a lot more than he would ever admit, but he
couldn’t say or show that for a multitude of reasons. So he bent his head down and with a heavier
heart, he stepped away from the infirmary.

Dazai’s eyes widened as they fell on his office door.

Why was there a garland tied around his doorknob?

And who the fuck was responsible for that?

Without thinking it twice, he snatched the garland off the doorknob with his hand and threw it
down on the carpeted floor. Like if it was a doormat, he stepped on it violently then finally he
passed through the threshold.
He shot the garland one more angry glance before slamming the door behind him and throwing
himself on the couch.

Why?
Why did Mori have to go out of his way to remind him of the hatred he had harbored for the
holiday? Didn’t he have enough problems already? Why couldn’t he come back and just sit down
for a change. Why was there always something exacerbating his already dreadful ‘life’?

He muffled his groans with a pillow before rolling off the couch and making himself stop.

It was a pity.
In time, he thought he had come to like Christmas.

As a kid he had loathed that holiday, sure, but after running away and after meeting Chuuya and
joining the Mafia, his hatred for the day had significantly subsided.

The blame for that fell on Chuuya and the first Christmas day they had ever ‘spent’ together.
CHRISTMAS EVE SEVEN YEARS AGO

" Where the fuck is the tree? " Chuuya asked, bursting into the room, kicking down the door.
Dazai lifted his head to look at him, dismissing the papers laying on his desk.
" The what? " He counter-asked, standing up from his chair.
" The Christmas tree." Chuuya clarified, shaking his head as if confused by the question.
" I searched all the cabinets and even the attic and I still can't find it. "
Dazai furrowed his eyebrows at him, genuinely confused. " Who told you there was a tree here? "
" Christmas is tomorrow, you idiot.’’ Chuuya reminded him rudely, ‘’ I saw the Boss's office has a
tree, so it's not like the Port Mafia doesn't celebrate."
" You can't be serious."
" Why not? There are so many rooms with Christmas decorations and shit in the building. So?
Where is ours? "

Dazai continued staring at him in utter disbelief, as the boy fumbled around their office.

" I didn't know Chuuya was such a big fan of the holiday " Dazai observed, a mischievous grin
tugging on his lips. Chuuya shot him a dirty look, " I don't really care about it, I just found it
strange that you haven't hang yourself up with some Christmas lights yet. "
" Aww Chuuya, " Dazai beamed, forever enjoying mocking him, " look at you, giving me ideas "
he smiled and placed his hand on his heart. " You're such a thoughtful person.’’
" Whatever," Chuuya sighted, his face darkening with disappointment as he walked back towards
the door.. " I'm out of here "
" Do come again soon, " Dazai grinned from his desk, earning a disgusted look from his partner.
" You're a fucking pain " He could hear the boy mumble angrily as he exitted the room.

He knew Chuuya Nakahara only for a few months, yet it felt as if he had known him for years.

The boy had come into his life, or rather had kicked him way in, so suddenly Dazai had yet to
realize how it had happened.
They had started off as two enemies, both of them being from different organizations. Chuuya,
being the leader of the sheep, had made his hate towards Dazai and the PM quite clear. Dazai had
returned that hate, claiming that Chuuya was a loud annoying kid.
Due to a certain situation, however, the Boss had forced them to join hands, and go on a mission
together. During the mission they made their hate towards each other clear once again. Each trying
to get under the other's skin with insults, curses and all the like.
After their mission, Dazai, through a questionable tactic that many would call manipulation, had
managed to get him to join the Mafia. It had been an order from Mori, which meant Dazai didn't
have to follow through with it, if he didn't want to.
The thing was, he found himself actually wanting to.
Once Chuuya was in, he officially joined the organization himself.

It was strange. Dazai had sworn that he would never become a member of the PM, yet here he was.
Sitting in an office Mori had provided for them.
He blamed it on Chuuya.

Nakahara Chuuya, the short redhead that had just left the room, was his partner.
The word partner still felt weird when he spoke it aloud, yet it always rang true.
Chuuya had been assigned as his partner shortly after his recruitment. Dazai had complained to
Mori about it for hours, but his complaints had achieved nothing. Mori had still made them
partners despite their initial refusal.
Now that some time had passed, Dazai was glad Chuuya had become his partner.

" Hey, Chuuya~ " Dazai spoke into his phone while still sitting on top of his desk. With his free
hand, he brushed the papers he had been reading and signing aside so he could have more free
space to put his legs up, as well.
" I just left the room, you bastard, " Chuuya's angry voice was heard through the phone,
" what the fuck do you want now? "
" You know how much you love-
" Finish that sentence and you're dead. " his partner snapped, already sounding done with him.
Despite that little outburst, though, Dazai was satisfied to see he had remained in the line.
".I was just wondering…does Chuuya believe in Santa Claus? " he asked as professionally as he
could.
" Fuck off. "
Aaaaaand the line fell silent.

Dazai pocketed his phone and smiled.

Frustrating Chuuya had become his favorite pastime. He was so easy to annoy.

Dazai yawned as he finished writing his last report. He put the paper on top of the pile and
stretched his arms. Sitting for extended amounts of time tends to make you feel sore. So he stood
up and did his best to loosen up his muscles. Then, he looked at the time on his phone.
With the sun slowly falling behind him, he wore his coat and left.

Walking through the city of Yokohama during the Christmas Holidays was a big mistake. All those
bad memories he had buried deep inside his mind, got dragged to the surface.
Memories of a lonely boy filled his head as he looked at all the families passing by. Memories of
water, of suffocation.
Dazai shook his head and continued walking.
No.
He wouldn't let some stupid memories ruin his somewhat okay mood.

There were three things he had to do.

The first one was to buy a present for Elise. Every member of the Port Mafia had to buy her one, it
was a rule. And since Dazai had become an official member some months ago, the rule now
applied to him as well.
The second thing he had to do was a small ' favor ' for Mori. He had to close a business deal on
behalf of him, because for certain reasons, he couldn't do that himself.
The third thing was a surprise to someone.

Dazai strolled inside the shop, pulling the sleeves of his coat a little lower, covering ever so
discreetly his hands. The smell of sweets and chocolate soon surrounded him.
He hoped the spoiled princess of the Port Mafia would be satisfied with a five story cake.

He told the baker a fake name, and she, with a smile on her face, went to fetch him the cake they
had reserved for him. It was a beautiful chocolate, strawberry cake with caramel icing and cookies
sprinkled on top. There were also some chocolate chips inside. Dazai was sure Elise would love it.
And maybe if she did, then she would finally stop annoying him with her unannounced presence in
his office every once in a while.

Dazai took the cake in his hands, thanked the woman, and left the store.

Dazai had gone back to headquarters, had left the cake in his office, had returned to the designated
spot, and the man had still to make an appearance. Ten more minutes later, he finally showed up.

" You're not Ougai Mori, " the man said with a grin on his lips.
" Really? ‘’ Dazai refrained from calling him stupid. ‘’ I didn't know " he said instead, irony lacing
his every word.
" Got a big mouth, huh? " The man said, considering him, " that’s a shame " he clapped once, and
four other men appeared from the shadows, each clutching a club in their hands.
Dazai rolled his eyes. " I'm here for the deal, " he finally announced. " I don't have time to waste on
pointless displays of power "
The man on the front raised his eyebrows. " I only respect one man enough to make the deal with.
" he said with a heavy accent, looking down at Dazai. " You're not him "
Dazai glanced at the time on his phone again.
He really didn't have time to waste.
" The boss couldn't make it, " he decided to try a different approach. " I'm here instead. If you want
to make the deal, you make it with me. "
In an attempt to intimidate and scare him, the man walked right in front of him and cracked his
knuckles as loudly as he could.
Dazai didn't even flinch.
Seeing his lack of reaction, the man backed off, " Tell you what, I like you. If you call your Boss
and tell him to get here, I'll let you go off easy this time."
Dazai raised one single eyebrow, " What if I say no? " he challenged and the man laughed.
" I'll introduce you to some friends of mine.’’ he said, and immediately, clubs slamming hands
were heard in the background.

Dazai let out a sigh.

He was running late.

Closing the deal had taken a bit more time than he had anticipated. Brutal force, and stupid
displays of power, god it was awful.
No wonder Mori could control everything in the market. With guys like him in charge, it wouldn't
take long for the Port Mafia to rise above them all. They could have them do all the dirty work,
while the PM gets the credit. And that system could also be of help with the contribution problem.
Dazai pinned the thought for another time.

He would solve the problem later, there were more important things he needed to do first.

It took him hours and a lot of tiring work, but by the time the morning sun was beginning to rise to
the sky, everything was finally ready and Dazai was running to his hiding spot.

Soon enough he heard the alarm go off.

A very loud thud followed it.

He kept himself quiet.

" What the- " Chuuya's sleepy voice was heard, as the boy stepped inside the room.
" WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? " His voice grew louder as he took in the room.
There were Christmas lights hanging from all four walls, alongside colorful garlands. A tall
Christmas tree, fully decorated, that stood in the corner of the room. There was a serving of
cookies and a glass of milk placed on the small coffee table by the couch table.
There was even a box underneath the tree.

Dazai watched from inside the closet, as Chuuya stared at the tree in awe.
He watched as he took out his phone.

His own rang, giving away his location.

" YOU BASTARD, I KNEW IT WAS YOU. " Chuuya slammed the door of the closet open. " WHAT
THE FUCK IS THIS? " He asked very calmly.
From inside the closet Dazai hadn't seen his face clearly. He had thought Chuuya would be angry
with him. Mad beyond belief. But now that he was looking at him, his anger had only been faked
in his voice. His eyes were glistening with something else.
" Chuuya said he wanted a Christmas tree, didn’t he? " Dazai said, tilting his head. " So I got him
one "
Chuuya stared at him dumbfounded.
" I didn't say I wanted one. " he reminded,, " but even if I did, why the fuck would you actually do
this? " He gestured to the room with his hands, " How does it benefit you? "
" I'm a good man. I want nothing but for others to be happy " Dazai said, striking a dramatic pose,
placing his hand on his forehead, " So your doubt of the pureness of my actions is hurting me
rather deeply."
" Oh, cut the bullshit. " Chuuya yanked his tie, and pulled him out of his hiding spot, " You? A
good man? Please, " He rolled his eyes, " do you even believe what you're saying? "
" Fu fu, " Dazai took his hand and pushed it away from his tie. ‘’ You do a good thing for someone
and they yell at you " he said, shaking his head disapprovingly as he walked to the door " And I
thought you had manners."
" You broke into my apartment, replaced my alarm with whatever sound that was, and fucking
decorated my house for Christmas. What kind of freak does that? "
" I really don't know " Dazai mocked, faking his innocence, " and for your information whoever
did that didn't break into your house. " he smiled, " they made copies of your keys "
" YOU DID WHAT "
" Yeah, I also made-
" You know what? I don't care, Just get out. "
" But you haven't heard the best part. I also made-
" OUT " Chuuya yelled again, using his ability to make things fly into Dazai's direction.

Dazai was gone within seconds.

" Let's see. It's Christmas day and we have four big shipments we expect. Yesterday you had me
closing a deal so we could get access to the 7th warehouse by the port. " Dazai considered the man
and his question thoroughly before responding, " You want me to be the middleman, and arrange a
meeting to solve the contribution problem. "

Even though he couldn't see him, Dazai knew Mori was smiling.
" I expected nothing less from you, Dazai." The boss said before hanging up.

It wasn't like he had anything better to do, but spending the day talking to stupid middle aged men
that would underestimate him, didn't seem that appealing.

Dazai left his phone on the desk, and leaned back on his chair.

He had given the cake to Elise and she had been frantic, but except for that, no other plan of his
had worked that day.

Stupid people.

He heard a knock on his door then. He found that strange. Nobody ever came to his office.

" Who is it? " Dazai called out, loud enough to be heard over the wooden door. He didn’t get an
answer. What he got was the door opening slowly. Finally revealing the figure of a much smaller
boy, behind it.
To Dazai’s bewilderment, the familiar figure stepped forwards, his head slightly bowed down. "
Thank you " the boy whispered, and Dazai could have sworn he had heard wrong.
" What was that? " He asked, both to be certain of what he had heard and to make Chuuya say it
again.
" I SAID THANK YOU, ALRIGHT? " Chuuya yelled, " I don't know if you put fucking poison in
the cookies or not, but seeing my apartment all decorated and li up and shit first thing in the
morning was actually nice. " he paused, " So thank you fo that. "

Chuuya's hands had curled up into fists. The blood vessels on his head seemed ready to burst.
Dazai could tell that being this nice, and thanking him, was quite hard for his partner.

" Do you like Christmas, Chuuya? " It was a question Dazai found himself asking more and more
often. The other boy squinted his eyes, and thought about it for a second.
" I mean, the sheep and I had always looked forward to Christmas,'' he replied. ‘’ We made trees,
and hung decorations. Some years we would even go out for caroling. " Chuuya’s voice had
softened as he was reminiscing about his past life. But then he remembered where he was and to
whom he was speaking. " I don't hate it. " He concluded sharply.
" Merry Christmas, then, " Dazai smiled. And it was a true smile, although he played it off as one
of his usual fakes.
Chuuya's eyes widened, and suddenly, he found the wall really interesting to look at.
Dazai slipped back to his joking persona, " I see Chuuya liked my present to him, " he observed.
" It surprised me. I didn't think you could do anything nice without an ulterior motive. " Chuuya
bit back, but Dazai could tell his initial anger had faded. " Still think you have one. "
" Yes, of course, it's all part of my seven year plan to make Chuuya love me~ " Dazai grinned.
Chuuya made a sound that was close to gagging as he pointed at his mouth.
" Fucking warn me next time you say that shit. I don't want to be vomiting after I just ate " He said,
crossing his arms.
" Aww, don't want to ruin my carpet? How thoughtful of you~ "
Chuuya glared at him, " I really can't stand to be around you. " He lifted up his hands as if he was
surrendering, " You make me physically sick. " he said walking out of the room.
Dazai stood put on his desk watching as the red headed boy left.
" The feeling is mutual. " he replied in a lower voice.

That had gone better than he had expected.

Before the door could close, a small box flew straight to his face. It hit him before he could catch
it.
Chuuya took a deep breath, " Merry Christmas, you bastard " he mumbled loud enough for Dazai
to hear, as he slammed the door shut.

Dazai stared at the door.

Then at the box in his hand, tied with a bow.

Chuuya had once again managed to surprise him.

He was sitting on the end of a long table, pretending to pay attention to the man that was speaking.

It was stupid. He had already solved the problem a day ago but no one gave him the opportunity to
speak.

He didn’t care.

He watched uninterested, as they all argued with each other, trying to come on top. Their ideas
were laughable at best. Dazai wouldn't waste his time arguing with people with that level of
intellect.

His thoughts drifted to a small box with a bow. To a certain red head that had proven to be far more
interesting than all of this Mafia thing.
Chuuya had gotten him a present.
He had gotten him a new roll of bandages, to be exact. Dazai thought that had been the best gift he
had ever received. Unlike anyone else in his life, Chuuya hadn't asked him what he wanted. He had
simply just brought him something.
And it was something Dazai had an actual use for.

The night had fallen and Christmas was over.

The meeting, although it had dragged for way too long, had gone exactly as Dazai had planned.
Starting in a week, the Port Mafia would be in charge of all deliveries that passed through the Port.

With a few more words, Dazai concluded his report. He placed the paper and his pen aside, and
then he reached for the box laying on his desk. He took it, made sure the bow was as imperfect as
it had been, and put it inside his drawer.

Staying up all night decorating Chuuya's apartment had been way more tiring than he had thought.
But it had all been worth it in the end, when he had seen his face.

So maybe Christmas wasn't that bad after all.

BACK TO THE PRESENT

‘’ Merry Christmas~ ‘’
‘’ Merry Christmas! ‘’
‘’ Happy Christmaaas ‘’
‘’ MERRY CHRISTMAS. ‘’
‘’ Meerry Chriiistmaas!! ‘’

The echo of glasses clinking with each other and of people laughing loudly and happily.
That, he figured, was the true sound of loneliness.

‘’ So, who would like to start? ‘’

What some people don’t understand is that loneliness is most often invisible. You see a person
sitting alone on a corner and you’re quick to think, oh they look lonely. But just because someone
is sitting on their own, that doesn’t mean they're necessarily lonely.

‘’ Since Poe was the one that suggested this game, I think it’s only fair he starts.’’ said Chuuya,
flashing the man sitting next to him a mischievous smile. ‘’ Wouldn’t you agree? ‘’

Loneliness isn’t some visible or substantial notion you can perceive. It’s not a cloud you can see
hovering above someone nor a shadow you can catch following them around.

Poe looked at the presents placed on the table and then at the people surrounding him.
‘’ I suppose Chuuya is right.’’ he said, defeated. ‘’ I am the one who told Ranpo of this activity. in
the first place, and therefor, I should be the one to start.’’

Loneliness is an internal feeling that cannot be easily detected by others. unless that person chooses
to express it. So unless you are that ‘seemingly lonely’ person, or they’ve told you of their troubles,
you can never truly know if loneliness resides inside one's heart or not.

‘’ I found it,’’ Yosano announced, pushing one of the presents on the table towards Poe.
‘’ This one has your name. ‘’ she said, pointing at the tag hanging from the bow.

Taking into consideration only one’s presence at an exact time can be quite misleading.

Poe took the present in his hands and started to unwrap it. Everyone’s eyes were on him and the
box. ‘
’ This…’’ he said, slowly removing a smaller box from inside, ‘’ Oh, this is beautiful.’’ He turned
the box for everyone to see its contents. It was a quill set equipped with two feathered quills, five
different tips for calligraphy, and two ink bottles. ‘’ Oh, and it has a matching stand for the quill.’’
he said excitedly, removing the second box from inside.
‘’ Who do you think got it for you? ‘’ Asked Yosano, grabbing a marker and pulling the white
board closer to her.
Poe seemed to be thinking his answer through as he looked at the people seated on the table. ‘’ I
will go with Kuniikida,’’ he said and Yosano noted it down.
‘’ Alright. Now the rest of us can vote too.’’

People do this thing, most of the time, where they ‘hide’ their feelings of loneliness by keeping
themselves constantly busy and surrounded by others.

‘’ Is everyone ready? ‘’ Yosano asked, peeking at the papers on the table. ‘’ Let’s see who it was
then, and if you guessed it right.’’ She clasped her hands and turned her eyes on Kunikida. The
person she too, had guessed.
Kuikida raised his hand to out himself as Poe’s ‘Secret Santa’. ‘’ You guessed correctly,’’ he said,
looking at the man. ‘’ I was the one that got your name. ‘’

They do this thing where they downplay the impact this feeling has on them and pretend its weight
is not crushing their hearts.
The whole table erupted into cheerful screaming as everyone revealed they had guessed Kunikida.
Yosano gave them all a point in the scoreboard as Poe thanked him for his present.
‘’ Who wants to go next? ‘’ The question was raised, but again, there were no volunteers.
‘’ I say we go counter-clock wise,’’ Ranpo offered, ‘’ Which would make Nakahara the next in
line.’’ He turned his head to him to see if Chuuya would agree with that proposal.
The man shrugged his shoulders. ‘’ Sure.’’ He said and started to search for his own present.

While it is possible for someone to be misinterpreted as being lonely when in reality they are not,
the same also applies in reverse.

‘’ No way-
Chuuya stared at the bottle he had just unwrapped in utter disbelief.
‘’ That’s a 1945.’’ Words couldn’t describe what he was seeing. ‘’ A Romanée-Conti 1945.’’
He placed the bottle softly back on the table, careful not to damage it. ‘’ The last time I heard one
had been sold, it went for over half a million American dollars.’’
‘’ Hmm, I wonder who could have this much money just laying around.’’ Ranpo remarked, his
eyes, not so discreetly, flying over to Poe, who was putting on his best ‘poker face’.
Yosano, who was also very fond of wines, was too at a loss for words.
‘’ There is no way you found someone willing to sell a 1945…’’ she said as she stared at the bottle
and then at the man with the raccoon on his shoulders. ‘’ Like, no way.’’

You can be surrounded by a dozen people you consider your close friends yet feel the loneliest you
have ever been.

Poe sayed silent as he observed the table around him.

After a few seconds, he came to the conclusion that him being behind Chuuya’s present had
become apparent.
‘’ It wasn’t that difficult.’’ He began talking, trying to explain to them how the Bottle had ended up
in his possession. ‘’ All I had to do was find the person that had last acquired this specific wine and
I come into contact with him. Or rather with his wife since he has unfortunately departed from this
world. I gave my late condolences and then I asked her if I could buy the wine. She told me that as
long as I paid the money her late husband had spent on the bottle, then I could buy it back with no
problem. So I did that.’’
Chuuya blinked a couple of times, trying to accept that what was happening was real.
‘’ So you just brought me the most expensive wine in the world, because you happened to pull my
name in a ‘secret santa’ game? ‘’

You can seem the happiest as you celebrate with them, yet at the same time, inside your mind, you
can be wishing you were anywhere else but there.

‘’ Isn’t that the point of the game? ‘’ Poe countered, semi-confused. ‘’ To buy to the person whose
name you pulled, what you think is the most fitting gift for them? ‘’
‘’ I mean, it is but- God damn it, man, you just, you won this.’’ Chuuya said, a huge grin on his
face. ‘’

Doesn’t matter whether you’re with ten people or ten thousand, if you aren’t with that one you
want, you will not stop feeling that loneliness, Even if you’re genuinely having a great time, even
if you’re happy at that moment. As long as that person isn't there, that feeling is bound to return.

‘’ You sure did.’’ Yosano chimed in, still unable to turn her eyes away from the bottle. ‘’ Topping
this will be hard.’’ she commented before finally writing the zero points added in this round, on the
scoreboard. Nobody had time to guess who it was, so nobody was getting a point. The rules of the
bet were simple.
‘’ Haha, let’s see if Kunikida’s ‘secret santa’ can top The World’s Most Expensive Wine.’’ Ranpo
laughed, trying to find the present addressed to Kunikida. ‘’ Oh, here it is.’’

Chuuya could feel his heart ache as he stared at the bottle. It was stupid he knew, but seeing it in
person…he couldn’t help but remember Dazai saying he would steal it for him one day. It was
such a stupid memory, but it was one he cherished.
It had been right after Chuuya had made him watch a documentary on the rich history of the
Romanee wine empire and the auction that had deemed the 1945 the most expensive wine bottle
ever sold. Dazai had turned to him and had asked him if he would have liked to have added to his
collection. Chuuya had told him yes.
Dazai had gone on to say that one day, he would steal it from whoever possessed it to gift it to him.
Chuuya had laughed loudly but had accepted it as something that would happen in the future.
In a future that was now impossible…

‘’ So, what did you get? ‘’

Chuuya looked around him startled, trying to understand whose turn it was now. Judging by
everyone’s eyes, he’d say it was Tanizaki’s.
‘’ I got a shirt,’’ he exclaimed, seemingly satisfied with his present. ‘’ It’s the same cut and the
same color as my favourite one but it seems to be just a tad smaller.’’

Chuuya scanned the table quickly, connecting the open present to the people whose turns he had
missed while lost in his thoughts. Fortunately, he had only missed two turns. Kunikida’s and
Ranpo’s.

‘’ Let me try it on to see how it fits.’’

Once the boy had put his shirt on, everyone understood who had been the one behind it.
‘’ It’s not as loose as your favourite.’’ Naomi observed, sounding disappointed. ‘’ I can’t see your
shoulders and collarbone with this one.’’
Like always, everyone chose to ignore those comments of hers.
‘’ But if I get it off-
‘’ ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT, ‘’ Ranpo cut in before the girl could continue, ‘’ It’s time to vote, ‘’ he
reminded everyone doing his best to make his voice sound loud. ‘’ So, vote on who you think got
Tanizaki an appropriate version of his shirt, and then tune in to see what my ‘secret santa’ got me.’’
He sounded more like a television presenter than a detective in an agency but whatever.
He seemed to be having fun.

Chuuya wrote Fukuzawa’s name down on his paper, certain that the older man was the one that
had gifted Tanizaki that shirt. He turned the paper around and placed it in front of him.
Then he leaned back on his chair for a moment. His eyes falling on the table and the Christmas
tablecloth covering it.

It was Christmas.
Time flies by so fast, yet you feel like each day is longer than the previous one. Only six months
had passed since his partner had left the Agency, yet it already felt like half a decade.
Funny how that works.

‘’ It’s you, President. Right? ‘’

Fukuzawa nodded his head affirmatively. ‘’ It’s winter. The temperature is dropping. I figured you
needed some more coverage so as to not get yourself sick.’’
‘’ I appreciate your concern, sir.’’ Tanizaki said, smiling, ‘’ Thank you.’’
It had been a great night. An okay day, overall.
His conversation with Atsushi that morning still haunted him, as did his decision to finally move to
another desk. It was a rather hard decision to make but he knew it was for the best.
Actively sitting around places he knows will remind him of his partner, isn’t the smart thing to do.
Neither is reminiscing about old memories with him while having fun with others.

But in his defense, he had never known of an Agency without him.

If he was still with them, there was no doubt Dazai would have attended the party. No doubt he
would’ve sat next to him. No doubt he would have guessed everyone correctly.

Dazai had been a big part of the Agency. And an ever bigger part of Chuuya’s life.
It wasn’t his fault he still got surprised whenever the person sitting next to him wasn’t Dazai.

It had to do with the power of habit or something.

Chuuya sat down on the couch and looked across at the cabinet containing his most prized wines.
His eyes found the newest member of his collection.
He wished he could take it out and pour it into two glasses. Or at least in one, since two weren’t
feeble anymore.
Maybe that could help him cope with the emptiness of the house and the lack of Christmas
decorations throughout it. Then again, maybe, like most things, it would do nothing.

After Chuuya had met Dazai at the age of fifteen, he had never thought a Christmas without him
would ever come again.
But oh well, things don’t always go according to how you thought they would.
If they did, Dazai wouldn’t be trapped in the Mafia.
He would be sitting on the couch, right beside him, holding in his hands a glass of the most
expensive wine in the world.

EIGHT MONTHS SINCE ATSUSHI HAD LOST HIS EXTREMELY ECCENTRIC YET
RELIABLE MENTOR

‘’ Where are the informants? ‘’ Dazai asked, stepping out of the shadows and into the room, his
eyes flying to the boy with the black coat. ‘’ What did you do with them? ‘’
Hearing his voice, Akutagawa turned to face him. The first thing Dazai noticed upon seeing him
was his complexion. It was a lot paler than it used to be.
‘’ I caught them all,’’ The boy said, raising his hand in front of his mouth to stifle a cough. ‘’ My
men have already taken them to the holding cells.’’ His voice sounded hoarse, but what troubled
Dazai was the bloodied handkerchief hanging from his fingers. ‘’ They are waiting for you, sir.’’
‘’ You brought them all here alive? ‘’ Taking into account Akutagawa’s change of heart these past
few months, his actions weren’t that surprising. What was surprising however, was that Dazai
could finally complete his plan.
‘’ Eleven men and four women. Six ability users in their midst. Their leader seems to be the
woman with the black hair.’’
‘’ What about the mission? ’’ Dazai pressed, wanting to see how the boy had handled it.
‘’ Last time I sent you to a similar situation you failed to complete the task you were given.’’ he
reminded him calmly, keeping his voice neutral. ‘’ I hope this time around you managed to retrieve
the documents asked? ‘’
Akuatagawa didn’t dwell on his previous failure. He ignored the comment completely in order to
focus on answering him.
‘’ They are in the briefcase behind me,’’ he said and moved his body slightly to the left so that his
boss could see the briefcase in question.
‘’ And the shipments they stole from us? ‘’
‘’ Locating the items requested was a rather tedious procedure, but everything has been retrieved
and transferred back to the warehouse.’’ Akutagawa replied, his voice growing just a tad more
prideful.
‘’ I see.’’ Dazai looked around to make sure no one else but them were there. Then he turned back
to the boy.
‘’ You’re fired.’’
‘’ What? ‘’ Akutagawa’s face at that moment could only be described as horrified.
‘’ You’re fired.’’ Dazai repeated, a smile tugging on his lips.
The boy looked at him in horror. ‘’ I-I don’t understand.’’ his voice came out quick and uncertain.
‘’ I did everything right. The informants are alive. I-
‘’ That’s exactly why I’m firing you.’’
‘’ Because I succeeded? ‘’ His confusion grew every second that passed without getting a clear
answer. ‘’ Dazai, sir, with all due respect, you’re not making sense.’’ His words, although
respectful, were sharper than a razor blade. ‘’ Why would you-
‘’ Akutagawa.’’ Dazai cut him abruptly. ‘’ Can you do me a favor? ‘’
‘’ Would that change your mind? Would I stay in-
Dazai glared at him and the boy bit his words back.
‘’ Can you do me a favor? That was the question.’’
Akutagwa lowered his head shamefully and clenched his fists.’’ I can.’’ he said.
‘’ Act angry.’’
‘’ What? ‘’ the boy’s head snapped back to him.
‘’ You heard me,’’ Dazai said, passing right in front of him, nearing the door. ‘’ I want you to yell
and curse and act as if you were angry at me.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’ the boy asked before breaking into a coughing fit.
There was a time where Akutagawa would have never dared to question him or his orders. Dazai
tried hard to keep himself from smiling. It seemed that time had come to a pass.
‘’ Can’t you just do as I say? ‘’

Atsushi seemed to have quite the effect on the boy. If Dazai didn’t know him as well as he did,
he’d say he was ready to make the same question again.

‘’ Are we going somewhere? ‘’ the boy asked instead, seeing as Dazai’s hand was already on the
door handle.
‘’ We’re going to my office…I’ll answer all your questions there but only if you do as I say.’’
‘’ Fine.’’

‘’ I want you to get the Hell out of here.’’

‘’ But you’re the one that told me to come into your office.’’
‘’ I didn’t mean from this room.’’ Dazai specified, hovering over his desk before eventually sitting
down. He grabbed a few papers in his hands, to seem busier than he was. ‘’ I meant from the Port
Mafia.’’
It felt like the ground beneath Akutagawa had disappeared and he was now falling into a
bottomless pit.

‘’ Why are you firing me? ‘’ Akutagawa’s voice came out broken. ‘’ I did everything right.’’ He
gritted his teeth as he stepped closer to Dazai’s office. ‘’ The mission was a success. The guns and
the ammunition are stored back in the warehouse. The files are all safe and sound inside the
briefcase. The informants are all there for you or the interrogation team to deal with. I made no
mistakes so why-
‘’ The informants are dead.’’
‘’ What? ‘’ If Dazai had thought the boy had been terrified before he had been wrong. ‘’ I swear, I
didn’t kill them. I left them unconscious, yes, but-
‘’ I know.’’ Dazai agreed with him, his face devoid of any emotion that could help Akutagawa
understand him. ‘’ I was the one that killed them.’’
‘’ Huh…’’
‘’ You’re right. You executed everything perfectly. You caught the informants, you found the
documents and you retrieved what was stolen. Good Job.’’
‘’ I only did what was asked of me.’’ Akutagawa replied, his voice low. ‘’ I don’t deserve praise
for simply doing my job correctly.’’
‘’ No. You do.’’ For just a split second, Akutagawa’s eyebrows furrowed in surprise. ‘’ You did a
fine job, Akutagawa. I’m proud of you.’’

There were no words to describe what that sentence had done to the boy.

Akutagawa’s eyes widened as he looked at his mentor, and for the first time ever since he had met
him, Dazai was able to see the light of the room being reflected in them.

‘’ Ten months now, you have not killed a single person.’’ Dazai started, his eyes on the carpet
beneath the boy. ‘’ And not only have you refrained from killing people in your job as a mafioso,
you have also gone out of your way to save those that would have been collateral damage.’’ He
said and threw the papers he had been holding on top of the desk. In a way, where they would face
the younger man standing in front of him.

Dumbfounded, the boy continued to stare at him, his eyes never closing. Not even to blink.

‘’ Your mission today was a hoax.’’ Dazai revealed, looking up at him. ‘’ An orchestrated test I
conducted and put you through to prove you were ready.’’

Akutagawa made no move to ask any other question. In fact, he made no move at all.
Dazai entertained the possibility that he had been frozen from the shock.

‘’ You passed the practical part of it with flying colors.’’ Dazai continued unbothered, ‘’ So, let’s
get to the theory now, shall we? ‘’ Again, the boy gave him no reaction.
‘’ Tell me Akutagawa, how does it feel? ‘’ his eyes found the boy’s. ‘’ Not killing people
anymore. Trying your best to save them? How has that made you feel so far? ‘’
Akutagawa seemed to have finally returned back to reality.
‘’ The only reason I haven’t killed is because I made a promise.’’
‘’ We both know that’s not true, but we aren’t going to dwell on that.’’ Dazai brushed his answer
aside, finding it irrelevant and false. ‘’ That’s not what I asked you.’’
‘’ It’s not bad…’’ Akutagawa said, forcing the words out. ‘’ I don’t know how to describe it
exactly but it’s made me feel…lighter? ‘’ The word sounded strange coming out of his mouth. ‘’
Saving people instead of killing them, it makes you think that perhaps you’ve been thinking of life
in the wrong way.’’ he continued, ‘’ It has made me realize just how much harm I have caused
when I could’ve been helping.’’ he said and coughed.
Dazai gave the boy's response due consideration, carefully weighing the meaning of his words. His
answer was more than satisfying.

‘’ Why do you think you’ve been thinking of life in the wrong way? ‘’
‘’ The weretiger told me some months ago that I take life as something granted. That I don’t care
as much as I should, not even for my own. I couldn’t disagree with him.’’ Akutagawa admitted
truthfully, ‘’ I never valued human life. I killed people and didn’t care. I constantly put my own life
in the line. I didn't think of life as something…important…per se.’’
‘’ And what changed that? ‘’ Dazai urged him to elaborate on what he was certain he was thinking.
‘’ After coming so close to death during the fight with the Hunting Dog’s leader, I figured I didn’t
want to die before I had done some things.’’
‘’ Is that so? ‘’
Akutagawa looked at the floor. ‘’ It is.’’

Akutagawa deserved a chance to be free much more than he had ever did.
Dazai was truly at peace with his decision.

‘’ So tell me, would you like to have a chance at escaping the Mafia? ‘’
‘’ Dazai, sir, what are you saying? ‘’
‘’ I’m asking you if you want to get away from this place and start anew.’’
‘’ Like you and mister Chuuya did? ‘’
‘’ Precisely.’’ Dazai turned his chair slightly to the right so as to gaze at the window behind them.
‘’ But unlike me, you aren’t going to return here. Ever.’’
‘’ I can’t.’’ Akutagawa said, mirroring his mentor, shifting his eyes towards the window. ‘’ My
sickness will have killed me before the month comes to an end. Even if I wanted-
‘’ What if I told you your sickness can go away? ‘’
Akutagawa’s eyes flew back to Dazai, as his heart filled with hope.
‘’ If you flee the Mafia and join the Agency, I’m sure Yosano would be able to heal you.’’
‘’ Yosano…’’ the name sounded foreign to him. ‘’ The female doctor of the Agency? The one that
had Motojiro Kajii coming back to the base in tears? ‘’
‘’ Yes, that’s her. If you were to become a member of the Agency, she’d surely help your
condition.’’

It was too much.

What he was saying to him was too much.
He could see it in his eyes.

‘’ Her ability isn’t limited to physical injuries? ‘’

‘’ No.’’ Dazai replied, his voice certain, ‘’ If you were on the brink of death, she could cure your
disease.’’
‘’ But I can’t go to her…’’ Akutagawa insisted, trying to keep his voice from breaking. ‘’ I can’t
become a member of the Agency.’’
‘’ What’s stopping you? ‘’
‘’ I’m Port Mafia.’’ the words came out bitter. ‘’ The people that were your co-workers, the other
members, I’ve tried to kill them and capture them countless times. I’m the enemy, Dazai, sir. I’m
not-
‘’ Why did you keep your promise not to kill, then? ‘’ Dazai asked, interrupting him. ‘’ Why did
you agree to take it a step further and start saving people? ‘’
‘’ I-
‘’ Face it. You wanted a way out for so long, the moment someone offered you one you took it
with no hesitation. You heard Atsushi's proposal and you clung to it like your life depended on it.
You deluded yourself that you were doing everything for that promise, but we both know that’s a
lie. It became something more than a promise. Didn’t it?‘’
‘’ How would you know that? ‘’
‘’ Because I did the same.’’ Dazai had never been that open to Akutagawa before. The boy looked
shocked by his sudden vulnerability.
‘’ Four years ago, a good friend of mine died.’’ Dazai said, the memory making his heart ache, ‘’
He used his last words to tell me to leave the Mafia and become a better person. So I did just that.
At least I tried, for him. But as the years passed I realized I was no longer doing it for him. I was
doing it because I actually wanted to.’’ he concluded his eyes on the boy. ‘’ You’re in a similar
situation right now, aren’t you? ‘’
Akutagawa had never felt that exposed before. What Dazai had described was exactly what he had
a problem expressing.
‘’ I think so.’’ he said with hesitation.
It was such an odd conversation for them to have. So unlike anything they had ever discussed
before. It made sense Akutagawa was being cautious.

‘’ The paperwork is already finalized.’’ Dazai continued, revealing more parts of his plan, ‘’ I
provided your reports as proof of your ‘change of heart’ to my connection to the Special Division.
He was a bit skeptical about it at the beginning, but inevitably, he decided to trust my better
judgment and give it a chance. If you had killed anyone before today, you would have blown
everything up. Thankfully, you didn’t. On the contrary, you proved them you were willing to put
saving people above your mission.’’
‘’ I was being monitored? ‘’
‘’ For some months now, yes. The Special Division wouldn’t have agreed to my proposal
otherwise.’’
‘’ What does that mean…’’
‘’ It means that if you want, I can fire you from the Port Mafia right now on the spot, and
guarantee you a place at the Armed Detective Agency. ‘’
Akutagawa considered his options wisely. ‘’ What if I don’t want to work for the Agency? ‘’
‘’ I’ll still fire you. After that, you can do whatever you want. I just think you would find the
environment of the Agency to be most…helpful.’’
‘’ Won’t the Mafia chase after me? ‘’
‘’ Two problems with that line of thought.’’ Dazai said, holding up two fingers, ‘’ First off, you
will be fired by an Executive. You won’t be a deserter. The Mafia will have no business coming
after you.’’ He explained, ‘’ And second. Even If they did, I’m sure your ability alone would be
enough to keep them at bay.’’
‘’ I don’t know what to say.’’
‘’ Then don’t say anything.’’ he paused. ‘’ Leave this room screaming and cursing and never look
back. Go wherever you want to go. Do whatever makes you feel right. And if you find yourself
heading towards the Agency, go to the President and give him this,’’ he said and pulled out a beige
envelope, ‘’ You won’t have to spend months under the radar. All your crimes, are already erased
and pardoned.’’
Akutagawa took the envelope in his hands and stared at it. It was a one way ticket to the world of
light. He couldn't refuse it.

There were a million words Akutagawa wanted to say. but the person he had taken after was Dazai.
So in the end, he said none.

‘’ I can’t communicate with outsiders, so this is goodbye.’’ Dazai said, debating on whether he
should extend his hand or not. Akutagawa beat him to it.
‘’ Thank you for all you’ve done for me.’’ The boy said and Dazai felt his heartbeat slow
down. He reached to shake the boy’s hand but midair he realized he couldn’t. If this was the last
time they would meet, he wanted to give the boy the closure he never got from anyone. So instead
of shaking his hand, he wrapped his arms around him. Embracing him for the first and probably
the last time in his life.
The boy was too stunned to speak or return the gesture, but it was obvious he wasn’t opposed to it.
Dazai was relieved to see that. He had half expected the boy to push him away.
He patted him on his shoulders once and then stepped back.

‘’ You’re fired. ‘’ he said, the faintest smile on his lips. ‘’ Now get the Hell out of my office.’’
Akutagawa nodded his head, trying to keep his own self from smiling.
‘’ As you wish, sir.‘’ He said, walking to the door and stepping out of it.

He didn’t look back.

It was a cold, crisp February morning, and the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon as
the alarm blared loudly from the bedside table. Groggily, Chuuya reached for it with his hand, He
took a hold of the alarm clock and threw it to the wall. Then he rolled to the other side of the bed,
trying to cover his face from the sunlight.
Despite his best efforts to silence it, the alarm clock sounded off again after only a few minutes.
This time, he was too far to grab it and shut it, so instead, he groaned loudly and got out of the bed.
Kicking the blanket and the sheet to the floor as he did.

Work wouldn’t start for a few more hours, so he figured he would treat himself to a hot shower and
a nice breakfast for a change.

He grabbed the sheet and the blanket from the floor and threw it back to the bed. Then, he opened
up the closet and without looking down to the shoe boxes below, he took a few different pieces
from the hangers. After he made sure they matched with each other, he headed to the bathroom.

He placed his clean clothes on top of the washing machine, and took off the ones he had been
wearing to stuff them inside of it. He turned on the faucet and put his hand beneath it. Once he saw
the steam rising up, he knew the water was ready.

He stepped inside the shower and let out a long sigh, before turning the shower head on and letting
the hot water cascade over his body.
He stood there motionless as the water washed over him.

His life wasn’t miserable.

That was the thing that bothered him the most. His life was pretty content.

He had a job he really liked, and he had a handful of great friends he could hang out and have a
drink with. He had enough money to live in comfort and he had enough free time to do the things
he wanted to do. His life was good.

In comparison to all the other lives he had lived inside the Book, his life was a shining beacon of
light. He shouldn’t complain about it.
He shook his head violently, splashing water all over the wall and the curtain.

He wouldn’t think about the Book. No. That never led to good things.

He looked around him, trying to find something that could distract his mind. The only things he
could see inside the bathtub were three shampoo bottles lying on the self on the right, some
sponges hanging from the faucet and two rubber ducks, on the self to the left, courtesy of Ranpo.

Chuuya tried to direct his eyes and his attention to the three shampoo bottles on the right.
He failed.

The two rubber ducks had been birthday Presents Ranpo had ‘made’ for him and Dazai. Just two
ordinary yellow ducks he had attempted to customize according to their appearance. He had made
one with reddish ‘hair’ and a hat, for him. And another one with brown 'hair' and white straps over
its feathers, for Dazai. The detective had thought it had been the best birthday present ever. Low
cost and undeniably personal. Needless to say that after them, Everyone in the agency had gotten a
customized duck that year.

Chuuya looked at the two rubber ducks with envy. At least they got to be together on that fucking
self. At least both ducks were in the apartment. At least one of them wasn't stuck inside the Port
Mafia.

He realized what he was thinking and recoiled. His own thoughts making him wince.
Getting jealous over two lifeless objects?
God, he was pathetic.

The rubber ducks weren't even alive

They couldn't even talk to each other. There was no reason for him to feel jealous. No reason for
him to-

Oh, for fuck's sake.

He took one of the shampoo bottles, squished some product in his hands, and then wiped his eyes.
The burn and the pain was enough to make him stop thinking of the rubber ducks and how stupid
he was for thinking of them.

He tied his towel around his lower body and looked at the mirror. His eyes were red.
Putting shampoo into them had seemed like a good idea some minutes ago, but now that his vision
was blurry and his eyes were burning, he realized just how stupid he had been.

He threw some more water on his face before drying his hands and body with a towel, and putting
on his clean clothes.

He put the towels on the washing machine and headed towards the hall.

He put on his shoes, grabbed his coat and left.

He sat down at the table, separated his chopsticks, bowed once to show his appreciation for the
food in front of him, and then he dug in.
Eating noodles inside a cheap restaurant at a shady alley downtown...He never thought that simple
action could bring him so much pain.
But it did.
And honestly, at that point, it was his own fault for believing even for a second he could have
some peace.

Like always, the flashback hit him when he had least expected it. One second, he was sitting on a
stool on the bar all alone, eating his noodles. The next, he was sitting on the table for six in the
center, eating noodles with all his best friends.

He was sandwiched between Albatross and Lippman, who were arguing about whether it was
Lippman's fault or not that they got kicked out of a fancy restaurant and winded up there. Lipman
was trying to argue that getting recognized and followed by fans was in no means his fault.
Albatross wasn't listening to his reasoning. He was just repeating that he should be kicked out of
the 'Flags'. Pianoman was laughing at them, telling them that they were acting like kids. Iceman
and Doc weren't agreeing with him. They were eating their noodles in quiet, enjoying the chaos the
two of them were causing.

The flashback ended and Chuuya was back, sitting at the stool. His noodles were cold and his
appetite was gone.

He turned his head and looked at the table for six in the center. If he closed his eyes just enough,
he could see the shadows of the Flags and of him, as they talked and laughed.
He supposed that was the remaining shampoo in his eyes, playing tricks on him.

He turned his head forwards. He opened up his wallet, took some money out, placed it beside the
bowl, and got up.

Getting up was a mistake. It triggered another memory.

A memory of three kids coming into this cheap restaurant after a tiring day of school. Of three kids
sitting down at the corner table and pulling out their books and notebooks in order to study for the
exams coming. Of three kids laughing as they push their notebooks to the ground and instead set
up a board game on the table.

Of all the restaurants he could have gone to….why…why did he choose that one?
What could have possibly motivated that decision? What part of his fucking subconscious was
responsible for subjecting him to this kind of torture? To this kind of suffering?

He tried to ignore the flashbacks as he stepped towards the door, but as always, he failed. There
was no ignoring them. It was impossible.

Even as he exited through the door, he could feel an arm interlocked with his. When he looked
down at it, there was nothing, of course, but in his mind, he knew it had been Dazai's.
Another Dazai's, from another world and another time.
A Dazai he had found dead.

By the time he was nearing the Agency, Chuuya had already re-lived a week's worth of memories.

Some had been from the world where the Flags had been alive. And others had been from the one
where he and Dazai had grown up as normal kids that could go to school.
Both worlds made him sick to his stomach when he thought of them, but for completely different
reasons. The world with the Flags made his heart flutter with a melancholic kind of envy, whereas
the world where he and Dazai had been classmates burdened him with a heavy grief for a life and a
relationship that could have never been his.

He passed the road and walked up to the pavement, his eyes fixed on the lines of the concrete
beneath him. Since he still had about half an hour before he needed to be at the office, he figured
he would spend it by paying a short visit to the Cafe on the first floor.
Perhaps a cup of black coffee could help him focus his attention on something else than the chaos
happening in his mind.

As Chuuya approached the cafe, he could see through the large windows that it was already quite
busy even at such an early hour. At least half of the tables inside it were tables filled with people
enjoying their breakfast, chatting and sipping on their drinks.
Chuuya’s eyes drifted to the entrance door.
No…
He did a double take to make sure he was seeing right. Once he was certain he wasn’t
hallucinating, he approached the figure standing on the threshold.

‘’...Akutagawa? ‘’

There was one thing Dazai had been ‘looking forwards’ to all these months and that had been firing
Akutagawa from the Mafia. Now that he was done with that, he felt like he was back on square
one. There was nothing there for him anymore.

‘’ You fired Akutagawa? ‘’ Mori looked at him with amusement in his eyes,
‘’ Why? ‘’
His loudmouth bother of a partner was not there. His drinking buddies were not there. His
relationship with Hirotsu was not there. NOTHING was there anymore. Nothing.

‘’ I got tired of him.’’ Dazai said, sounding as apathetic as he could. ‘’ He is a failure, Mori, sir. He
can’t do anything right.’’ He continued, making his ‘frustration’ clear to the older man.
‘’ Last week he failed to retrieve the documents I wanted. Today, he killed the captives I specified I
needed alive to interrogate. I couldn’t deal with him anymore.’’ he said, pinching the top of his
nose. ‘’ No matter how much I try to make him a decent mafioso, he can never seem to improve.
Honestly, after so many years, I thought he would have learned something.’’

Mori considered him and his response carefully. He didn’t seem fully convinced yet, but that was
only natural. Mori wasn’t one to let himself be fed information without filtering it first.

‘’ So you fired him because you saw him as unfit? ‘’

‘’ I fired him because he was incompetent.’’ Dazai shot back.‘’ His inability to behave himself and
follow simple orders has caused us a great deal once too many times.’’
‘’ But don’t you find that behavior of yours rather…peculiar? ‘’ Mori inquired, his eyes
scrutinizing Dazai. ‘’ All the years you’ve been an Executive, you have actively avoided firing
subordinates. Always defending that decision of yours by saying that all people can be utilized one
way or another. Wouldn’t it be hypocritical of you to fire Akutagawa now? ‘’
‘’ All people can be used, I still stand by that.’’ Dazai argued, ‘’ However, Akutagawa is someone
I’ve known for a lot of years. His recklessness and complete defiance is a problem I have been
trying to correct since the first day I brought him here. If I say there is no merit in trying further,
then I must know a thing or two.’’
‘’ You know I trust your better judgment, still…Akutagawa was someone that had been in the
organization for more than six years now. He was a valuable asset.’’ Mori continued, his eyes
remaining on Dazai. ‘’ He was a powerful ability user and the one ‘leading‘ the Black Lizard
Assault group.’’
‘’ Even if I hadn’t fired him, he wouldn't have lasted much longer.’’ Dazai retorted, reminding the
Boss of Akutagawa’s unfortunate fragile condition.
‘’ That is true.’’ Mori said disappointed, not able to come up with a counter for that. ‘’ I was the
one that informed him of his illness, you know. As a doctor, foremost, I ‘ve always cared for my
subordinate’s good health. I had diagnosed him with his lung disease nearly a year ago. He had
taken the news rather well.’’
‘’ I figured that was the case.’’
‘’ Tell me Dazai, do you take me for a fool? ‘’ Mori said and his eyes glistened.
‘’ Do you want me to answer that truthfully? ‘’ a smirk danced on Dazai’s lips.
Mori stared at him, his gaze turning cold.
His poor attempt at intimidation had no effect on Dazai.
‘’ You’re not a fool, Boss.’’ the younger man stated, hating how the words sounded coming out of
his mouth, ‘’ But that doesn’t mean you can’t be fooled.’’

Disrespecting Mori so openly was bound to have some bad consequences on his person but
honestly, at that moment, Dazai didn’t care about them.
Akutagawa was out of the mafia, Riko was to be transported out of Yokohama soon, and Mori
couldn’t do not a single thing about either.
Just this once, Dazai had gotten what he wanted.

‘’ Let me tell you something, Osamu,’’ Mori continued, completely disregarding Dazai’s words, ‘’
If I find out that Akutagawa has been taken in by the Agency, after his ‘termination of
employment’ here, there will be consequences.’’
‘’ I care not about what that boy chooses to do with his life now on, but for you information, . if he
wanted to join the Agency he would need to pass an entrance exam first.’’ Dazai said, acting
nonchalant,’’ And to be frank, I don’t think he has it in him.’’
‘’ You’ve been ‘complimenting’ him an awful lot in this discussion…you aren’t perhaps trying to
achieve something by doing that, are you? ‘’
What if I were?
Dazai had this urge to challenge him. To say things he knew would provoke him. It was a stupid
urge, one steeming from months of endless humiliation. He knew it wasn't going to solve anything,
but he couldn't help the way he felt.

‘’ I’m perhaps still annoyed by his irrational attitude this morning.’’ Dazai said instead, ‘’ He was
acting like a spoiled brat cursing and yelling at me. So I’m now exaggerating his flows.’’
‘’ What a petty thing to do…’’ Mori wasn’t convinced. It was clear he knew what was going on.
He couldn't do anything to change what had happened, so Dazai didn’t care whether he had figured
it out or not.
‘’ What can I say? I learned from the pettiest man I know.’’

It was like a fire burning inside him, fueling his desire for revenge.
One day, he would get it. He knew he would. But until then..
‘’ Now, do you need anything else, or can I return to my duties? ‘’
‘’ You can go.’’ Mori said, flicking his hand. ‘’ You’re dismissed.’’
Dazai grinned before exiting the room.

Sitting down at his desk he couldn’t help but close his eyes and allowed himself to try and imagine
what welcoming Akutagawa to the Agency would be like.

The job would fall to either Atsushi, or Chuuya. He was sure of that. They were the two people
with the most ‘history’ with the man. If he was to be supervised by someone, Dazai had no doubt
the President would choose one of the two.
Maybe Chuuya since he was older.
Kunikida wouldn't want Akutagawa there at the beginning but he’d come around eventually. He
wouldn’t make it into a big deal or anything but he wouldn’t be all that positive about his transfer.
Tanizaki would be a little more vocal than Kunikida, since Akutagawa had actually tried to kill
him and Naomi. He too would accept his presence there later on, but until then, Akutagawa would
have to endure some pretty nasty and snarky comments from the duo.
Kenji wouldn’t bat an eye. He would be excited to have a new member in the Agency. Would
definitely ask Akutagawa to showcase Rashomon. Maybe he would even ask him to use it in order
to trim the grass on his farm or something.
Ranpo would also not bat an eye but not in the same way as Kenji. No. From all the reports about
Akutagawa and his recommendation letter from him Ranpo would figure there was there for a
reason. He would figure he was there because he belonged.
Dazai knew they all trusted his judgment. So once they heard he was there with a recommendation
letter written by him, they would understand.
Atsushi would be the most positive about his transfer, but he wouldn’t show it. He had always
wanted to help Akutagawa from the very start. It would take him some time to see the man as a
friend rather than an enemy, but Dazai knew it would happen.
Atsushi and Akutagawa would make good friends if only they could find themselves in a ‘lighter’
environment. Dazai could bet on it.

The member with the biggest problem accepting him though wouldn't be Kunikida and it wouldn’t
be Tanizaki either. No. The one most troubled by his appearance there would be Kyoka. But Dazai
was sure the girl would come to understand that Akutagawa too deserved a second chance. He was
sure that in time she would see that.

He wouldn’t be getting the warmest of welcomes but Akutagawa was used to the cold. If he could
only endure winter for some more time, Dazai was certain he would reach the summer.
And if he managed to do that, to reach that Summer, he would finally find his place in the sun.

Dazai opened his eyes again and stared outside the window.

If only it could be summer for him too…

TEN MONTHS SINCE AKUTAGAWA HAD STARTED TO SEE LIFE AND THE
WORLD DIFFERENTLY

Two months ago, Chuuya had been walking to the Agency when he happened to spot Akutagawa
lurking on the threshold of the entrance. He had been startled by his presence there. The boy had
supposedly been their ‘enemy’. A high ranked member of the mighty Port Mafia. Finding him
standing there, by the entrance door, not causing trouble, dressed so normally…it had been rather
weird.

Chuuya had approached him, having wanted to know what had been going on. The only things
Akutagawa had told him were that Dazai had fired him in order to give him a chance to join the
Armed Detective Agency.
Chuuya’s day hadn’t started that well, but he had hoped that at least things at work would've been
better.

He had been sooo wrong.

‘’ Oi, Akutagawa,’’ Kunikida called out to the young man, occupying the desk on Chuuya’s left. ‘’
Are you done with that report about the Kanagami case? ‘’
Akutagawa glanced at his computer screen before turning to the man that had spoken. ‘’ It will be
ready in five.’’ he said, his finger still typing on the keyboard. ‘’ Unless you want it sooner…? ‘’
he added with caution, hoping that the answer would be negative.
‘’ Not really. Five is good.’’
Akutagwa nodded his head and returned his eyes on the screen.
‘’ You know how to type without looking? ‘’ The question came from the office to Chuuya’s right.
The one formerly occupied by Kunikida.
‘’ I do, yes.’’ Akutagawa replied, looking at Atsushi, still typing, showcasing his talent. ‘’ Why,
you don’t? ‘’

Being sandwiched between Atsushi and Akutagawa at work was not how Chuuya had thought his
life would have developed. But here he was. Listening to their bickering non-stop from early in the
morning till late in the evening.

‘’ I don’t, no.’’ Atsushi replied, no shame in his voice. ‘’ Hey, do you mind teaching me? I think it
could help me write reports faster.’’
Akutagawa considered him and his proposal.
‘’ Let me finish this one and I’ll see what I can do.’’

Akutagawa working with the ADA wasn’t as strange to him as it had been for the others.
Of course, one could argue that was because Chuuya had known this world wasn’t the only word it
had happened. Which would be a fair point to make, but still. Even despite that knowledge, Chuuya
had always thought the boy would have been better off out of the Mafia.

Chuuya watched as Akutagawa sent the file to Kunikida and stood up from his chair. He watched
as he almost soundlessly approached Atsushi's desk.
‘’ So you want to learn the way of the blinds? ‘’ he asked, creeping up behind him. Atsushi didn’t
react to that. Two months now, he had gotten used to it.
‘’ Isn’t it called touch typing or blind typing? ‘’
‘’ No.’’ Akutagawa stated, ‘’ It’s called the way of the blinds.’’
‘’ Oh,’’ Atsushi looked at him anxiously. ‘’ Okay then.’’

Chuuya leaned back on his chair, thinking the interaction would be much more interesting than the
solitaire game he was playing.

‘’ So how,-
‘’ First, we remove your eye balls.’’ said Akutagawa in a monotone, summoning Rashomon.
Atsushi’s eyes widened in fear as he saw the blade reach for him.
‘’ I’m merely joking.’’ Akutagawa said in the same tone, making Rashomon retreat before he
could have found Atsushi’s eyes. ‘’ That won’t be necessary.’’
‘’ Ha ha,’’ Atsushi pretended to laugh, but it came out forced and nervous. ‘’ that was funny…’’
Akutagawa said nothing,

Chuuya tried to keep himself from laughing. Judging by Ranpo’s hand in front of his mouth, the
detective was also doing the same.

‘’ To learn the way of the blinds you’ll need to put your fingers to these keys,’’ he said, indicating
four keys on the keyboard. ‘’ Then you’ll need to become blind yourself.’’
‘’ Wait, I thought we were passed removing my eyeballs.’’
‘’ I won’t remove your eyes,’’ Akutagawa clarified, ‘’ I’ll just blindfold you.’’ he said, and pulled
out Rashomon again. ‘’ Now that you can’t see, try and type what I’m saying. For every mistake
you do, I’ll cut one of your fingers off.’’
‘’ That’s…a joke too…right? ‘’
Akutagawa remained silent.
‘’ Right? ‘’ Atsushi repeated, his voice growing more worried.’’
‘’ Once upon a time-
‘’ I still don’t know the system.’’ Atsushi reminded him, keeping his hands on the keyboard. ‘’
How am I supposed to-
‘’ Use your instinct.’’ Akutagawa advised, ‘’ You’ve typed so many words, at some point, your
little brain must have memorized the position of each key.’’
‘’ Yeah, but-
‘’ Now, remember it or perish.’’

Chuuya was thinking that perhaps Akutagawa’s teaching methods were a little unorthodox, but
then he saw Atsushi fingers traveling across the board and hitting a good number of the correct
keys.

‘’ Now read it.’’ Akutagawa said, retracting Rashomon.

Atsushi looked at the screen, ‘’ Ubve uopn a rime,’’ he read, feeling supid, ‘’ ude tour onsrixt you
javr ryped do manu qorfs-
‘’ Are you trying to summon an evil spirit, Atsushi? ‘’ Ranpo laughed from his own desk, looking
at the boys. Atsushi turned to him.
‘’ I’m trying to learn the touch-
Akutagawa stepped on his foot and he bit the word back, ‘’ the way of the blinds.’’
Ranpo crossed his arms and nodded his head. ‘’ The way of the blinds, huh? ‘’ he echoed, an
amused smile on his lips. ‘’ shouldn’t you have your eyeballs removed to learn that one? ‘’
‘’ Ranpo, sir, not you too..’’

Ranpo was the only person Chuuya hadn’t expected would warm up that quickly to Akutagwa. He
had been proven wrong. Ranpo absolutely loved him.
The first day had been a little turbulent, as had been expected, but even from the first week, Ranpo
had made his fondness of the boy apparent.
There was nothing the detective enjoyed more than the boy’s poor attempts at joking. Nothing.
They made him laugh hysterically.

‘’ See,’’ Akutagawa said indicating the screen, ‘’ if your life's on the line, you can manage a
decent thirty two out of fifty.’’
‘’ Wait, more than fifty percent? ‘’ Atsushi looked at the screen, amazed by himself. ‘’ Oh, that’s
not half bad for my first time,’’
‘’ The first time I did it, I got a perfect fifty.’’ Akutagawa said prideful.
‘’ Who taught you? ‘’ Atsushi asked, curious as to why there was even a need to be taught if he
could get a perfect score on the first try.
‘’ Mister Dazai, did.’’ Akutagawa said, the faintest melancholy in his voice.
Both Chuuya and Atsushi were quick to detect it.
‘’ I’m sure I can get a perfect score too.’’ Atsushi said, changing the subject. ‘’ Watch.’’ He placed
his hands back to the eight keys and closed his hands.
Much to Chuuya’s surprise, the boy started talking immediately.

Dazai was a touchy subject around the Agency for various reasons. His name wasn’t forbidden or
anything, but it was commonly avoided. The other members tried their hardest to never bring him
up around Chuuya, Atsushi and Akutagawa, as they knew those three had been the most close with
him, in one way or another. Kunikida was also an honorary part of those three.
The reason people avoided talking about him was one. Everyone knew by now, his little
‘situation’. Or at least enough as to know there was nothing that could be done to bring him back to
the Agency.

‘’ Forty seven out of fifty. Pathetic.’’ Akutagawa spat, grading Atsushi’s second attempt.
‘’ I only made three mistakes,’’ Atsushi reasoned, ‘’ how can that be pathetic? ‘’
‘’ It’s not perfect is it? ‘’
‘’ Yeah, but-
‘’ Then it’s pathetic.’’ Akutagawa repeated, walking back to his office. ‘’ Now do not disturb me
again, weretiger,’’ he warned, ‘’ or you’’ll be made into a rag.’’

Atsushi was the only member that got that treatment from Akutagawa. To everyone else he was as
respectful as it could get. Absolutely no one could complain about him or his behavior.
He made sure of that.

Ever since he had gotten there, Akutagawa had done nothing to provoke anyone. On the contrary,
he always did his best to be as helpful and useful as he could. No one had any complaints. The boy
was efficient in every job he was given, and he worked well with everyone. Even the President had
been impressed by his attitude.

‘’ Oi, Akutagawa,’’
‘’ Didn’t I just say-
‘’ That you’ll turn me into a rug, yeah, yeah, but look,’’ Atsushi turned the screen so that
Akutagawa could see if he leaned a little forward. ‘’ I got a fifty ou of fifty.’’
‘’ And I care because…? ‘’

Sometimes, Akutagawa could be a little impossible. But that was only towards Atsushi, so the rest
of the Agency, including Chuuya, didn’t mind it.

‘’ Forget it.’’ Atsushi turned his screen back to him.

Akutagawa seemed to be ready to say something more but he refrained.

Was that what Hisortsu had gone through so many years supervising him and Dazai? If yes, he
deserved the biggest apology ever. Chuuya was ready to give up after only two months of being
stuck with them.
Three years…His respect for the man grew everyday.

The sun was setting outside the window and everyone was getting ready to go back to their homes
after another uninteresting day at work.
Chuuya put the last file inside the folder and placed it at the self. He grabbed his keys from the top
of his desk, and his phone, and he was ready to go.
‘’ Nakahara,’’ Or so he thought.
‘’ What’s up Doc? ‘’ he greeted Yosano as she entered the room.
‘’ Are we going out to celebrate your birthday tonight, or are you staying home? ‘’

Oh.
Oh fuck.
Was it really April twenty eight? How had he missed that?

‘’ I was thinking of staying inside tonight,’’ Chuuya answered truthfully, ‘’ But we can talk about
going out tomorrow? ‘’ he offered, knowing that Yosano wouldn’t be satisfied by his answer alone.
‘’ Sure, whatever the birthday boy wants.’’ She said, getting her coat, ‘’ Just, try not to drink that
much tonight? ‘’ she advised, ‘’ I’ve told you, drinking doesn’t work with your medication that
well.’’
‘’ I know, I know.’’ Chuuya assured her. ‘’ Don’t worry, I won’t have that much fun.’’

The medication in question was Dalmane, also known as flurazepam. It was the only type of drug
that had managed to have even the slightest effect on Chuuya.
Yosano had been ecstatic when they had finally found something that had worked. Chuuya hadn’t
had the guts to tell her that the drug had only worked because he had taken more than he should
have.
So now he lied to her about his sleeping problems, saying they were becoming all the more
manageable. (They weren’t.)

Chuuya got inside the apartment, took his coat and his shoes off and immediately walked to the
couch. Then his stomach growled so he got up, moved to the fridge, grabbed a cup of noodles and
returned back to the couch.
He switched the TV on, and found something entertaining enough to look at, as he ate his dinner.

Few hours later, Chuuya was on the floor, drowning in a sea of empty bottles as he gazed longingly
at the clock on the other side of the wall.

Why did Yosano have to remind him it was his birthday tomorrow?? He had done such a great job
completely erasing it from his memory, why??
He hated his Birthday. It hadn't even arrived yet, but he knew he would hate it. It was something
he had been dreading months now.
He would be turning 23 and Dazai wouldn't be there to 'celebrate' with him. He wouldn't be there to
wake him up with a slug on his face, and he wouldn't be intentionally late because he had been
planning a surprise.
He wouldn't be there.

Chuya hadn't cared much about his birthday in his life, but that had changed when he had moved in
with Dazai. Every year, his partner would go out of the way to make sure he would have a great
time. Even when they had been living in isolation, Dazai had managed to make his birthday
memorable for all the right reasons.

It had become a tradition, trying to one up each other every year. But it would seem that tradition
wouldn't be able to carry through time.
Chuuya looked at the clock again and at the mess he had made of the apartment.
Only ten minutes remained before he was officially 23.
He figured he would drink some more while rewatching some videos he had of the Agency, while
Dazai had still been a member. Them on their trip to Kyoto, some karaoke songs and even some
other outings of theirs.
They had made for such a good friend group.

He missed him.

And he hated that he missed him.

There was nothing he loathed more than those new feelings he had discovered had come with his
sudden departure from his life.

Those new feelings he had wished oh so many times, he had never even known could exist.

He took another bottle from the table and shook it to make sure there was wine still left inside.
There was no rattling sound.
No crimson liquid visible from the blurry glass. He placed the bottle down and much like the
turned couches around him, he kicked it.
The bottle rolled to the floor and hit a second bottle that was already there. The clunking sound
echoed on the half empty room.
A room that had once been filled with stupid arguments and laughter.
A room that had once been occupied by two

Kicking furniture and turning the world upside down will not make anything better.
Sleeping for hours on end, or not sleeping at all, will not help you.
Drinking every bottle of alcohol you see in front of you until you're sick of the taste of liquor in
your mouth, will not ease the pain.

Missing someone is considered torture by most, but if you were to ask Chuuya he'd laugh at your
face.
Torture could not hold a candle to the pain that is missing a person.

It's an empty space you hadn't realized was there before. A space that devours you whole, slowly
and painfully, with each little reminder of them. A greedy space that will not stop expanding until
you're completely devoid of anything.
Until you are no longer yourself but rather an empty vassell, half broken.
A vassell that used to be whole once.

Missing someone and the thoughts that come with it are much more painful than some broken
bones or some poison that feasts on your insides until you die.

Torture only lasts until you break.

Missing a person can not end.

Chuuya watched as the clock struck midnight.

What had he hoped for?
Really?
Dazai caring enough to wish him, even though they hadn't talked in months?
Dazai caring enough to surprise him, even tho-
NO.
He was being unreasonably unfair again.
If Dazai could he would have surprised him. If he could he would have wished him.
But he couldn't. He physically couldn't.
And Chuuya had to remind himself of that.

It wasn't a matter of Dazai wanting or not.

It was a mutter of him being unable.

He watched as the clock struck twelve and one minute.

He was thinking about going to his room to sleep when the doorbell rang.

He got up and reached the door. He couldn't think not of a single person that could be outside of it.
Before he could turn the knob, the mysterious person knocked again.

Chuuya pushed the door open only to find a short brunette boy on the other side.

" Are you mister Nakahara Chuuya? "

The boy asked, looking at him.
" I am." Chuuya said, crossing his arms. " Why? "
" Mister Dazai gave me this four months ago, to deliver it to you on this exact day before I fled the
country." The boy explained, handing him the package he had been holding. " I am a minute late, I
know, I'm terribly-
" Dazai gave it to you? " Chuuya couldn't care less about his lateness, not when the kid had
brought him something from Dazai. " But how? And…who even are you? ‘’

Due to the contract he had been forced to sign, Dazai couldn’t communicate with people that were
outside of the Mafia, unless Mori had stated otherwise. And Chuuya doubted Mori could have been
so generous as to let him communicate with a delivery boy in order to plan a surprise for his former
partner, so the kid had to be a mafioso. Or at least an insider to the Organization.

" I’m Riko. Possibly the only person Mister Dazai can talk openly to…" the kid replied, his voice
soft. " Being that I'm the contract maker, the rules do not apply to-
" You're…the contract maker." The realization hit him then. The kid in front of him was the reason
Dazai was stuck in the Mafia. The reason Chuuya had no roommate anymore.

Chuuya thought then, about giving him a good punch and breaking that skull of his alongside the
contract that was binding his friend. The thought entertained his mind for only a couple of seconds.
Killing the boy…It would be wrong.

" You said you are to flee the country? "

" Mister Dazai exploited a loophole to get this to you." He said, nodding to the package he had
been holding. " In exchange, he promised to get me to board a ship that leaves Yokohama today."
" Why does he want you out of the country? " Chuuya couldn't help but ask.
The boy shrugged his shoulders. " He wanted me to get away from the Boss. That was all he said
when I asked him. And then when I saw him again, he still didn’t elaborate."
Chuuya figured that Dazai must have had a much bigger reason for wanting the boy abroad.
He rarely did things just because.

" When did you see him last? "

" Two months ago. I helped him get another boy out of the Mafia by planning a whole mission for
him and purposely sabotaging it."

Akutagawa.
So that was how Dazai had managed to get him out of the Port Mafia. By getting this boy to assist
him. Huh. Even restrained like that, Dazai could still find a means to an end.

" I see." Chuuya said, not knowing what else he could say. Maybe he could ask the kid to describe
to him how Dazai had seen or-
No. That wouldn’t do...
Maybe he could ask him to transfer a few words to him?
" You know, I would have loved to deliver him a message from you, but unfortunately I won't be
able to communicate with Mister Dazai after I leave." It was as if the kid had read his mind.
Chuuya looked at him and nodded. ‘’ I figured." he said, albeit a bit disappointed.
The boy stood there in the hallway for a moment too long before finally speaking again.
" I'll be going now." He announced, " So, uh..goodbye…? " the kid waved at him nervously.
Chuuya waved back as to not embarrass him, " Have a…safe trip, or something! " he said, walking
back inside the apartment with a huge grin on his face.

Dazai had done it again.

He had defied all odds just to wish him a happy birthday.

That bastard…

Chuuya took the package and opened it.

If all had gone according to his plan, Chuuya would be now receiving his 23rd Birthday gift.
Which really wasn’t all that much compared to the previous years, but it was the only thing Dazai
had managed to do.

Making the kid stay an additional two months in Yokohama had been incredibly risky, he knew
that, but he had had no other choice. If he had wanted to surprise Chuuya at his Birthday, then it
had to happen like that.

The gift itself wasn't much, and Dazai couldn't even write a letter to go with it, since that would be
considered an ‘attempt’ at communication and would thus be a violation of the stupid rules. It was
stupid that he couldn’t talk to him but he had made his peace with that. Still, that didn’t mean he
wouldn’t find other ways around it.

If he had kept the kid around, he could have had a means to ‘communicate’ with the outside world,
but the risk would have unfortunately been too much, and Dazai had never been one to gamble.
Mori wasn’t stupid. He would have found them out sooner or later. And when he would’ve…
Dazai didn’t even want to think about what he would’ve done to that kid…

He looked at the clock inside the room, willing it to strike twelve. He tried to imagine what
Chuuya’s reaction would be. Would he be happy? Surprised? Impressed?
Oh, he would definitely be impressed.
Not so much with the present but rather by the way it had reached him.

His initial plan, before all of those things had happened, had been to take Chuuya in an all-paid trip
to France to celebrate his 23rd Birthday. It would have been the only thing that could have topped
his 22nd Birthday…. It was something he had been organizing on the side for a few months. But
then Fyodor came, and he returned to the Mafia and…yeah…
He had had no other choice than to indefinitely postpone it.
But they would make that trip.
Once he was out of that place, and he had found him again, they would.

‘’ Osamu,’’ Mori called out, resting his head on top of his hands. ‘’ are you even listening? ‘’
Dazai looked at Mori and Kouyou. Then he looked at the pitch black sky outside the window. ‘’
Why are we even having a meeting this late? ‘’ he asked, tired of Mori interrupting his ‘lighter’
thoughts.
‘’ I thought you agreed to it? ‘’
Dazai raised his eyebrows. ‘’ Agreed? Really, Boss? ‘’
Mori didn’t say anything in reply, he simply averted his gaze. Kouyou, on the other hand, seemed
more than willing to speak.
‘’ We aren’t progressing at the desired rate, ‘’ she noted, ‘’ And today was a long day. So maybe it
would be best to leave it for tomorrow and get some rest? ‘’ The woman too looked tired. She
wasn’t even hiding it. He thought it was to be expected.
Mori looked at the papers on his desk before drawing his conclusion. ‘’ Very well,’’ he said,
looking at them both, ‘’ Today was a most eventful day, I’m aware of that. So in that light, I’ll let
you off early.’’
Early
Yeah, like it wasn’t almost midnight.
‘’ Thank you, Boss. ‘’ Kouyou said, standing up and walking towards the door. ‘’ I hope tomorrow
we’ll be more productive.’’
‘’ I do too.’’ he smiled.

Dazai didn’t care to speak to either of them, so he simply stood up, walked out, and closed the door
behind him. Then he breathed.
Kouyou had been right. Today had been a dreadfully long day. One he had no desire to keep
prolonging.

‘’ Dazai, can I talk to you? ‘’

It would seem some people didn’t share his desire.

‘’ Is it related to work? ‘’ Dazai asked, already knowing the answer would be no. Kouyou never
called him Dazai when she wanted to speak to him about work. She only ever called him that when
it was something personal.
‘’It’s not,’’ Kouyou replied, confirming his thoughts, ‘’ It’s not related to work but-
‘’ I don’t really feel like talking, Ane-san.’’
‘’ You never do.’’ Kouyou remarked with a sad voice. ‘’ But you can’t keep doing that to yourself,
boy. You need to have at least one person to-
Dazai burst out laughing, rudely interrupting her. ‘’ I’m sorry,’’ he said, still grinning, ‘’ I just- I
find it funny that you think I need someone.’’
‘’ You do.’’
‘’ I don’t.’’ his gaze turned cold as he looked at her. ‘’ I don’t need anyone, Kouyou,’’ he used her
name like a bad word, ‘’ Not anymore.’’
‘’ You’re so stubborn. So…strong headed, why can’t you just admit-
‘’ What good would it do to me? ‘’ Dazai retorted, his anger building up, ‘’ We’ve had that
conversation a while back, Ane-san. No matter what I say or do now, it can’t change my current
predicament.’’ Dazai said bitterly, greeting his teeth, ‘’ So why say anything at all? ’’

Kouyou had never been that fond of Dazai but he could see that she was making an effort to help
him despite that. It was evident in the way she was looking at him. In her visible anger caused by
his behavior.

‘’ Alright, don’t say anything. Keep to yourself. But if you don’t mind, would you accompany me
to my office? ‘’ she offered, a smile tugging on her red lips, ‘’ refusing a lady would be impolite, I
don’t need to say that, do I? ’’
Dazai let out a sight. ‘’ What was it that you wanted to talk about? ‘’ he asked defeated, already
heading towards her office.

He kept his eyes on the hallway walls, and at all the painting and portraits hang on them. He
wasn’t really in the right state of mind to talk to Kouyou but if he didn’t, the woman wouldn’t
leave him alone.
She wasn’t as passive as Hirotsu…She wouldn’t take him ignoring her as lightly.

‘’ I heard you were the one that fired Akutagawa, is that correct?
‘’ It is.’’
‘’ You are aware he has joined the Agency, right? ‘’
‘’ I am.’’
‘’ Now, you wouldn’t happen to be responsible for that, would you? ‘’
Dazai rolled his eyes before speaking. ‘’ Beating around the bush is so unlike you, ane-san.’’ he
said, his voice low, ‘’ You know I hate this kind of chit-chat more than anything.’’
‘’ I know.’’ Kouyou agreed with him , ‘’ So let me ask you this directly. ‘’ she said, opening the
door of her office, inviting him in and closing the door behind them. ‘’ Did you fire Akutagawa, so
he could join the Agency? ‘’
‘’ I may have given him a little push in that direction, what about it? ‘’ Dazai bit back. ‘’ The Boss
already confronted me when he heard of his new employment, so the information can’t even be
used as black mail.’’
‘’ I’m not trying to-’’ Kouyou looked distraught. She hated Dazai’s way of thinking. She hated it.
‘’ Wait, how did the Boss react to that? ‘’
Dazai smiled, ‘’ trust me ane-san,’’ he said, the pain in his eyes contradicting his smile. ‘’ you
don’t want to know.’

Kouyou remained silent.

There was nothing she could say that would make things better so she decided to change the
subject.

‘’ I have another question.’’ she said, heading towards the back of her office.
‘’ What is it? ‘’
She bent down and retrieved something from the bottom self. Then she turned to him and smiled.
‘’ Would you like some tea? ‘’

Maybe Kouyou was right. Maybe he needed at least one person to talk to.
Ten months with only Mori and the occasional chit chat with subordinates…it could in no way,
shape or form be healthy for him.
Maybe he could try and mend his relationship with Hirotsu too.
Maybe instead of pushing everyone away, he could try and-

What was he even thinking?

No.
He couldn’t do that.
If he started getting too close to someone Mori would punish him by hurting them.
That was how it had always worked. First with Odasaku and then later with Chuuya.
He wouldn’t let anyone else get hurt because of him.

Dazai sighed and closed his eyes, trying to push away the nagging feeling of loneliness that had
crept up on him during his conversation with Kouyou. It had been a pleasant two hours, but he
wouldn’t repeat it. He couldn't afford to get too close to her. Or to anyone else for that matter. With
Mori constantly watching his every move and punishing him for any perceived transgression, that
was impossible.
But at the same time, the thought of spending the rest of his days isolated and alone was almost
unbearable. He didn’t know how he had managed to spend all his life like that.
Once, he had thought that he would forever be alone. Because of that, he had always gone out of
his way to isolate himself, and push everyone away. Once, that had seemed like the perfect
solution.
But after meeting Odasaku and Ango, and after joining the Agency with Chuuya, a life all alone
seemed so boring. So bland.

It pained him to admit that, even to himself, but he had been wrong. He did need people in his life.
It was a painful realization, but it was one he had to accept.

Dazai Osamu no longer wanted to be alone.

Well, too bad for him.

TWELVE MONTHS SINCE THE WORLD HAD BEEN SAVED

‘’ At least Kunikida likes my reports.’’

‘’ At least I actually deliver them on time.’’
‘’ At least I-
‘’ Are you two fighting again? ‘’ Chuuya asked, taking a sip of his coffee before sitting down at
his desk. He had a bad hangover for various reasons that definitely didn’t have to do with his
anticipation for the next day.
‘’ Well, he started it.’’ Akutagawa said, quickly moving to his own desk, his arms crossed. He sat
down on his chair and started taking papers out of his drawers.
‘’ I didn’t start it. YOU-
‘’ Are you calling me a liar? ‘’ Akutagawa shot back sharply, his eyes wide on the boy.
‘’ Well I ain’t calling you a truther.’’ Atsushi retorted, not afraid of his little attempt at
intimidation.
‘’ Oh, that’s how it is, huh? ‘’

Chuuya banged his head on his desk and stayed there like that. He continued listening to them fight
as he contemplated on whether he should jump off the window or not.

‘’ You take pleasure doing that, I see.’’ Kunikida commented, watching as Akutagawa used
Rashomon to tear down and shred old papers that had no use anymore.
‘’ I do yes.’’ The boy replied, showing him the pile on the floor he had already created out of the
shredded pieces, ‘’ I imagine it’s the were-tiger.’’ he said with a smile.
Atsushi looked at them offended from his own desk, but didn’t say anything. Kunikida nodded
along.
‘’ Whatever makes you productive…’’ he muttered and turned to Chuuya. ‘’ Speaking of
productive…’’
‘’ Do we have a job? A case? Anything that will get us out of here? ‘’ Chuuya got a little too
excited over the possibility of leaving the facility, but he didn’t care. ‘’ Oh, please tell me we do.’’
‘’ We do.’’
‘’ GREAT.’’ working under such warm temperatures was extremely difficult for him. He couldn’t
stand the hotness of the office in the summer for too long. He had no problem dying out of cold or
getting frostbites in the winter but warm summer afternoons were where he drew the line. ‘’ Let’s
go then.’’
‘’ Oh, we aren’t going together.’’ Kunikida clarified, fixing his glasses.
‘’ Huh? ‘’
‘’ The president requested my assistance in a very important matter, so you’ll be going with
Akutagawa instead.’’
Now that he was thinking about it again, maybe staying inside wasn’t that bad.
‘’ Alright. What kind of case is it? ‘’
‘’ A murder.’’

The murder in question had taken place in a golf club in the Kamakura district, which fell a little
further down Yokohama than most of their cases. So Chuuya and Akutagawa had to take the train
to be there in time. Chuuya proposed they take his motorcycle instead, but Akutagawa, it would
seem, had an unreasonable fear for it, so he didn’t push him.

So now, they were sitting inside the train, both doing their best to not look at each other and
accidentally create a need for conversation. But Chuuya didn’t like that. He couldn’t stand the
silence. So he broke off his eye contact with the window and looked over at the kid.
‘’ How are you finding it in the Agency? ‘’ he asked, trying to find a topic that the boy could
elaborate on and thus occupy that deafening silence.
From his expression, Chuuya figured the boy hadn’t anticipated having that discussion.
‘’ It’s…okay.’’ Akutagawa said, always the chatterbox.
Chuuya thought he would give him another try. ‘’ Okay as? ‘’
‘’ The jobs aren’t that difficult most of the times and the Agency seems to have slowly accepted
that I’m also a member now, so that’s good, I think.’’ he paused, ‘’ Doctor Yosano was able to
cure my illness so now I don’t caught all the time, that has done wonders to my throat. My income
is a lot lower, but I don’t care much about that.’’ he paused again, ‘’ My reports have become
better ever since I started here, so that’s another good thing.’’
‘’ What do you think of the individuals making up the Agency? ‘’ That was what Chuuya wanted
most to know. How Akutagawa’s relationship had developed with the other members. ‘’ Of the
President, and of Kunikida and Ranpo, and everyone basically.’’
Akutagawa seemed to think over his answer.
‘’ The President is a man that commands respect. He knows how to handle an organization
effectively and he knows how to treat his subordinates. The fact he gave me an opportunity to
prove myself and join his Agency inspired my respect for him.’’ he started, ‘’ Kunikida I had
fought with in the past. He is great at his job and although I do not agree with his obsession over
his morals I do recognize that his willpower is admirable.’’ he continued, ‘’ Ranpo is a genius.
There is no denying that. But he’s also overbearing, dramatic and quite frankly, annoying at times.
I do however, understand that among us he is special because of his lack of ability, and so we let
those behaviors fly unpunished.’’
‘’ I mean, the Detective Agency doesn’t really ‘punish’ its members.’’
‘’ I would argue that getting treated by Doctor Yosano is a punishment on its own.’’
Chuuya shrugged his shoulders, ‘’ Fair enough.’’
‘’ She is a terrific woman. And when I say terrific I mean scary. Doctor Yosano is a sadistic
psychopath. She wanted me to repeat the process of nearing my death at least forty times to
confirm my illness had subsided.’’ he said, his eyes growing distant. ‘’ She is crazy, but she is a
valuable member. Not only for her ability. She acts as a middle man most times between Ranpo
and the rest. And she contributes a lot to the Agency by herself.’’
‘’ She is pretty scary, that’s true.’’ Chuuya said with a chuckle. ‘’ But she is honestly a great
person if you get to know her better.’’
‘’ I’ll keep that in my mind.’’ Chuuya had a feeling the young man was too traumatized by his
encounters with her to consider that, but he didn’t say that. ‘’ Junichiro Tanizaki is also frightening.
Naomi came to ask me something about my transfer and he looked at me like he wanted to kill me
for a whole week. I try to avoid him and his ‘sister’ by all coasts, but unfortunately I’m not always
successful.’’
‘’ What about Kenji? I saw he took you to his farm last week.’’ said Chuuya, remembering the
discourse over the boy’s tan the previous week.
‘’ He did.’’ Akutagawa replied, ‘’ He had me competing with an older man, Mister Tanaka, and
his rise planner. He had me doing all kinds of manual labor. By the end of the week, I was a
walking corpse. I stayed in bed the whole weekend recovering. But I did enjoy my time with him.
Kenji is a nice kid, full of cheer. He does everything to make the people around him happy. I
appreciate his efforts to do the same to me.’’
‘’ Yeah, that’s Kenji.’’ Chuuya agreed with ease, ‘’ He's a good kid.’’
‘’ The only one I dislike in the Agency so far is he were-tiger.’’ Chuuya hadn’t expected to hear
anything different from him.
‘’ But isn’t he your partner? And the one you spend most of your time with, outside of work hours?
‘’
‘’ That’s irrelevant.’’ Akutagawa continued, ‘’ No matter what we do he is a bother. Even at the
karaoke he took me to, after Kunikida suggested we did an activity to ‘strengthen our bond as
partners’ he cranked up the music too loud and thus made my ears hurt.’’
‘’ I see.’’
‘’ And he picks fights with me all the time. That’s also very annoying of him.‘’
‘’ Mhm,’’
‘’ And he never closes his mouth when he chews. Honestly, what kind of barbarian is he? He just
down his food, making the most noise possible. I regret having lunch with him.’’
‘’ Really he-
‘’ Oh, and he also ….

Filling the silence didn’t prove as difficult as Chuuya had thought it would be at the beginning. The
kid had so much he wanted to say and share. Chuuya regretted not having asked him sooner.
Before sunset, they were both back in the Agency, finishing the report on the murder case they had
solved. The case hadn’t been all that interesting, but having Akutagawa accompanying him had, so
he had no complaints.

Once Chuuya had finished writing his report and it was sent to Kunikida, he left.

He had a lot he needed to prepare for later, so he couldn’t waste time.

It was, after all, June 17th.

The sky was full of stars that night, but Dazai couldn't see not a single one of them, no matter
where in the horizon he looked. All that was visible for him were white spots, messily drawn over
where the stars should have been. There were no constellations he could connect with imaginary
lines, no pictures he could decode, or distant planets he could theorize about.
There was nothing.

He sat on the windowsill, staring at the night sky, trying to give it another chance.

He used to be so fascinated by it, but now he couldn't understand why. Was there something he
was missing? Something he could no longer see?
No, that was ridiculous. The sky was still there, a black canvas surrounding the world. And the
stars - they had been replaced by faded white splotches - but they were still there, too. So what was
missing? What could he see once, that he couldn't now?

There were so many thoughts rushing through his mind, but as he continued gazing up at the
splotches in the sky, he realized those thoughts were slowly going away and his mind was
becoming quieter.
The stars were still invisible to him, but the spots covering the night sky were beginning to shine,
now.

Not like the stars he remembered, but like a dying fire trying to cling into life.

This wasn't the same scenery that had once brought him comfort. This night sky wasn't as
beautiful.
It was desperate.
It was ruined.

Dazai sighed and leaned back against the window frame, feeling a weight on his shoulders. He
couldn't help but feel like he had lost something important, something he couldn't quite identify.
He wondered if he would ever be able to see the stars in the same way again, or if he would always
be trapped in this fog of white spots and lost hope.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push these thoughts away and find some peace
in the quiet of the night. But even as he sat there in the darkness, he couldn't shake the feeling that
something was missing, something he had once had but had let slip through his fingers

He opened his eyes and looked up at the sky once more, feeling a sense of melancholy wash over
him as he realized that the beauty of the night sky was something he may never fully experience
 again.

Dazai looked at the wall in his office and then back at the window.
Much like his hope, the stars had also faded.

But then a miracle happened.

The clock struck twelve, and the night sky suddenly burst with color.

As the bright sparks of light exploded into the air, they revealed a dazzling array of colors - red and
blue first and then orange and yellow and green and purple. Dazai's eyes widened in wonder as he
watched the fireworks display, feeling a sense of awe wash over him.
The white splotches that had previously obscured the stars were now hidden behind the vibrant
displays. Dazai had always loved watching fireworks, but seeing them now filled him with a sense
of joy and excitement. It reminded him of his last day with Chuuya before everything had changed.
It reminded him of when he had been his happiest.

He watched in amazement as the fireworks continued to burst and sparkle in the air, each one more
beautiful than the last. He was so captivated by the display that he didn’t even notice the weight on
his shoulders lifting, or the sense of melancholy that had previously consumed him fading away.

As the fireworks continued, Dazai noticed that some of them were spelling out words.
He squinted to make out the letters, and a smile spread across his face as he saw
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY" written across the sky in the most beautiful red he had ever seen.
It was a signature red. A red so lively and vibrant it could have only been chosen by one person.

No. Dazai couldn't believe it.

Him and Chuuya couldn’t talk anymore so Chuuya had gone and painted the fucking sky with
fireworks for him. The sky. The one thing he knew Dazai would be looking at no matter what.

As the fireworks came to an end and the last sparks faded into the darkness, Dazai couldn't help
but smile. The fireworks may have vanished from the air but the stars had returned.
And they were even brighter than he remembered.

Chapter End Notes

If you're reading this, that means you just read 45k words I wrote.
A simple thank you can not begin to express my gratitude...

I just hope you liked it, as much as I liked writing it<3

(I have zero idea when the next chapter is going to come out or how long it will be...so
bear with me, please<3)
 COME BACK, BE HERE.
Chapter Summary

HAHAHHAHAHA

The second year of Soukoku being separated and the catalyst to their (temporary) end.

Hope you enjoy<333

( No beta reader we die like Oda ) (please, ignore any mistake you find. Thank you<3)

Chapter Notes

EIGHT MONTHS- I AM SO SO SO INCREDIBLY SORRY.

It's been such a long time coming, but I swear it's worth it.

Now, there are many reasons why this chapter took so long, but instead of listing them,
I'll make a little summary of my life these past eight months, so you can all laugh and
cry with me and the misfortune that follows me as an AO3 writer.

January- I got my first real job in an ice-skating ring, and got to work with one of my
best friends in the whole world (I know you're reading this, love you so much). It was
so awesome. Greatest job ever. The atmosphere was great and the working conditions
too. But then I was working in the morning and going to uni in the afternoon and yeah,
not much time for writing...(I did plan out the entire chapter however. Even though
half was scrubbed away and half was completely changed...)

February- I became a social butterfly. (worst thing ever) Due to a certain group of
friends, I was part of, I was 'forced' to go out with them A LOT more frequently than I
would have liked. But besides that, I had such a great time with my actual friends. I
went to a Taylor Swift Night event at a club and it was LIT. And the next day I
watched the Phantom of The Opera theatrical production, which was MAGNIFICENT.
And yeah, I had tons of fun hanging out with my friends so much, but writing, yet
again, took a step back...

MARCH- I WENT TO ITALY FOR TWO WEEKS. Now some highlights from the
trip- I got confessed to and then when I rejected that guy he got so drunk because of
the rejection he WALKED all the way from Rome, (like, the very center) to Torino.
Boy walked 4 hours, while drunk, back to the hotel, all the while texting me and
making me feel the worst I had in YEARS.
Meanwhile, another boy was also showing interest during the trip. This one went even
worse.

APRIL- Remember the guy showing interest in the trip to Italy? Boy asked me out for
a coffee, we talked for SIX whole hours while still in the cafe, and then we went for a
walk and he confessed to me. Flash forward, we go on our first date (my first date in
general), we're having a great time, and the next thing I know, he ghosts me:) ON
 EASTER WEEK. (The same thing had happened before with another boy, so it gave
me crazy 'vietnam flashbacks')

MAY- Yeah, I don't know. After all that, I was just not feeling that great? And the fact
I WANTED to write but simply couldn't because of writer's block was KILLING me.

JUNE- Pretty much the same with May, but my mentality was a lot better, and because
school was ending/ended, I got to hang out with my friends A LOT before I had to
leave.

JULY 1st- Had THE Best Birthday ever, honestly. Just, imagine. I was in a concert
with my absolute best friends, and there was a song playing talking about how friends
are like hidden treasures, and that's when the clock struck twelve, and before I knew
it, I was getting pulled into a hug and another, and another, and they were all wishing
me and it was great. And then after the concert they also threw me a Taylor Swift
Themed surprise party. It was just perfect.
July the rest- Got a job at a hotel on an island. I'm still here. I absolutely hate it here.
BUT- I ALSO SECURED TAYLOR SWIFT TICKETS FOR HE ERAS TOUR IN
EUROPE SO YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING HAPPENING IN A FEW MONTHS

August- hehe, I'm uploading this chapter at exactly midnight, so for me here, it's
already 11 of August. You know what that meanss
TWO YEARS ANNIVERSARY ON AO3, BABBYYYY
(Also, like always, it's my chance to wish a certain someone that will never see this, a
Happy Birthday. )

Now back to the important stuff,

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the support and the love you've so
generously given me. Starting to write skk on AO3 has been one of the best decisions
I've ever made. (Which I wouldn't have made, if it weren't for you bestie<3)

I can not stress enough just how much bliss I feel whenever someone says they liked
my stories. I- It makes me smile so much it hurts my cheeks. So whenever I read all of
your comments- you really make my day. More than my day, you make my life.

I really hope you like this chapter even if it is a little smaller than the previous one. (
It's like, 39k words, the fact I'm not satisfied with that tells you all that you need to
know about why this took as long as it did.)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

" My sincerest apologies, everyone. I’m late, I know, but that’s because there's been a change of
plans."

No…
That voice-

" As I'm sure you know, the one that was supposed to be conducting this meeting was my Boss and
not I. However, something rather urgent came up and he couldn't be here with you today, so I have
been instructed to attend on his behalf."

No.
" Port Mafia's Executive Osamu."

No, no, no.

" I hope I will suffice."

NINE MONTHS BEFORE THE MEETING THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

It was supposed to be a standard investigation.

A simple routine case that shouldn’t have taken him more than a few days to solve.

The information was all there right from the beginning, staring him in the face. The answer
couldn't have been more clear.
-The victims were all people he recognized from his past.
-The cause of their death, a method he was well too familiar with.

There was no denying that the Port Mafia were the ones behind the attacks.

But if he knew that already, why hadn’t he closed the case, yet?

Theoretically, it would only take one report for the case to go cold. One little paragraph stating that
the detective in charge was aware of who the culprit was, but due to certain circumstances, those
being the agreement the Agency had with the Mafia, he wouldn’t be pursuing the investigation
further.

That’s all it would take for the case to be swiped under the rags. A brief email explaining
everything to the President. A matter of minutes-no-of seconds.

It was simple. So simple.

So why was Chuuya still confined to his desk? Why was he scrutinizing the same six pictures,
trying to find something more? Why wasn’t he satisfied with the narrative that was being presented
to him?
Why-

‘’ Nakahara…? ‘’

The sound of the switch was heard, and immediately, pain followed suit. A sharp pain in his eyes,
caused by the sudden surge of light.

‘’ Please, tell me that you didn’t stay here all night…’’

Chuuya looked at the bottom of his screen before redirecting his gaze at the man that had just
entered the office. He tried his best to keep his eyes open and focused, but the light made it much
too challenging.

‘’ Jesus Christ, man…It’s already eight in the morning. You know what that means? ’’

Chuuya rubbed his eyes as he looked at him, trying to adjust to the sudden change of lighting in the
room. He said nothing in response to his words, he simply waited for him to make whatever point
he was trying to.

‘’ It means, you have spent an approximate of thirty two hours stuck inside the office.’’ Kunikida
said, the smallest hint of anger in his voice. ‘’ You can’t keep doing this, Chuuya.’’

Chuuya
Although it was his name, only a small portion of his co-workers called him that on the regular.
And Kunikida wasn’t one of them. So whenever he used that name, Chuuya knew he was being
serious.

‘’ It’s the second day in a row, where I come here and find you in this state.‘’ The man continued,
gesturing to him and the surrounding space, with his hand. ‘’ And while it’s not prohibited by any
rule, to stay the night and work till morning, I see no reason why you would do that, at this point in
time.’’ He took a moment to adjust his glasses on the bridge of his nose, before he finally sat down
on the chair next to his. Then, he turned his body slightly to the right, and spoke again. ‘’ Our
workload is manageable to say the least, and we don't face any time-management issues that would
necessitate working overtime. Moreover, the cases that are currently in our hands- I don’t think
they require as much time, as I’m imagining you’re spending working on them. So, is there a
reason why you are going this overboard or…? ’’

‘’ It's because I can’t help it.’’ Chuuya answered truthfully, talking for the first time ever since
Kunikida had come into the room. ‘’ There’s just something about this case-
‘’ The case with the photographs? ‘’ Kunikida half-asked, cutting him off, standing up from his
chair to move towards the windows, ‘’ Well, even if there is something off about it, we can not
investigate it further.’’ he said, pulling away the curtains, letting the sunlight inside the office. ‘’
You know that, right? ‘’
‘’ I know, it’s just-
‘’ Just, what? ‘’
‘’ I have a really weird feeling about it.’’ Chuuya confessed, suddenly very interested in the carpet
beneath his shoes. ‘’ So even though I know we can’t pursue the case further, I can’t help but want
to.’’

Kunikida wasn’t sure why Chuuya was so adamant on further pursuing this particular case. It
certainty was an interesting one, but being that they had already deduced that the Mafia were the
ones behind the killings, there really wasn't much they could do.
Due to certain events that occurred the year prior, the Mafia had been granted a special kind of
‘amnesty’, that allowed them to run illegal activities, with no repercussions, as long as they didn’t
endanger the general population of the city. Which, in other words, meant that the Detective
Agency could no longer get involved in their business.

Kunikida had not been in favor of the agreement, but the ones that had brought it to the table had
been the president of the Detective Agency and the leader of the Gifted Special Operations
Division, so he had had no other choice but to put trust in their better judgment and simply accept
it.

Turning a blind eye to the Port Mafia hadn’t been something he was looking forward to doing, but
since the two of them had considered it to be a sound decision, he would do it.
Even if it went against all his ideals and morals.

‘’ Then, have you made any progress thus far? " Kunikida asked, curious to see what his partner
had figured out during those past six days.
Chuuya looked at him and shook his head, ‘’ No.’’ he said, making his disappointment most
evident. " Since they haven't broken their pattern yet, I have had nothing new to work with."
‘’ Figured…So I assume the photographs are still as blurry? "
‘’ Unfortunately.‘’

The photographs in question were the only piece of evidence that was left behind by the culprits at
each crime scene. There were a total of six photographs that had been found so far, their number
corresponding to the victims. Typically, the photograph was found at the location where the
murder had taken place. More specifically at the exact spot where the victim had allegedly died.
So in a way, since there were no bodies to be found there, the photographs acted as substitutes for
them.
Besides that information, though, the photographs didn’t give you much else to work with. They
were as grainy as they could get, and incredibly blurry. Their quality was so bad, that even if you
took them and put them through all kinds of specialized programs, the best you could get would be
a semblance of a clearer depiction of the bloodied corpses of the victims.
Which was not much help.

" And the crime scenes-

" As pristine as they could be."
‘’ I see…’’

Similar to the photographs, the crime scenes offered no substantial leads or evidence to work with,
which in result had led Kunikida to the decision to stop visiting the sites as soon as the case had
been ‘dropped’. Chuuya, however, had taken a different approach from his partner, persisting in
showing up at the crime scenes even after Kunikida had ceased doing so. Even so, his way of
approaching the case had been proven futile.

Every time he visited a crime scene, it was as if a hurricane had swept through moments before, but
instead of causing destruction, it had meticulously wiped everything clean.
There were no corpses to be found, no murder weapons, no indications of a struggle or altercation,
no displaced furniture, and most notably, there was no blood.

So even if he had shown up to every single one of the sites, Chuuya had learned just as much as he
would have, while still at the office.

‘’ But that doesn’t make sense, does it? ‘’ said Kunikida, dropping his head back in exasperation.
‘’ Cleaning up the crime scene after killing a traitor. Getting rid of the body. That’s not the way
they normally do things…’’
‘’ And it has never been.’’ Chuuya added, his eyes darkening for only a second. ‘’ Which is why
I’m having such a hard time dropping the case.’’ he admitted, throwing his head back, mimicking
Kunikida. ‘’ I was a mafioso,’’ he started, his tone suddenly lower, ‘’ I know why the Boss deals
with traitors the way he does.’’ he brought his head forwards and pointed at the screen, ‘’ And
this,’’ he said, pointing at the photographs, ‘’ this is not it. This is something else.’’

The cogs inside his head were turning, their speed increasing every minute that passed. There was
an image slowly forming out of bits of information and shapes of ideas, but alas, it would seem it
was as blurry as those photographs.

‘’ If it’s not an act of revenge, then what do you think it is? ‘’ Kunikida asked, once again curious
as to what his partner had to say.’’ It’s indeed very weird, but-
‘’ It’s not just weird.’’ Chuuya cut him off, ‘’ It’s counterproductive.’’
Kunikida looked at him askance.
‘’ In what sense? ‘’

Chuuya didn’t answer him right away. He typed a few words on his keyboard first, and then he
opened his mouth.‘’ Killing traitors is at its core but a simple showcase of horror. The Boss doesn't
have people killed just to have them ‘killed’. He has them killed so he can show others that want to
act like them what the consequences of those actions are.’’
‘’ So the reason the Port Mafia kills traitors is because they want to prevent their increase in
numbers. ‘’
‘’ Ultimately, yes. The Boss wants to scare potential traitors by giving them a glimpse of their
future. That’s why their Modus Operandi is so gruesome. Because the messier the crime scene is,
the more gruesome the consequences look. And the worse they look, the more the people get
scared.’’
‘’ But by that logic wouldn’t cleaning up-

Oh.
It dawned on him just then.

‘’ Exactly.’’

‘’ …If that’s the case, do you have any idea as to why they would go out of their way, this time
around? ‘’ Kunikida decided to approach the discussion from a different angle. ‘’ You said it was
something else, so…? ‘’
‘’ At first, I was baffled enough to have entertained the possibility that we could be dealing with a
copycat that was merely copying the Mafia’s Modus Operandi to shift the blame to them. Of
course, taking on the investigation, I figured rather soon that this wasn’t the case at all. So my
mind immediately jumped to the next most logical conclusion.’’
‘’ Which is? ‘’
‘’ Mori is intimidating someone.’’

Kunikida’s eyes widened at the mention of the name.

Ever since Dazai had ‘left’ the Agency, no one had spoken that name aloud. It had become
something like a taboo word around the office, so hearing it being spoken now- He couldn’t help
but be surprised.

‘’ I mean, he is the Boss of the organization, so trying to scare-

‘’ I don’t mean the potential traitors.’’
‘’ Huh? ‘’
Chuuya took a deep breath before continuing.
‘’ If he was trying to intimidate them then we would’t be here discussing this.’’ he said, and turned
his head towards the wall. ‘’ To ‘change’ his ways so drastically-I don’t know what he is trying to
achieve by doing that, but he must have a reason. A reason that’s not for us to know. At least not
yet.’’
‘’ So this whole thing is him targeting someone? ‘’
‘’ Most probably yes but, -wait.’’

Kunikida watched as Chuuya typed furiously into his keyboard, moving his mouse with the same
rapid speed, opening folders, and searching through them as if he were the computer himself. He
watched as the tabs changed, and the folders emptied, and the search bar flickered with different
names and dates.

‘’ I said there was no connection among the victims, but I was wrong.’’ Chuuya suddenly blurted
out, checking the information on his screen. ‘’ There is actually one thing all six of them have in
common. Besides having worked for the Mafia, obviously.’’ he added as an afterthought.
Kunikida leaned closer to his desk and his computer, trying to discern the words written on the
screen. ‘’ Well, what is it? ‘’
‘’ They had all moved on.’’
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ They were all despicable people whilst in the Mafia, with track records that would make you
gauge your own eyes out, but-It would seem they had all found a way to move on with their lives
after fleeing the organization. Look,’ ’he said and pointed to the files on the screen, ‘’ According to
their documentation, all of them have families, and a good job, and-
‘’ I thought that was something impossible to achieve.’’ Kunikida remarked, fixing his posture
before returning his body to the back of his chair ‘’ You and Dazai both said that escaping that
place wasn’t something anyone could have done…’’
‘’ Well, back then, yes, that's how it was."
‘’ Then, what changed that? ‘’
‘’ Me and Dazai.’’ Chuuya tried his hardest not to scorn as he answered. ‘’ After the two of us left
the organization with no repercussions, The Boss lost some of his ‘hard-earned’ respect for a long
time. It was brutal. The Port Mafia’s reputation had never been worse. For a few years, the
organization was basically in the trenches, fighting to keep its image and its influence over the city
intact. It had became a laughing stock among the underground, getting made fun of as it struggled
to keep its own members from fleeing.’’ There was a certain amusement in Chuuya's voice as he
said that, but Kunikida couldn’t focus on that. The sadness in his eyes was much too distracting.
‘’ Of course, after a lot of fighting, Mori managed to get the organization out of that predicament
and back to its feet.’’ Kunikida didn’t miss the bitterness lacing his words, nor the way his fists
tightened their grip on his mouse as he spoke the name.‘’ He found a way to make it flourish
again.’’ The words came out with difficulty. It was clear Chuuya was not in favor of that
development. ‘’ So now that the organization is stronger than ever before, it seems he’s going after
every traitor there is. Which includes all those that fled during that little window of time.’’
‘’ So who is he intimidating then? ‘’ Kunikida asked, his mind still processing everything his
partner had shared. ‘’ You said he was targeting a single person. So who could he be trying to
intimidate by killing people who had managed to escape the Port Mafia and move on? ‘’

Chuuya’s heart skipped a beat.

He hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself, but he had already known the answer long before
Kunikida had ever spoken his thoughts aloud.

Who could he be targeting? The answer was simple.

Too simple.

There was only one person that could cause Mori to act so confusingly.
One.

Suddenly, and before he could say anything, the phone rang.

Kunikida rushed to it immediately, picking up the line, speaking with his usual professionalism.

Chuuya watched as Kunikida’s eyes widened. He listened to his voice, as it grew concerned.

‘’ Please, stay put. ’’ He heard him say over the phone, ‘’ we’ll be there immediately,’’ he heard
him add reassuringly as he wrote down an address in his notebook. ‘’ Close all the doors and all
the windows, and tell your wife to stay out for a little longer-Sir-please. It's going to be okay. Sir-
you have to listen to me- SIR- ‘’

The line died, and so did Chuuya’s hopes for a peaceful morning.

Takashi Yuriko

Another crossed name on the page.

Another successful assassination.
Another body on the ground.

Without thinking much of it, Dazai folded the paper in half and put it back into his pocket,
alongside with the pen he had just used to mark down the end of yet another life.

The seventh one in seven days…

And maybe he had stared at that long horizontal line for a second more than he should have, but
who was there to see that? No one. So what did it matter? It wasn’t like he felt guilty for the people
he was killing, anyways.

They were all disgusting creatures that had done things deserving of a punishment way worse than
death. All sick, power-hungry, money-driven, twisted people, who hadn’t stopped at anything until
they had achieved their goals, not at torture not at murder. People that had once prided themselves
in their ability to inflict pain and cause harm to others. People that had been so far gone they hadn’t
deserved to be called ‘people’.
Why should Dazai feel sorry for them?
Because they had managed to escape the Mafia? Because they had all turned the page? Because
they had families now? Wives, and Husbands, and sons and daughters?

Why should he regret killing a man who he knew had used and abused little girls and boys for over
a decade? Because he had a daughter that was getting married next week? Because he had a son
that he hadn’t seen for over a year while he studied abroad?
Why should he care whether such a vile and disgusting man ended up dead by his hand?
Because his wife was out doing grocery shopping, planning on what they should cook for dinner?
Why should he-

He tossed his gun on the nearest sofa and walked closer to the wall.
One moment, he was looking at the flowery wallpaper decorating it. The next, he was slamming
his head against it.

Dazai didn’t care about the man he had just killed. He didn’t care not for a single one of those
seven whose lives he had taken in the past week. He didn’t care for the pain he had caused them,
not even for ruining their dreams of escaping the Mafia unharmed.

Dazai Osamu didn’t care about anything. Not anymore.

It was easier that way.

Or at least, that’s what he told himself.

He picked up the gun and placed it on the holster. Then, with quick movements, he made his way
across the kitchen, to the cabinet where the cleaning supplies were kept. He opened the
compartment and from inside, he took a mop, a pair of gloves, some bleach and a bucket, before
heading to the sink.

After filling the bucket with water, and mixing in some of the products, he strode back into the
center of the main room, closing whatever distance had been created between him and the man
laying on the floor.

Then again, he told himself all kinds of lies.

He placed the bucket down, and put on the gloves. After that, he took the cloth from atop the
bucket, and knelt down next to the body, his eyes moving to the pool of blood beneath them both.
Dazai tried his best to keep his eyes focused on the floor, but alas, his gaze wavered.
That’s when he realized the man on the ground was still breathing.

But how? He had already fired three shots into his torso, so why wasn’t he dead? Why hadn’t he
bled out? Why-
It was odd.
So very odd.
In the same way Dazai could see him losing blood by the liters, he could also see the slightest rise
and fall of his chest as his heart struggled to continue pumping blood throughout his body. He
could see his face as it turned all the more pale, but also the faintest movement in his lips as he
fought for another breath. And the weakest twitch of his hand as it tried to reach for his chest. And-

The truth was, ever since his ability had been returned to him a little over a year ago, Dazai had not
been the same.
Unable to stop himself from shaking, he let go of the cloth and turned his body away from the
sight, making sure to keep his eyes glued to the far end wall and the ceiling leading to the kitchen.

For a few moments, he stood there, still, attempting to count the yellow stripes on the wallpaper.
He didn’t even make it to five.

That aversive behavior of his was stupid and pathetic, and he knew that, but he couldn’t help it. It
was just too much. The man, and his wounds, and the smell, and the blood-

Dazai cupped his hands over his mouth as he rushed back to the kitchen sink.

There was so much blood.

He took off his gloves, turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on his face, in a desperate
attempt to calm himself down. Much to his dismay, the water offered no respite.

The tightening feeling on his chest persisted, and his heart continued to race,

Perhaps it wasn’t enough.

Dazai threw his whole head inside the sink, letting the icy water cascade over his hair, and his face.
His breathing was becoming all the harder to regulate, and his head was beginning to feel like it
would explode at any second.

It was clear that the water was doing nothing to help.

He drew in the deepest breath he could muster, and stepped back from the sink. Then, with a
sudden surge of determination, he propelled his hand forward, delivering a forceful slap to his own
face.

When he looked down again, his hands had stopped trembling.

He turned his back to the sink and closed his eyes.

It was pathetic.

Dazai had never had a problem with blood before. It had always been a huge part in his daily life,
in one way or another, and it had never fazed him in the slightest. Yet now, even the sight of it was
enough to make him recoil.

Beyond pathetic.

If he had developed a case of hemophobia, then he could at least attempt to rationalize that reaction
of his body. He could blame it on past experiences and potential traumas. Which, yes, would
contradict all the years of desensitization he had undergone, but at least it would make for a
semblance of a logical conclusion. It would make even the tiniest bit of sense.
So of course, that couldn’t have been the case.
Why would anything ever be that simple, for him?
Dazai Osamu was not hemophobic.
His body gave absolutely no indication that it was uncomfortable at the sight of blood. There were
no weird reactions to take note of, and no signs of disturbance.
He remained just as unbothered and unfazed to the sight of blood as he used to.
Except for when he was the cause of the bloodshed.
That’s when his ‘situational hemophobia’ manifested.

Dazai opened his eyes again, took another deep breath, and returned to the main room, grabbing a
few teabags from the counter, on his way out. He put the tea bags in his pockets, and re-adjusted
his gloves so not even a centimeter of his bandages would be exposed. Then he walked over to
where the cloth had previously fallen. He picked it up and while still on his knees, he crawled
towards the body.

God, he was pathetic.

The instant his gaze fell on the blood oozing from the man, his nausea returned.

It wasn’t the first time this was happening, and unfortunately, judging by how things were going, it
wouldn’t be the last. Nevertheless, succumbing to dizziness at the sight and the scent of blood was
simply not an option in his current occupation.

Dazai took a moment to compose himself, fighting off the waves of lightheadedness threatening to
overwhelm him, as he approached the dead man.

Pushing through the discomfort, he placed two fingers on the side of his neck in order to make sure
there was no pulse. Once he had confirmed the man’s passing, he seized him by the legs, intending
to relocate him to the staircase, where he’d perform to him the final act of the Mafia’s Modus
Operandi—a forceful kick to the back of the head.

Normally, the act should be performed while the victim is still alive, rather than after their death,
so they can experience the excruciating pain and anguish during their final moments as they bleed
out. However, due to that stupid ‘blood aversion’ he had developed, he now preferred to do it after
the victim had bled out and was already dead.
It was much more convenient for him.
He didn’t have to deal with the bloody mess, and he didn’t have to listen to the pleading for the
pain to stop and-

Unable to pick him up due to his weight, Dazai dragged the man all the way to the bottom of the
staircase, conveniently located just outside the main room. He flipped him over, and positioned
him accordingly, so that his mouth would be ‘biting’ the curb. Then, with his eyes glued on the
wall, he delivered the final kick to the back of his head.

He didn’t need to look down at his smashed head, to understand he had succeeded.
The sound of the impact had been enough.

With his eyes still averted, Dazai walked away from the body and back towards the main room
where the murder had taken place.

A lot of thoughts plagued his mind as he scrubbed the marble floor, but the one that persisted the
most was how much he wished that it was Mori's blood, that, on the ground.

Oh, how happy that would make him.

To walk inside a room and find that someone had made an attempt at the Boss's life.
To find Mori laying on the ground, a pool of blood beneath him.
To see him trying so desperately to save himself, knowing that his wounds are fatal.
To catch his few last moments alive as he-

Soon enough, the cloth turned red.

Dazai took that as his sign to dip it back inside the water bucket, and squeeze it until it returned to
its previous color- a very boring, very ugly, beige.
He took it in his hands and squeezed it as tight as he could, watching as crimson droplets trickled
from its fibers and fell back into the water with a splash.

It was quite the nauseating sight but he couldn't turn his head away.
Even though every fiber of his being was protesting against being there, he couldn’t leave.
Leaving would be disobeying Mori. And disobeying Mori-

Dazai continued to scrub the floors, trying his best to remove every visible blood stain, possible.
He scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed until he no longer could. Until his arms were sore and his
hands were shaking.

He told himself that one day, he would get his revenge.

He told himself that one day, he would make Mori pay for all the pain he had caused him.
For all the suffering and all the humiliation and-

He tossed the dirty cloth back inside the bucket, and stood up.

Since there was no more blood on the floor, there was no point in him staying there any longer.

With a firm grip on the handle, and careful not to spill any water, Dazai proceeded to carry the
bucket back inside the kitchen. Once there, he disposed of the dirty water inside of it, cleaned it up,
and then placed it back to its rightful place in the cabinet, beside the fridge.
He did the same for the mop he had used to clean up the stains and the stairs.
The sponges and the cloths, however, he completely got rid of.
They were too dirty to be cleaned up with only a little water and some soap, so he threw them
away, alongside the pair of gloves he had used and some other cleaning supplies.

Once he was done disposing of everything he had used to clean up the room, he started ‘fixing’ it.
Moving the furniture back to their place, flipping the couch cashion, so the little tear wouldn’t be
visible, adjusting the carpet so there were no folds, making sure that the phone on the table-
And that’s when he saw it.

A tiny piece of paper, laying right next to the telephone.

He picked it up immediately, his eyes scanning through the text.

He read the numbers written on it and his heart skipped a beat.

It was the Agency’s number.

Their emergency line, reserved for calls concerning one’s safety.

He felt stupid.

If the man had called them before he had arrived to his house, then that would mean-

Oh no.

‘’ We’re too late.’’ Chuuya stated, looking over at Kunikida who was hunched over the body,
trying to examine it. ‘’ The man is dead. There is nothing we can do now.’’
‘’ We can look around for clues and-
‘’ We should leave.’’

Kunikida’s head snapped to his partner.

That was not what he had expected him to say.

‘’ Leave? ‘’ The man echoed, tilting his head. ‘’ Now that we finally have something to work
with? ‘’ he said and glanced down at the body, ‘’ Why would we do that? ‘’
‘’ Because the agreement is forbidding us from investigating further? ‘’ Chuuya offered in a
nonchalant manner as he stepped away from the staircase, ‘’ what more reason do you want? ‘’
‘’ I mean, sure, the agreement is restricting our actions, but, you didn’t seem to care about that a
few minutes ago.’’
‘’ Well, now I do.’’
‘’ Why? ‘’ Kunikida asked, puzzled by his attitude. ‘’ It’s not like we’ll be hurting anyone if we
stayed here a little longer and figured it out for ourselves.’’
‘’ I don’t think it’s worth the trouble.’’
‘’ Not…worth the trouble? ‘’ Kunikida repeated, the phrase feeling strange in his mouth, ‘’ If my
memory serves me correct, you’re the one that has been obsessing over this case for-
‘’ Well, what can I say? ‘’ Chuuya said with a small chuckle, ‘’ I changed my mind.’’

Kunikida may have not been the best at reading people but even he could tell the difference
between a natural and a fake laugh. And Chuuya- he was very clearly forcing it, possibly
attempting to hide something. In his voice? In his expression? Kunikida didn’t know what he was
trying to hide yet, but it wouldn’t take long before he did.

‘’ How come? ‘’ Kunikida carefully asked, thinking that was the best way to go about it. ‘’ Is it
because the pattern has been broken? ‘’ he offered a potential explanation, wanting to see if
Chuuya would reach for it or not. ‘’ Or because-
‘’ No, that has nothing to do with it.’’
‘’ Then? ‘
‘’ I simply lost interest.’’

Kunikida took a moment to think about what he should say next.

It was obvious that Chuuya was lying, but he didn’t want to point that out. At least not until he had
figured out why he was lying in the first place.

‘’ Huh. That’s a first.’’ He replied, letting go of the dead man’s hand. ‘’ I thought cases like this
one excited you.’’ he continued, now walking towards him. ‘’ You know, those that seem
impossible to solve until you find that one clue or piece of information- I thought those were your
favorites.’’
‘’ They are.’’ Chuuya agreed, crossing the threshold into the living room. ‘’ But this one isn’t like
that.’’
‘’ It’s not? ‘’
‘’ No. This one is too on the nose.’’

Something in the way he said that made Kunikida feel uneasy.

‘’ A few hours ago you were begging for a clue and now it’s ‘too on the nose’? ‘’ Kunikida
remarked, following him inside the living room. ‘’ Mind elaborating on how that works? ‘’ he
eventually asked, looking at him.

Chuuya didn’t respond. He stood there in the center of the room, his eyes staring blankly at the
wall. It was as if he hadn’t heard him.
Kunikida followed his gaze, curious to see what he had found so interesting on the wall.
Besides the tacky flowery wallpaper, he couldn’t see anything that could have grabbed someone's
attention.
‘’ Oi,’’ Kunikida tried again, making his voice a tad louder. ‘’ Oi, Chuuya! ‘’

‘’ Hm? ‘’ His partner finally turned to face him, and that’s when he saw it.
That haunting look he hadn’t seen in ages. That pained expression Chuuya had always worn when
he was reminiscing about the past. But why was he wearing it now? Had he been inside that house
before? And if yes, could he have some kind of bad memory tied to it?
That would explain why he was so eager to leave, but-

‘’ Is there something wrong?‘’ Kunikida asked, concern leaking from his every word.
Chuuya stared at him for a moment before his eyes found the carpet.
‘’ With what? ‘’ he replied, pretending to not have understood the question so he wouldn’t have to
answer.
‘’ You tell me.’’ Kuikida countered, crossing his arms. ‘’ You’re the one that has been acting
strangely ever since we came here.’’ he continued, ‘’ Proposing we should leave, saying you’ve
suddenly lost interest in the case, staring blankly at walls…What’s all this about? ‘’
‘’…’’ Chuuya didn’t answer. Instead he turned his back and on the man, and started walking back
towards the door.
‘’ Pretending you don’t hear me…’’ Kunikida mumbled, chasing after him, ‘’ Why are you acting
like this? ‘’
‘’ Because I know who did it.’’ Chuuya finally answered, his words sharper than knives. ‘’ And I
hate that I do.’’
‘’ But we already knew that the Mafia was behind this even before-

His words died in his throat the moment his eyes saw the change in his partner’s face.
Chuuya’s eyes, now two brooding seas, told him everything his mouth hadn’t been able to.
And suddenly, things made sense.
‘’ Wait-How can you be sure it was him? ‘’ The blond man asked, his eyes falling on the ground. ‘’
It could be anyone from the organization.’’ he tried to sound optimistic, ‘’ You can’t be a hundred
percent certain that-
‘’ But I can.’’ Chuuya countered, his voice catching for only a second. ‘’ When it’s this obvious,
lying to myself and saying it was someone else, would be foolish.’’

Kunikida knew better than to question Chuuya when it came to his knowledge and understanding
of that one specific dark-haired individual, but still, it was hard not to.
There were too many questions he needed answered.
Too little, he could actually ask.

‘’ Just-Look at the torso.’’ Chuuya instructed unprompted, running back to the staircase in the big
hallway. ‘’ Look at the bullet holes. At the precision of each shot.’’ he added, gesturing to the
body.
Kunikida rushed after him, and did just that. He walked over to where the body was and leaned in,
close enough to observe the holes on the blood-stained shirt.
‘’ Indeed, the shots are distanced perfectly, but that doesn’t mean-
‘’ It’s not just that.’’ Chuuya argued, quick to dismiss him. ‘’ There’s more.’’
Kunikida turned his head to face him, making it clear to him that he was all ears.
Chuuya stood there with his mouth agape.
‘’ Such as? ‘’
Silence.
There was nothing else he could tell him.
‘’…’’
Nothing concrete he could show him.
‘’…? ’’
Nothing that would make sense to him.

‘’ Okay, maybe there is not much I can find to support my claim, but I know it’s true.’’ Chuuya
admitted, trying to play it off as more of a joke. ‘’ There is no foolproof evidence, but it’s the only
explanation that makes perfect sense.’’ He said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
‘’ Makes perfect sense- How? ‘’

Another agonizing moment of complete silence passed, before Chuuya finally answered.

‘’ I don’t know.’’

That was a lie.

Chuuya had a pretty clear picture of what Mori was trying to achieve by having Dazai be the one
killing all the traitors. By having him tract them down, one by one, and murder them inside their
own house.

It was an undeniably cruel thing, that which Mori was making him do.

Just thinking about it made his blood boil.

‘’ You don’t know? ‘’

Making him kill people that had escaped the Mafia.

Making him steal their chance at a normal life.

‘’ I don’t.’’

It became apparent to Kunikida then, that his partner had no intention of continuing the
conversation.

‘’ Very well then,’’ Kunikida started, clasping his hands together to signal the change of subject. ‘’
Now, since you finally have enough evidence to prove that the Mafia is indeed behind the killings,
how about we call for the body to be removed from the building, and we head back to the office? ’’

He wouldn’t voice it but Chuuya appreciated the proposal a lot more than Kunikida would ever
know.

‘’ I think that would be for the best.’’

There was a reason Chuuya had wanted to leave that house as soon as he had stepped in, and it had
had nothing to do with the case, or him figuring out that Dazai was the culprit. (Which, considering
he had known for a few days now, but hadn’t wanted to admit it, hadn’t even come as a surprise.)
The confirmation had most definitely twisted the knife but it wasn’t what had driven it there in the
first place.
No.
That would be the realization that-

‘’ So, what happened? ‘’ asked Ranpo, approaching him with his hands behind his head and a
lollipop hanging from his mouth. ‘’ You saw him or what? ‘’

That was exactly why Ranpo was the last person Chuuya wanted to see, whenever something
serious happened. For the sole reason that it was simply too much work- Dealing with the man’s
overbearing personality on top of whatever had happened - even for someone like him, was too
hard. So when things happened, Chuuya made efforts to stay away from him.

Unfortunately, despite those efforts, Ranpo was almost always the first person he saw.
‘’ I didn’t.’’ Chuuya answered, knowing that faking not understanding the question or staying
silent would only make Ranpo all the more insufferable.
‘’ But he was there, wasn’t he? ‘’

That, he didn’t answer right away.

He took a heavy puff out of his cigarette, and looked up at the sky.

‘’ He was.’’ he eventually confirmed, blowing out the smoke, watching as it danced before
disappearing into the ether. ‘’ But only I know that. I didn’t tell-
‘’ Kunikida. Yeah, yeah, I figured.’’ Ranpo dismissed him with a wave of his hand, ‘’ He doesn’t
know anything. I can see it in his face. ‘’
Chuuya took another puff.
‘’ Of course you can.’’ he mumbled under his breath.
‘’ I can see something in your face too.’’ Ranpo added with a stupid grin that told Chuuya he had
been read like an open book, yet again.
‘’ And what can you see? ‘’
‘’ That you need a drink.’’

That actually made him laugh. It wasn’t often that Ranpo chose to joke about a matter rather than
scrutinize you about it. Chuuya couldn’t help but appreciate the gesture.

‘’ That, I do, ‘’ He agreed with him, letting out a sigh, ‘’ But it’s still too early for drinks.’’ he
added, looking up at the sun.
‘’ Is it? ‘’ Ranpo wondered aloud, following his gaze. ‘’ I didn’t know those kind of things had a
time.’’
‘’ They don’t,’’ Chuuya reassured him with a laugh, ‘’ But drinking while on the job- I wouldn’t
hear the end of it, so- ‘’
‘’ Yeah, yeah, you’re right.’’ Ranpo agreed, ‘’ If Kunikida took notice of you drinking during
office hours, you’d probably earn yourself another lecture. If not a little flag on your ‘report’
card.’’
‘’ Honestly,’’ Chuuya started, throwing his head back. ‘’ That disciplinary method of his, is the
worst. I mean, report cards? Really? What are we, High School students? ’’
‘’ Next thing you know, he’s going to be grading us on our performance.’’ Ranpo suggested,
laughing , ‘’ imagine getting a B minus in a case report because it was formatted wrongly.’’
‘’ Or getting a C in your ‘meeting presence’ because you kept interrupting him or something.’’
‘’ Worst thing is, I can see that happening.’’
‘’ To stop Atsushi and Akutagawa from fighting all the time? ‘’ Chuuya said with a smirk, ‘’ He
would definitely do it.’’
‘’ Cause we all saw how well the report system worked with those two.’’ Ranpo said, rolling his
eyes. ‘’ If anything, it made things worse.’’
‘’ I mean, at least now they’re fighting to see who can get the least amount of flags? ‘’ Chuuya
offered, ‘’ instead of, you know, because they want to throw each other out the window. That’s…
better? I think.’’
‘’ Eh. I preferred it when they were throwing each other out the window.’’ Ranpo said with a
shrug, ‘’ it was more entertaining.’’

Chuuya rolled his eyes but said nothing..

The conversation was dying, which meant that in a few seconds, Ranpo would be returning to the
subject they had initially been discussing, because, although it was natural, that whole little
exchange, had been nothing more than an intentional side track.

Chuuya figured it would be better if he were seen as the one navigating the discussion. So after a
few seconds, instead of waiting for Ranpo to open up his mouth and speak, he did.

‘’ So,’’ he started, ‘’ was there something you wanted? ‘’

Ranpo turned his head to face him.‘’ I wanted to see how my friend was doing.’’ He said, a strange
sincerity in his words, ‘’ that’s all.’’

That caught Chuuya off guard.

Ranpo wasn’t one to be so straightforward.

‘’ Well, I’m fine.’’ he replied, lying through his teeth. ‘’ Nothing to worry about.’’
‘’ Υou’re not a good liar, Nakahara, ’’ Ranpo remarked, turning his head away. ‘’ you know that,
right? ’’
‘’ But I’m not lying.’’ Chuuya insisted, ‘’ I’m fine, really. It’s just- I don’t know. When I realized
he was still there-I- ‘’ He tripped over his words, ‘’ There were so many things I thought about
doing and saying but I couldn’t and it just made me so angry.’’

To see what Mori had Dazai do. To know that they were in the same building yet they couldn’t
even see or talk to each other. To realize that the only reason he knew that, was because he could
feel his damn presence, like he had always been able to . It hadn’t made him angry. It had made
him furious.
But he wouldn't say that. There was no need for anyone to know the extent of the effect Dazai still
had on him.
‘’ I see.’’ Ranpo whispered, putting his arms on the railing. ‘’ You never talk about it, but I see it
in your face.’’ he continued, carefully selecting each word he spoke. ‘’ Your frustration is eating
you alive. You’re so tired of this whole situation, you just want to do something about it.’’
‘’ But I can’t.’’ Chuuya said, forcing a smile while greeting his teeth.
‘’ I know.’’ Ranpo agreed, his voice low. ‘’ If you could, we wouldn’t be having this discussion
now.’’
‘’ No,’’ Chuuya said, lighting up his cigarette, yet again. ‘’ we wouldn’t.’’
Ranpo waited for a second before he spoke again.

‘’ Look, I’m not the best at this kind of stuff but- If you want to talk about it, go ahead.’’ Ranpo
said, looking over at the horizon. ‘’ I’ll pretend like I’m listening.’’ He added as an afterthought, in
hopes it would make the man smile.

And indeed, Chuuya did smile. But that was all.

He thought about telling him how much he hated that he was living a normal life while Dazai was
stuck being the Boss’s lap dog. About how frustrating it was to know that they were in the same
building, yet they couldn't even talk. About how painful it was, to live out everyday in Yokohama,
when all that city did was remind him of times that had passed and had never been.
He thought about telling him of how much his heart ached whenever he returned to the apartment
all alone. About the dozens of empty bottles decorating every single room in the house except the
one that had belonged to Dazai. About the dust it had probably gathered, because Chuuya never
stepped inside of it.
He thought about telling him of Mori and the contract. Going into detail, explaining to him that it
had been the worst thing he had ever read. Telling him about all the pages he remembered. All the
rules and the restrictions his partner was forced to live by.
He could tell him about the case, and how he had known Dazai had been behind it. He could tell
him about Mori and how much he hated him for everything he had done and was continuing to do
to his partner.
He could tell him about the other worlds, and how the memories from all his other selves had
messed up his mind so bad he couldn’t even-
No.
That, he could not tell him.

That he could never tell anyone.

All the other stuff, maybe one day he would - Provided he was too drunk and too emotional to
realize how pathetic he sounded. But even if he burdened someone else and shared all his troubles,
that wouldn’t solve anything. It would only help him feel better.

And feeling better wasn't something he deserved.

‘’ I propose we change the distribution system.’’

‘’ We have already done that in the past, so unless we make a new one that will cater to every
group’s needs, I don’t think it will work.’’
‘’ Then how about we take my previous suggestion and finally start restricting the weakest of
groups? If we cut down their resource supply and gradually minimize their territories, we can
invest it in the ones that are actually growing.’’
‘’ But that would cause conflict between the groups.’’
‘’ Perhaps not if they were unaware of what was happening.’’
‘’ Well, either way, we’ll be losing the same amount of resources. We need to think of something
else.’’
‘’ I hate to agree with him, but he is right. Causing inter conflict inside the organization is not ideal.
We should prioritize finding a solution that benefits everyone without resorting to restricting or
harming any particular group.’’
‘’ Then, what if, instead of diminishing resources for certain groups, we focus on improving
resource management and allocation, all together?’’
‘’ By implementing a more efficient distribution system, we can ensure that resources are utilized
optimally across all groups.’’
‘’ In addition, we could explore alternative sources of resources, such as investing in different
practices or seeking partnerships with external organizations. By diversifying our resource
acquisition methods, we can reduce the strain on any single group or region.’’
‘’ Alternative sources? Please, do expand on that.’’
‘’ Certainly. But do keep in mind, Boss, this idea has a lot of room for development.’’
‘’ That’s not what I asked.’’
‘’ My apologies. Basically, what I was thinking was- What if we started pouring a much larger
amount of money into legitimate businesses? Not as a front but as a way of extra income. Setting
up a big successful corporation under the sun-’’
‘’ Unless you have a fully fledged business plan for a legitimate corporation that will make us
millions in mere months, I don’t think it would be wise to go through with that idea.’’
‘’ Kouyou is right. Unless this ‘legitimate’ corporation of yours makes us millions, the returns will
not be meeting our expectations.’’
‘’ It is far too optimistic and ideal. We need something more grounded.’’
‘’ Well, not necessarily-
‘’ Executive Osamu, you haven’t opened your mouth in a while. What are your thoughts on this? ‘’

Dazai’s eyes shot up to the man that was speaking.

If he said he had paid even the tiniest bit of attention to what they were discussing, he would be
lying. Fortunately for him, lying wouldn’t be necessary.

‘’ Legitimate businesses? Really? That won’t work not now, not in a five year span. The Port
Mafia’s reputation is much too big to pull something like that off without raising grounds for
suspicion. And even if we, somehow, managed to do it as discreetly as possible, the profit wouldn’t
amount to the investment. So overall, it’s a no from me.’’

He didn’t know whether it was a gift or a curse, but the way his brain operated in situations such as
those, scared even him. A few seconds ago, he could have sworn he had heard nothing that had
been said during the meeting. But apparently, that hadn’t been the case.
Like a sponge, his mind had absorbed every piece of information that had been exchanged between
all the Executives, despite him not paying attention.

‘’ Very well. ‘’ Mori remarked, his eyes staying on Dazai for a tad longer than they should have. ‘’
Then, would you, perhaps, happen to have some other idea…Executive? ‘’

Dazai did have an idea, but he did not want to share it. Sharing it would only prolong the meeting,
and that was the last thing he wanted to do. So without wasting time, he raised his head to meet the
Boss.

‘’ I’ll need a few more days to think about it before I can propose any plan of action.’’ He
answered dryly. staring back at him. ‘’ Unless, of course, you want a half-finished draft of-
‘’ No, that won’t be necessary.’’ Mori replied sharply, the idea of a half-assed paper clearly
irritating him, like Dazai thought it would. ‘’ I’m sure we can afford to wait a few days before
revisiting this topic…? ’’ he said, turning to face the other people around the table.

The meeting was finally coming to an end.

‘’ Sure thing, Boss.’’ it was a collective agreement, coming from all the Executives. The
comforting sound of papers being stored away in files and in bags, accompanying it.

That awful day that had felt like an eternity was finally ending.

‘’ Alright then. Everyone is dismissed.’’

The creaking of the chairs as they were being pulled away from the table. The squeaking sound
their shoes made as they touched the floor.

Dazai felt like he could finally breathe again. He stood up and-

‘’ Except for you, Osamu,’’

Oh, how naive he still was…

‘’ You’ll be staying here with me for a little longer helping me out with something.’’ Mori said, the
corner of his lips tugging into a smirk, ‘’ You don’t mind, do you? ‘’
‘’ No, sir,’’ Dazai replied coldly, practically forcing out the words, as he sat down, back on his
chair. ‘’ Not at all.’’

The second he stepped inside his office, he collapsed.

His head hit the floor, his eyes closed.

And for a few moments, time seemed to suspend itself, granting him a precious interval.

The day had pushed him to his limits both mentally and physically.

Every fiber of his being was yearned for rest. For a brief escape from the draining demands of his
predicament. For a few hours of peace away from all his responsibilities. Away from Headquarters,
and from Mori, and from everything that reminded him of the life he had been forced to abandon.
That’s all he wanted. A few hours away. A break.

But no one would allow him to have that.

So he settled for the closest he could have.

A few minutes of laying on the cold hard ground of his office.

He stayed like that, with his face on the ground and his limbs scattered in disarray for a few more
moments, before he finally managed to push through his fatigue and roll on his back. His sore body
cursed at him for moving so abruptly, and causing the ache to worsen. But Dazai ignored the
painful sensation, focusing his eyes on the ceiling.
He stared at the creme-coloured, almost beige, ceiling and let out a sigh, as yet another montage of
painful memories started playing before him.
There he was, tracking down yet another victim. Following the man and planting a bug under his
car, while keeping notes of all the things he had done and of all the people he had interacted with.
And there he was, again, entering the house from the basement, emptying out the fridge inside the
kitchen, fabricating a reason for the wife to leave the house and thus ‘allow’ him to have enough
time to do what he had to.

Unlike the memories that had been torturing him for months, these ones were recent.

So recent he could still smell the blood, lingering around.

He tried to close his eyes and push those memories away but in vain. The image of the dead man
and of the blood-stained living room had been burned into his mind. So no matter whether he
closed his eyes or kept them open, he remained inside that living room.

With his gun on his hands, and the echo of the shot piercing through his ears. With his guts twisted
into knots, and the stench of blood and clorox punching him relentlessly. With the view of a dying
man, and of his blood mixing with the soapy water underneath his gloved hands.

It was a hard image to recall, but he knew that the worst was yet to come.

His head was spinning like a flickering film reel, each frame a perfect replay of events that had
occurred during the day. He was spiraling. There was nothing he could do to stop the movie from
reaching the scene where his heart had ached the most.

Feeling that impossible pain once more was but inevitable.

The numbers on the paper slip flashed before his eyes one by one, the shock of his earlier
realization hitting him just as hard.
And as the scene of him rushing to the basement unwinded, he felt his heart starting to race.

Before he knew it, he was back inside the house, stuck in the basement, forced to listen to the
detectives conversing above.

And maybe, if it had been anyone else, Dazai wouldn’t have cared so much.

He would have simply waited for them to leave, and then he would have headed back to the Port
Mafia Headquarters, to attend the Black Lizard meeting Mori had requested for him to hold. Then,
once that would have ended, he would have gone on to the next meeting, where his presence was
required- The Executive meeting.
He would have stayed there for a couple of hours, and that would have been it.

And sure, it still would have been a painfully long day, but his heart wouldn’t feel as heavy.

If it had been anyone else, there, he wouldn’t have minded. Not the blood, not that he had failed to
realize that the man had called for help, not that he had been stuck inside the house for longer than
he should have, not the meetings, not anything.

If it had been anyone else, he would have carried on with his life, pretending like nothing had ever
bothered him.
But no.
It hadn’t been anyone else.
It had been Chuuya.

The annoying kid he had met when was fifteen.

The angry, short red-head he had ended up becoming partners with.
His sort-of friend, he had tried to push away oh so many times.
His ex-partner, he had dragged with him when he had fled the Mafia.
His roomate, who had become his partner yet again, albeit in a different job.
His best friend.

Chuuya Nakahara, the detective that had undertaken his case.

Dazai thought it was funny.

That Chuuya, out of all people, was the one responsible for investigating him.

He thought it was hilarious.

That Chuuya, the one person he hadn’t wanted to see his decline, would be the first to truly witness
it.

He thought it was a joke straight out of a comedy routine.

Dazai rolled to his side, his eyes suddenly taking an interest in the dust beneath the bottom of the
couch. He looked at the particles and noticed that there were a lot more than he had thought there
would be. That observation made him feel uneasy.
He didn’t like it whenever he got his clothes or bandages dirty.
It made him feel unclean.
So to rid himself of the uncomfortable feeling of filthiness, even if just for a moment, his mind
entertained the idea of standing up and moving over to the couch.
Unfortunately, his body found the task to be too draining.

So instead of getting up and walking over to the couch, he stayed in place.

Sprawled on the cold, hard ground of his office.

Forced to endure yet another night of his own thoughts being his sole companion.

He let out a sigh and rolled his body to the other side, now wanting to face the wall.

He stared at it and wondered- What had been his reaction?

When Chuuya had realized that he was the one behind the killings, just what kind of expression
had his face made? Had his eyes been obscured by a stormy cloud of anger? Or had they stared
blankly into the horizon, the disappointment concealed behind them? Had he frowned? Or had his
teeth hurt because of how hard he had greeted them?

Just what kind of thoughts had passed through his head?

When Chuuya had figured that the people he had killed had once been in the Mafia before they had
escaped, what had he thought of? Had he blamed him for taking away their chance at living their
life? Had he compared him to Mori, and to what he had done the them?

Perhaps- He had doubted everything he had thought he had known about him. Had even
questioned whether he had truly ever changed in the years they had spent together.

Dazai wouldn't blame him if that was the case.

His actions, although forced, were his own.

Chuuya had every right to hold him accountable.

He very much encouraged him to do so.

But alas, even though he would be justified to do it, Dazai knew he wouldn’t.

Chuuya wouldn’t be angry at him, no matter what he did.

Because, for better or worse, Chuuya was aware of the fact that Dazai had no other choice.
He was aware of the contract and of the situation. And that awareness would not let him blame
Dazai.

Knowing that brought him both great comfort and great pain.

Dazai didn’t realize just how many hours had passed, not until he glanced over at the clock on the
wall. It was already 5 a.m. The first sun rays of the day would soon enough be trying to penetrate
through his window. Dazai wasn’t looking forward to seeing their light.

Once, he could at least have a nice view of the sunrise.

He would stand before the city every morning and he would lie, trying to convince himself that
perhaps being there wasn’t that bad. He would gaze at the horizon and he would get lost at the
skyline, escaping some of his thoughts, even briefly.
Now, he couldn’t even do that.
As intended by the one that had placed it there, the black film applied on Dazai’s windows made it
impossible for him to see anything beyond it. So ever since his birthday, the only sunrise Dazai had
experienced was a mere glimpse of a hazy amalgamation of infiltrating sunrays.

He didn’t like to think much of it, but one of the things he had missed the most from his old life
was watching the sunrise from a rather short rooftop, with an empty bottle of wine in his hands and
a certain redhead by his side.

Yes. That’s what he had missed the most.

The sunrise not being a vexing reminder of the suffering that awaited him should he get up from
wherever he had fallen asleep, but rather a beautiful start to a new day in a life he had enjoyed
living.
To a life that had fulfilled him and had made him happy.

Dazai shook his head disapprovingly, frantically brushing away the dust that had settled on his hair
and suit. With one sudden movement, he straightened his posture, brought his knees closer, and
quickly stood up. He thought, since it was morning and the night had passed, surely, there would
be something he could do to distract himself from those unnecessary and sorrowful thoughts of his.
Maybe there was a report he had forgotten to write or even a task he had neglected and postponed.

He fixed his bandages that were beginning to come loose and immediately headed to his desk, his
hands reaching for the drawer on top of the small cabinet beneath it. He grabbed the handle and
pulled it outwards, revealing a messy array of unorganized documents and pens. He scoured
through the papers, looking for whatever documents he had left unfinished or unsigned.
As he had expected, he found nothing.
It would seem he was just too good at his job.

After putting the documents back to the drawer and closing it, he eased into his chair and leaned
back, allowing his head to sink into the plush pillow nestled within the wooden frame. As soon as
his head touched the pillow, his eyelids fluttered shut and his consciousness began to drift. And for
a brief moment, his body succumbed into slumber.

Twenty eight seconds later, his phone rang.

6 MONTHS BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION NO ONE SAW COMING

Apart from a few sparse clouds remnants of the winter, the weather was clear that day. The sun
was shining bright outside the window while the morning birds, still nestled in their beds, were
singing songs proclaiming the coming of spring.
There was also wind that day. A gentle breeze that carried out the melodies and the scent of pollen
and of freshly bloomed flowers, right across the road and into the Agency’s building.

Atsushi was standing by the window, bathing in the sunlight, looking out completely captivated by
the sight outside. He had a smile on his face, brighter than the sun.

‘’ Chuuya sir,’’ he suddenly called out, his eyes flying to the man, ‘’ Why is it so sunny today? ‘’
he asked, the confusion visible in his face. ‘’ It’s the first day of November and it was snowing just
yesterday…How come flowers are blooming this early in the year? ‘’
‘’ Beats me.’’ Chuuya responded with a shrug, taking a sip out of his mug,’’ Yesterday I woke up
and looked outside the window, and I couldn’t see shit. There was snow everywhere, even on the
balcony. And the balcony has a tent shielding it. So for it to have been covered like that…’’ he
paused for a second taking another sip out of his coffee, ‘’ It makes sense why the President was so
adamant on keeping the Agency closed.’’
‘’ Oh, that wasn’t the President,’’ Ranpo said, entering the conversation. ‘’ That was me.’’
‘’ You? ‘’
‘’ Yes. I called the President and told him that keeping the Agency open would be a big safety
hazard for both us and our beloved clients.’’
‘’ Oh, who are you kidding? ‘’ Yosano laughed, stopping on her way to the infirmary, ‘’ You
couldn’t care less about our clients.’’ She said, giving Ranpo a knowing look. ‘’ All you cared
about was taking the day off so you could pursue Poe into build snow castles with you.’’
‘’ First of all, they were forts.’’ Ranpo strictly corrected her, ‘’ Second of all, touché.’’
Yosano gave a smirk before continuing heading her way and entering the infirmary.
Ranpo rolled his eyes once she was out of sight.
‘’ Kyoka and I were also building snow forts! ‘’ Atsushi exclaimed, his eyes glistening. ‘’ We also
built castles and snowmen and even Demon Snow.’’
‘’ You built…her ability? ‘’
‘’ We tried to. But the statue ended up looking not that great and so Demon Snow cut it down into
pieces.’’ There was a tinge of sadness in his eyes but it was there only for a moment, so nobody but
Chuuya noticed. ‘’ But it was fine. Demon Snow saw how disappointed Kyoka got, so to
‘apologize’ it reshaped the fallen pieces into a tiger and everyone was happy.’’
‘’ Kids.’’ Ranpo scoffed, giving Chuuya a ‘knowing look’. Chuuya turned his head to the wall and
then shook it disappointingly before turning back to Ranpo, smiling.
‘’ Whatever you say,’’ He simply said, not wanting to comment on how he found Ranpo to be
twice the kid he was claiming Atsushi was being. ‘’ Now back to the topic at hand.’’
‘’ The weather.’’
‘’ Yes.’’
‘’ Well, the snow melting overnight isn’t weird in itself,’’ Ranpo offered. ‘’ However, the fact all
forecast had predicted it would continue to snow as heavy for at least three more days, definitely
is.’’
‘’ I mean, mistaken predictions happen all the time, but- The change is just too drastic to believe
that’s all it was.’’
‘’ Indeed, the change was too abrupt for it to be considered normal. And even if the sun did decide
to randomly shine so bright in the first day of November, the flowers blooming so early on, is just
not feasible.’’
‘’ Do you think there’s an ability involved, Ranpo sir? ‘’ Atsushi asked, watching a grin appear on
the older man’s face.
‘’ Most definitely.’’ Ranpo replied, grinning wider‘’ but I have no idea who or why they would do
something like this.’’
‘’ Personal reasons, maybe? ‘’ Chuuya offered, putting down his mug. ‘’ Or-
‘’ Or perhaps you’re over-analyzing it.’’ Kunikida said, entering through the threshold. ‘’ The
climate is unstable enough as it is right now, so the weather changing so drastically could be but a
simple byproduct of the harm humans have caused the environment.’’
Ranpo pretended to have fallen asleep midway through the sentence. Kunikida glared at him.
‘’ Yeah, no, that’s boring,’’ Ranpo said, walking back to his own desk. ‘’ I much prefer our own
theory.’’
‘’ It’s not about what you prefer it’s-
‘’ Anddd he’s out of earshot.’’
Kunikida let out a loud and exasperated sigh. ‘’ Why do I bother? ‘’ he asked himself, moving
towards the closet where all the archives were kept. Chuuya and Atsushi watched him as he did.

‘’ Say Atsushi, why are you at the office so early in the morning? ‘’ Chuuya asked the boy, sinking
his body on the back of his chair. ‘’ I didn’t ask when you got here cause I was too busy dealing
with this’’ he said and gestured to the screen in front of him, ‘’ but now that I think of it, I don’t
remember you mentioning that you had to come this early today? ‘’
‘’ I didn’t because it wasn’t planned.’’ Atsushi replied with honesty. ‘’ But Akutagawa called me
yesterday and asked of me to come here earlier so we could-
OH

Chuuya watched as fear crept into the boy’s face.

‘’ He’s going to kill me.’’

Before anyone could say anything, and right on cue, the door slammed open.

‘’ WERE YOU BORN WITH SOME KIND OF MENTAL AFFLICTION OR ARE YOU JUST
INCREDIBLY STUPID?‘’ Akutagawa yelled, his angry eyes targeting Atsushi. ‘’ DO YOU HAVE
ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS, YOU ABSOLUTE IMBECILE? ‘’
‘’ It’s…’’ Atsushi’s eyes wavered to the clock, ‘’…half past eight.’’
‘’ You don’t say.’’
‘’ Which means you’ve been waiting-
‘’ FOR AN HOUR." Akutagawa replied coldly. " I have been sitting downstairs, for over an
HOUR.’’
‘’ It’s my fault, I know, but I was just-
‘’ Oh, you better have a good explanation otherwise-
‘’ I was…here.’’
‘’ Doing what? ‘’ Akutagawa asked sharply, his eyes two frozen stalactites ready to pierce through
the older boy.
‘’ I was standing by the window, looking at-
‘’ YOU-
Akutagawa stopped himself from cursing him out by taking a very slow, very deep breath. Once he
felt composed enough, he opened his mouth again.
‘’ Atsushi,’’ he started, forcing himself to smile, ‘’ Do you wish to die? ‘’
Atsushi shook his head, gulping.
‘’ ..No? ‘’
‘’ Then, would you please come with me to the meeting room so we can finally watch those tapes I
asked you to help me with? ‘’
‘’ The ones from the museums? ‘’
Akutagawa’’s glare was an answer enough.

Chuuya watched as the younger boy led the way and as Atsushi followed him suit without uttering
not a single word. He couldn’t help but smile.

Akutagawa, although still a little rough around the edges, was beginning to really change and grow
as a person. And Chuuya couldn’t be more glad to see that.

In a lot of ways, Akutagawa, as unfortunate as it was, reminded him of Dazai. Which made a lot of
sense, knowing that Dazai had been his mentor. But the thing was, their similarities didn’t end at
the traits Akutagawa had adopted from being exposed around Dazai. No, Akutagawa had had a
very similar mindset to the man even before he had ever met him. And even now, after having
joined the Detective Agency, he still continued to have a very similar mindset as the one Dazai had
had whenhe had first joined.

It wasn’t the most obvious of similarities, being that Dazai had always seemed so aloof around the
place whereas Akutagawa appeared more reserved and contained, but it was distinguishable
enough for Chuuya.

Both of them were desperately trying to change.

Dazai’s change had been a lot more subtle, more hidden. In the beginning no one had known
anything about his background so it had been a lot ‘easier’ for him to construct the facade of an
overtly lazy worker and play his part.. No one had expected anything out of him. Not even Chuuya.
Yet he still delivered on the promise to become better.
A promise he hadn’t made to anyone but himself.
The Agency had never demanded him to become a better person. Chuuya hadn't asked for it either.
Even Odasaku hadn't made such a request. All he had said was to switch sides and help others. He
hadn't asked Dazai to become a better person—only to leave the Mafia and do good things for
others.

So really, the only person he had ever made that promise to, was himself.
Dazai had changed for himself.
And Chuuya had bore witness to that change.
And now, he was doing the exact same thing, this time, witnessing Akutagawa’s change.

Much like Dazai, the boy didn’t want to change because the Agency had told him to or because
someone else had asked that of him. No. Akutagawa wanted to change for himself.
Not for the Agency, not for Atsushi, not even to get Dazai’s approval, which he no longer sought.

He was doing it because he genuinely wanted to try and become a better person.
He had become a very good detective in the few months he had been working there, and most
importantly, he had made great efforts to get along with everyone nicely. The only exception being
Atsushi whom, in his own words, he didn’t respect enough to even try to be nicer.
Of course, Chuuya knew that was a lie. Atsushi was the person Akutagawa cared most in the entire
building, even if he would rather die in agony than ever admit it. And he did show it, in his own
very strange, very Dazai-like way.
He always helped Atsushi whenever the boy asked him to, and he always went out of his way to
help him even more with stuff he didn’t even know about. There were so many instances where
Akutagawa had spent hours, working overtime to make sure all their cases and investigations had
been settled and dealt with accordingly. And unbeknownst to Atsushi, he had agreed with Kunikida
to do around eighty percent of all their ‘joined’ paperwork.

Again, not because Atsushi had asked him to, but because he himself wanted to do something to
help the other boy. Not to get the credit, or the praise or anything. Simply because he wanted to
‘repay’ the tough kindness Atsushi had shown him time and time again.

Chuuya couldn’t be more proud of him.

Akutagawa was turning out to be a great addition to the Agency.

‘’ YOU BLUBBERING BUFFOON, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T- Oh, Chuuya, sir,
hello. How can we help you? ‘’

Maybe knocking before entering would have been a better idea.

‘’ I was just checking to see if you were both still alive.’’ Chuuya said with an easy smile, leaning
against the doorframe, observing the two boys, ‘’ But now I’m wondering, what’s that? ‘’ he
asked, nodding his head towards the large wooden board hanging between them.
‘’ Oh, this? ‘’ Atsushi gestured at the board, beaming, ‘’ I’m so glad you asked! This is an-
‘’ -idiotic idea.’’ Akutagawa cut him off, completing the sentence in a way Atsushi had not
intended to. ‘’ That’s all it is. Just a foolish, over-the-top, comple-
‘’ Hey now, that’s not what you said a few-
‘’ So it’s an investigation board? ‘’

Chuuya tried his hardest to keep their attention fixed on him rather than on each other.

‘’ Yes! It’s like the ones in the movies-

‘’ Or like the ones in, you know, reality.’’

It was a lot tougher than one would think.

‘’ Mister Chuuya is a detective, you fool. I’m sure he has seen plenty of such stupid-looking boards
in his real life.’’
‘’ Actually, you know what, I haven’t seen that many.’’ Chuuya confessed, crossing his arms. ‘’
Ranpo has no use for them, and Kunikida prefers to create digital lists and folders rather than
‘stupid-looking, and over-the-top’ investigation boards, so really, the only person that ever used to
make these inside our Agency, was I.’’

Akutagawa remained silent while Atsushi, very visibly, tried to keep his mouth a straight line.

‘’ Well, me and Dazai,’’ Chuuya added as an afterthought, ‘’ but he didn’t actually need them like I
did. He mostly made them for fun and to pick on me…’’
Akutagawa looked like he had been slapped.

‘’ So don’t worry Akutagawa. I’m very well aware of how idiotic my favourite ‘detective tool’ can
seem to brighter minds like you.’’

Slapped by a woman.

‘’ I did not mean to-

‘’ No, it’s okay.’’ Chuuya continued to joke, ‘’ I know offending people you view as being beneath
you can be quite easy to do, unintentionally.’’

By a woman in a public space.

‘’ Sir, in no way do I-
‘’ And I’m certain that the one to come up with this ‘ridiculous’ idea was Atsushi, no? ‘’

In a public space after having just proposed to her.

‘’ It’s really not ridiculous. Making a board makes perfect sense actu-
‘’ It was me, yeah.’’ Atsushi confused, acting out his part.’’ I was the one that suggested we create
a board to mark down the stolen artifacts and our suspects. I was the one with the stupid idea.’’
‘’ Again, it’s not stupid-
‘’ Oh, Atsushi,’’ Chuuya said, shaking his head disapprovingly, ‘’ Blubbering buffoons like us,
and our stupid ideas, only get in the way of the geniuses. You should know that by now.’’

In front of all her friends.

‘’ I do not nor will I ever consider myself-

‘’ You’re so right, Chuuya, sir.’’ Atsushi agreed, lowering his head so his smile wouldn’t be seen.
‘’ I got ahead of myself and forgot I was only but a burden to my co-worker.’’

And her family.

‘’ I never said-

'' I JUST DON'T GET WHAT HER PROBLEM IS, GUCCI.’’

Dazai had been in dire need of sleep just mere moments ago, but hearing the boy’s voice coming
out of that room, first thing in the morning, had been enough to jolt him wide awake.
He didn’t complain though. Tachihara’s voice, albeit a bit too loud for his comfort, was far more
welcome than the alternative.
Even if it would lead to another insufferable headache, at least it wasn’t Mori telling him ‘Good
Morning’ with a smile on his face.

‘’ I’ve told you not to-

‘’ I mean, REALLY, why the Hell is she hanging out with that guy? ‘’

Much to his surprise, because to his knowledge at least the two of them rarely ever hung out on
their own, he could also hear Higuchi’s voice coming out from that same room.
‘’ Sure he’s cool, and awesome, and great, and SO fucking funny but-
‘’ So are you? ’’
‘’ SO AM I.’’

The subject of their discussion, it would seem, was Gin Akutagawa and her relationship with some
boy that was, obviously, not Tachihara. He wondered if those speculations about the nature of her
relationship with the other boy were really that important that the two of them couldn’t wait to
discuss it until after the sun had fully risen in the sky.

‘’ What does he have that I don’t? ‘’

‘’ I dunno, Gin? ‘’

Dazai would be lying if he said he hadn’t found that answer absolutely hilarious. He even had to
cover his mouth to stifle his laughter.

‘’ YOU’RE NOT FUNNY, GUCCI.’’

‘’ I’VE TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT.’’

For a few seconds, the thought of staying there, entertained his mind.

Maybe he could stand there for a little more, get the chance to listen to something else, other than
Mori and Kouyou discussing work. Maybe just for once, he could stop pretending like he was
uninterested in trivial-everyday conversation, and simply stand there and enjoy some gossip.
Without barging inside the room and causing the discussion to end so abruptly. Without making
everyone around him feel anxious and on edge, simply because ‘Executive Osamu’ was sitting
beside them.

‘’ And I’ve told you that they are not together. But you’re not listening to me so I won’t be listening
to you. It’s only fair. End of-
‘’ My God, at this point you’re just lying to yourself.’’

He would still not be part of the conversation but maybe, only for a few minutes, he could pretend
to be?

Pretend to be listening from the same couch Higuchi would be sitting at, rather than the other side
of the door. Pretend to laugh at the jokes she made about their heartbroken friend.

Their?

Such a naive and foolish thought. Tachihara wasn’t their friend. Tachihara was Higucih’s friend.
And Hirotsu’s. And Gin’s. And everyone else’s.
He was not Dazai’s.

Dazai didn’t have friends inside the Port Mafia.

He didn’t have someone he could converse openly with. He didn’t have a group of people he could
meet up with after work, to go out and enjoy a few rounds of beers together. He didn’t have anyone
he could be friends with.
Having that type of relationship with his subordinates was simply out of the question.

But not because he didn’t want to…

‘’ I’m not lying to myself. I’m simply stating a fact. Gin is not dating Oscar. They are not
together.’’
‘’ And how would you know? ‘’

Just from the tone of her voice, Dazai could tell that her next few words were going to sting like
Hell.

‘’ Gin barely even talks to you, anymore.‘’

Tachihara’s silence was deafening.

Dazai had been right. Her words had cut too deep.

‘’ Wait, that’s not-

‘’ No, you’re right, Higuchi. You’re so completely right.’’

Dazai didn’t like hearing the boy sound so defeated. It was so unlike him.

‘’ You know, I didn’t mean it like that, I-

‘’ No, you did. But it’s fine. It is the truth after all.’’

The conversation was getting a little too serious and personal for Dazai’s comfort.
He took that sudden shift in mood as his cue to leave.

‘’ Ever since she met him, things have just not been the same between us. I’m not stupid, I can see
that, it’s just- I’m trying to keep hoping it will…pass? I don’t know, I just- ‘’

As silently as he could, Dazai turned his body away from the door and towards the other end of the
corridor. Unfortunately, before he could take even a single step in that direction, a very drawn-out
creaking sound was heard.

‘’ Osamu sir? ‘’ Higuchi looked at him confused. as her hand held the doorknob from the inside, ‘’
What are you doing here? ‘’ She asked, momentarily forgetting who she was addressing. ‘’ I mean-
Is there something you want us to do, or-
‘’ Ohhh, Bandage-Boss is here? ‘’

Dazai didn’t like how easy it was for Tachihara to simply flip a switch and act like everything was
fine. It reminded him too much of his own ability to do the same thing.

‘’ Got any new missions for us, Boss? ‘’ the boy asked with newfound excitement.
‘’ Perhaps some great elaborate scheme you want our help with because no one else can get the job
done or-or the retrieval of a lost ancient artifact that could bring about the end of our civilization as
we know it? ‘’ The boy continued to propose, earning nothing but questioning looks from the
crowd. ‘’ Or maybe something less interesting,’’ he tried again, his voice softer than before, ‘’ like
attacking …someone and…giving them a taste of what they get when they cross the Mafia…? ’’
‘’ You will be most disappointed, I'm afraid, but the mission I’m here to give you is a mere
hostage situation.’’
‘’ Is the hostage some crazy scientist that is about to find the cure for-
‘’ He’s a business partner of the Boss’s.’’
‘’ That’s not a no-
‘’ He’s the old man handling the Port Mafia’s out-of-region affairs.’’
‘’ Again, you’re not denying-
‘’ He’s not a crazy scientist, Tachihara.’’
‘’ Well, that’s a bummer.’’

Sometimes, Dazai felt the need to punch the kid.

Then he remembered that the boy was only using cheap humor to cope, and so he resisted that
urge.

‘’ I sincerely apologize. Next time, I will, personally, make sure, we find a crazy scientist just for
you, okay? ’’ Dazai deadpanned, trying his best to sound as genuine as he could.
‘’ Really? ‘’
‘’ Yeah, sure. And while I’m at it, I’ll also find you one half of the broken medallion that leads its
wearer to the lost city of Atlantis. You know, the place where they keep all the artifacts that have
the potential to destroy this world. I’ll make it so that your mission will be to find and retrieve
them.’’
Tachihara raised an eyebrow, suspicion creeping into his thoughts ‘’ Are you messing with me? ‘’
he asked reluctantly.
‘’ Me? ‘’ Dazai’s eyes widened, as if shocked by the question. ‘’ I would never.’’
The boy considered him for a moment before breaking into a fit of laughter.
‘’ HA, and they say you don’t have a sense of humor.’’
‘’ Who-
‘’ No one.’’ The laughter immediately died.
‘’...’’
‘’ Right…Well,’’ Dazai said, clasping his hands together, giving an end to the previous discussion.
‘’ This has been fun, but unfortunately I have a lot of work I need to do, so, ‘’ he looked at the two
of them, ‘’ Higuchi, Tachihara, I’ll need one of you to come by my office in about an hour, to get
all the information you’ll be using.’’ he instructed, turning away this body, ‘’ If I’m not there for
whatever reason, there’s a spare key buried underneath the camellia plant, three pots to your left
from my office. Take the key, and open the door. The folder will be laying on top of my desk and
the envelope containing the-
‘’ Yeah, that’s too much info to remember.’’ Tachihara commented, flicking his hand dismissively,
signaling for him to stop talking. ‘’ How about, you chill here with us for a little while, and then
we go get all those documents and stuff, together? ’’
Higuchi and Dazai both stared at him mortified.
‘’ How about I sit here and chill with you? ‘’ Dazai echoed, confused yet amused. ‘’ If I’m not
mistaken, this is the fifth time you’re suggesting I do something like this. Why? ‘’
‘’ Cause you never take up on my offers? ‘’ Tachihara tried, a sad undertone in his voice. ‘’ I
mean, you’re our Boss, yet you never spend any time with us outside of work hours. Which, of
course, you’re not required to do, but it wouldn’t hurt to-
‘’ That’s enough.’’ Dazai said sharply, cutting him off. ‘’ As you so well put it, it is not required of
me. And I believe, I have refused your offer enough times by now, for you to understand, that I do
not intend to accept it.’’ The words came out of his mouth with an anger he hadn’t realized he had
been harboring. ‘’ I am your Boss, Tachihara. I am here to inform you about missions, and give
you orders. That is my job. Hanging out, or chilling with you is nowhere in that job’s description,
thus I have no obligation to indulge in such time-wasting habits, do I? ’’

Tachihara’s expression was a hard one to describe. His mouth was tightly pressed into a forced,
straight line while his vacant gaze was fixated on Dazai. It was a contradictory blend of complete
nonchalance and of underlying agitation.

‘’ Sir, with all due respect, Tachihara only meant to-

‘’ I understand what he meant, Higuchi.’’

Unlike the boys' paradoxical countenance, Higuci’s expression was no enigma.

That woman looked terrified.

‘’ There’s no need for you to explain his words to me.’’ Dazai said coldly, ignoring the voices in
his head telling him to stop being such a dick to them. They had done nothing to deserve such
treatment. On the contrary-
‘’ And there is no need for you to get so defensive.’’ Tachihara mumbled under his breath, earning
a sharp glance. ‘’ All I said was that you could sit here with us for a short while, but apparently
even the thought of just existing in the same space as us is sooo awful to you, isn’t it, Mister
Executive? ‘’

It was one of the few times where Dazai had no idea what he should say.

‘’ Hell, even Akutagawa, hands down the most unapproachable person I’ve ever met, was easier to
joke and get along with.’’ Tachihara continued to twist the knife. ‘’ Hirotsu always paints you in
such bright colors when he’s talking about you, but I really can not see why.’’
‘’ You’re out of line, Tachi.’’ Higuchi whispered to him, her words barely audible. ‘’ It’s not fair to
say such things about-
‘’ No, please, let him continue.’’ No one could read Dazai’s expression at that moment. ‘’ It’s
obvious that he’s disappointed, so let him tell us why.’’ he urged, looking at her, ‘’ Or should I
guess? ‘’ he shifted his gaze to the boy, instead. ‘’ I’m not what you expected I'd be, am I? ‘’ Dazai
asked, the answer already written across his face. ‘’ Being on the same team as Hirotsu for so long,
I'm certain you've heard numerous tales about my younger days. Stories that might have compelled
you to seek me out? Perhaps even fostered a desire to befriend me if the opportunity presented
itself? ‘’ he smiled, ‘’ Well, now that you’ve met me, I don’t live up to those expectations of yours,
do I? ‘’

Silence.

‘’ I’m sorry, boy, but the person Hirotsu continues to describe in those stories, is someone that no
longer exists.‘’ Dazai stated, his tone growing softer. ‘’ Even if the old man won’t admit it, he too,
knows that.’’
‘’ Well, I don’t believe it.’’

Dazai hadn’t expected Tachihara to counter that statement.

‘’ It's not that you haven't matured or changed—of course you have.’’ Tachihara started explaining,
careful of his phrasing. ‘’ Many years have passed since those stories took place, it's only natural
that you're not the same as your teenage self, but- You’re not this person you're pretending to be
either, are you, mister Dazai? "
‘’ This person I'm pretending to be? "
" The condescending Executive that doesn't have time for anything that's not work-related."
Tachihara elaborated, toeing the line, " I don’t get it. You're not that kind of guy, so why are you
putting on this act? "

Tachihara wasn’t someone Dazai had ever known on a personal level, so why did he care so much?
Because of a few stories Hirotsu had told him? No, that couldn’t be it.
But then again, what else could it be? Before he was appointed his Boss, they had only ever met
twice. Once in a karaoke, when the ADA had accidentally bumped into him and Gin on their day
off, and once in the Sky Casino, where things had been a little more complicated.

Tachihara barely even knew him. What reason did he have to be saying such things?
‘’ I’m not that kind of guy?’’ Dazai echoed his words yet again, ‘’ Your audacity is most
admirable,’’ he said, the amusement returning to his voice. ‘’ You’re speaking as if you actually
know a single thing about me.’’
‘’ I don’t.’’ Tachihara admitted, quick not to be misunderstood, ‘’ Don’t get me wrong, other than
a few old stories from your teenage years, I don’t know anything about you, sir, but-
Dazai’s eyes were urging him to continue with the sentence.
‘’ Seeing you here just, doesn’t feel right to me.’’
Higuchi looked as surprised by his words, as Dazai felt.
‘’ I don’t mean to offend you in any way when I say this,’’ the boy continued, ‘’ but, it’s not that
you don’t live up to my expectations, it’s just that, after I met you as a Detective, working at the
Agency with all the other’s detectives and the weretiger- it’s become impossible for me to picture
you inside those stories.’’
Dazai stared at Tachihara as if his life depended on what he would say next.
‘’ When Gin and I bumped into you at the karaoke, you looked so…carefree? laughing with all the
others, singing so loud we could hear you even from the next room,’’ Tachihara said, reminding
Dazai of that day, ‘’ Having seen that version of you, and now seeing this version…You kind of
remind me of my old Boss.’’
‘’ Fukuchi Ouchi? ‘’ Dazai tilted his head, not having expected to be compared to the man this
early in the morning. ‘’ The leader of the Hunting Dogs? ‘’
Or, ever in his life, for that matter.
’’ Yes.’’ Tachihara agreed, nodding his head. ‘’ He turned out to be the enemy of the world, sure,
but before that, he was posing as our beloved leader.’’ The boy said, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
‘’ I think with you, it’s the opposite. You pose as this mean Executive, but you’re not really that.
Who you are, is much closer to that carefree detective I saw.’’
‘’ And you think that because you saw me laughing, once? ‘’ Dazai tried to joke, ‘’ You can’t base
your opinion of me, from that one interaction we had months ago.’’ he explained, ‘’ If you want to
know the real me, go ahead and ask Higuchi about my record. Best believe, you don’t want to
know half of the things I’ve done.’’
‘’ With all due respect, sir, much like you, both Higuchi and I are also in the Mafia.’’ Tachihara
tried again, ‘’ We too have done unspeakable things. Maybe not as bad as the things you have done,
but that’s not what I’m trying to say. What I’m getting at is-
‘’ That I’m putting on an act, behaving the way I do.’’ Dazai completed the sentence with not
much sentiment. ‘’ Yeah, yeah, you’re saying the same thing over and over again, and quite
frankly, I don’t even know why I’m still listening to you.’’ he made it apparent that he was done
with them. ‘’ I should have left before this conversation ever started.’’
‘’ So you’re not going to answer my question? ‘’ Tachihara pushed.

Dazai stared at him dumbfounded.

When he woke up that morning, he hadn’t anticipated having that conversation with anyone. Much
less with a boy he hardly even knew.

‘’ No. I am.’’

If he were being honest, there were a lot of ways he could answer that question.
He could deny all his accusations, and say he was wrong for making such foolish assumptions. He
could lie and claim that the real act was his behavior within the Agency.

" So? "

And he could always ignore him. Walk away and never give a straight answer, since he didn’t owe
him [Link] would be no repercussions, if he did that. So why not?
" It's easier this way." Dazai said with a shrug. " That's it. Acting like this is just easier."

And it was the truth.

Or at least what Dazai believed the truth to be.

‘’ So Hirotsu was right, huh? ’’ Tachihara said, gawking at him. ‘’ You really do have a screw
loose.’’

It was all connected.

The museum artifacts that had been stolen. The weird break-ins people had started to report
throughout the neighborhood. The sightings of the hooded figure that walked during the night but
never in the daylight. The anomalies concerning the weather-
It was all connected.

But if it hadn't been for a certain white-haired boy and his 'stupid looking' board none of them
would have been able to tell.

If Atsushi hadn't made that board the way he had, Akutagawa wouldn't have ridiculed his attempts
at recreating the stolen artifacts in the form of tiny replicas. And if Akutagawa hadn't done that,
Atsushi wouldn't have started the process of making new ones. And if the process hadn't started, he
wouldn't have grown tired of it. And if he hadn't grown tired and bored of it, he wouldn't have
lazily connected the dots on the map, with a messy red crayon he had found lying near. And if he
hadn't connected those dots, then Akutagawa wouldn't have been able to piece everything together
and assemble the bigger picture as fast as he had.

It was a series of very fortunate accidents that had led to the unraveling of what would later be
known as, not the Heist of the century, but perhaps as one of the most special of cases ever
recorded in the history of the Agency.

A case different from the rest.

A case that could not be classified as a case, yet at the same could not be pushed aside like the
ones that had come before it.

In all the years Chuuya had been working at the ADA he had realized that more often than not,
most cases fell into one of four categories:
- The cases concerning ability users.
- The cases concerning criminals, too evasive and difficult for the regular police to catch.
- The cases concerning the Port Mafia and all the other organizations that fell into the jurisdiction
of the ADA.
- And the cases that could not be qualified as cases, simply because they were not cases to solve,
but rather stupid, mandane problems that had been brought to the Agency as something that they
were not. For example, an old man claiming that his fork was an ability user, that had transformed
into a fork because he wanted to exact his revenge in the form of ‘poking’ the man, a few times in
the day.
Much to no one's surprise, the fork in question had turned out to be just a regular fork. And the old
man in question, had also turned out to be just a regular old man.
With undiagnosed parkinsons.

Those weird situations that had been made into cases for those kinds of ‘reasons’ were a category
on their own. But their most recent case didn’t even fit in that one.

How could it? A marriage proposal, no matter how exceptional, could not be regarded as a
detective case.

‘’ There is no way, what you’re saying is true.’’ Yosano said, looking at Chuuya,
‘’ There is just no way.’’ she repeated, not having fully registered the story yet.
‘’ I’m telling you Doc, If he hadn’t told me the full story himself, I wouldn’t have believed it
either.’’ Chuuya replied, picking up his glass and taking a sip, ‘’ But that’s what he told me, and I
have no reason to doubt him.’’ he concluded, putting it down, ‘’ Everything he said, complied
perfectly with the information Atsushi and Akutagawa had gathered. Even the tiniest details, he
could explain.’’
‘’ So it really was one person behind everything, even the weather? ’’ Yosano half-observed half-
asked, staring at him confused. ‘’ But I still don’t understand, why did he change the weather so
drastically every couple of days? If it was only meant to help him steal the artifacts, wouldn’t
maintaining a snowy environment be the most practical approach? ‘’
‘’ Oh, you don’t get it.’’ said Chuuya, visibly still awestruck by the explanation the man, or rather
the boy, had given him hours ago ‘’ The weather change wasn’t meant for that.’’

It was a beautiful story, the one the boy had shared with the three detectives.
A story that could very easily get him in jail, but a beautiful story nonetheless.

The story was about a penniless thief that had struggled to survive, and his love for a rich girl that
had never had to worry about anything in life.

The story itself hadn’t been that special. It was a typical love story between a girl and a boy that
had met when they were kids. A story that followed the two of them throughout their childhood
and their adolescence, all the way to their young adult years.

As mentioned in the beginning, there wasn’t much to the story— just two people growing up
together, realizing that their fondness for each other was also growing.

But the past didn’t matter as much as what had transpired during the past year.

The boy and the girl, albeit vastly different due to their backgrounds, had two things in common:
their age and the belief that they had their whole lives ahead of them.

Both being just a little over twenty-two, it was no wonder why they felt that way.
At twenty two, you DO have your whole life ahead of you.

That is unless you get diagnosed with an incurable disease.

Then suddenly, the ‘whole life ahead of you’ starts to look more like a few months.

‘’ So you mean to tell me, this boy went ahead and stole items only starting with specific letters, so
if you put them in order you would spell out the girl’s name? ‘’
‘’ That’s exactly what he did.’’ Chuuya confirmed, looking over at Kunikida. ‘’ But that’s not even
the best part.’’ He continued, his eyes going around the table.

Yosano, Kunikida, Ranpo and even Poe, were all looking at him expectedly, waiting for him to
continue the story so they too could finally catch up to the case that had become the ‘talk of the
town’.

The boy's first thought upon learning of the girl's fate had taken him back to a conversation they
had shared years ago. A conversation that had revealed to him one thing- The girl’s biggest dream
for her future.

What that girl had wanted more than anything in her life, was to have a fairytale wedding. To use
all her money and make arrangements for the most perfect wedding in the history of weddings. She
had wanted a wedding straight out of the fantasy novels she had so loved to read. A wedding that
would have made her feel like the princess of the story.

When she had first told the boy of that dream of hers, the boy, around eleven years old back then,
had laughed at her face, telling her that a dream shouldn’t be something so easily attainable but
rather something near impossible to achieve. And although the girl hadn’t argued with that logic,
she had seemed visibly upset. (The reason for that remaining unknown to him, even to this day.)

The boy didn’t remember how exactly the conversation had unraveled to that point, but he did
remember enough to know that the one navigating it, had been her and not him. And although his
memory had grown fuzzy with the details over the years, he could still recall the exact words that
the girl once made him promise:
‘ Twenty three winters. Twenty three springs. Twenty three autumns. And twenty three summers.
Once those have passed, please- ask me to marry you.’

At the time, he had thought that the girl had been merely joking. That her dramatic way of
proposing such a thing, had been just that- another dramatic monologue inspired by the books she
had been reading. So without having thought much of it, he had promised her that he would do it-
That he would ask her to marry him, when they were both twenty three.

As the years had gone by, that conversation had remained buried deep inside their hearts and
memories, but had never resurfaced. The reason being that neither of them had dared to bring it up
again. Out of regret? Out of embarrassment? Neither of them had known what the other’s reason
had been for keeping silent, and neither had wanted to find out.

They had both been so afraid to learn of what the other had thought of that childhood promise, that
they had both chosen to not say anything about it.

At least not until the boy had learned of the girl's condition.

‘’ So the reason he changed the weather was so he could let her experience one more of each
season? ‘’ Yosano asked, her eyes glistening, ‘’ Because he knew that due to her disease she
wouldn’t be able to-
‘’ The question is,’’ Kunikida interrupted, all eyes on him. ‘’ Did they get married or not? ‘’
Before Chuuya could tell him to wait for the story to reach the ending, Ranpo spoke.
‘’ They didn’t.’’ he said, spoiling it for everyone. ‘’ She said no.’’
Once he had learned that the girl had only but a few months left to live, the boy had sworn that he
would do anything to fulfill all her dreams.
Anything, to make her as happy as she could possibly be.

So without wasting time, he started planning the most enchanting proposal.

The perfect proposal that would, of course, lead to the perfect wedding.

She wanted a fairytale? He would give her one.

One about a lovesick thief who would have stolen for his beloved the stars out of a starless sky if
she had so much as asked for a little more light to read her books.

One about a boy, so completely and irrevocably enamored by her presence, he would play God if it
meant fulfilling his promise and making her star-crossed dreams come true.

One about him. And his love for her, that transcended even time.

‘’ She said no? ‘’ Poe asked in disbelief, looking at Chuuya for confirmation.
‘’ After all that he did for her, she said no? ‘’
Chuuya glanced at Ranpo angrily, before turning to answer the other man.
‘’ She did, yes, but not for the reason you might think."

Wanting to make right on that promise he had made her oh so many years ago, the boy had used
his weather manipulation ability to ‘switch’ the seasons, thus allowing her to fully experience one
last whole year.

They had watched as the leaves of the trees in the park had turned red, and they had gone to the
beach to escape the heatwave that had hit Yokohama. And when it had snowed, they had built
snowmen and forts, and then, when the sun had come up again, they had sat and watched as they
had melted, giving way to freshly bloomed flowers.

And before they had known it, another year had passed.

A year that had, of course, been nothing more than a fabricated reality.

But then again, weren't all fairy tales just that?

" If not for her feeling guilty, then for what other reason? " Poe inquired, intrigued to know more
about those two. " I can not think of anything else that would make sense."
" Maybe she didn't love him back in that way, anymore? " Kunikida offered, earning questioning
looks from all around the table. " I mean, they were both kids when they made that promise. It’s
not that uncommon for romantic feelings to fade over time.’’
‘’ Yeah, no, that wouldn’t make for a good story, Kunikida.’’ Ranpo commented, completely
dismissing his theory ‘’ And remember, both of them were trying to live out a fairytale.’’
Once the seasons had changed, and her twenty third summer had passed, the boy had taken the girl
back to her home, to surprise her with an art exhibition he had put together.

‘’ What if,’’ Yosano started, glaring at all of them, ‘’ instead of interrupting Chuuys to come up
with explanations, oh I don’t know, we let him continue on with the story? ‘’
‘’ Thank you, Yosano.’’ Chuuya smiled, happy to be reclaiming their attention. ‘’ As I was saying-

Once they had stepped foot inside that room, it was like they had entered a portal to another world.
Rose petals had led the way into the ballroom, and a thousand or more fairy lights had swung
down from the ceiling, intertwining with glorious green vines. Flowers had decorated every corner
of the room, and music had played softly in the background.

The girl had stood frozen for more than five minutes, taking in every intricate detail. Her eyes had
moved from the swinging vines to the beautiful flowers, then to the carefully arranged furniture
forming a heart shape, and finally, they had fallen upon the main exhibition – priceless artifacts
sealed behind glass.

Once her initial shock had passed, and she had regained her composure, she had turned to him with
a smile on her face, brighter than any light.

The boy had said it was quite fun, watching her figure everything out on her own. Looking at the
stolen pieces, trying to understand their significance. Trying to find a pattern, or a secret message
encoded on them.

Much like he had expected, It hadn't taken her long before she had figured out that each piece had
corresponded to a letter in her name. And that the only missing letter was the last one.

When she had inquired about it, the boy had told her that it was somewhere inside the room and
that she had to find it. But not by searching. By solving a puzzle.

Then, all he had done was hand her a pen and a map with a few dots painted on it.

With great excitement, the girl had taken them in her hands, before moving to a table, to sit down
and work on the puzzle.

A few minutes later, she had come back with lines drawn all over the map and tears threatening to
fall from the corners of her eyes.

With a wide grin, the boy had asked if she had found the location of the last artifact

The girl had tried her hardest to not let her voice fail her, as she had pointed towards his pockets
and had said "there".

Pretending to be surprised, the boy had feigned confusion, turning around and asking "where?",
before tripping down. With great concern, the girl had ran to him and that's when she spotted the
small, velvet box that had fallen out of his pocket.

With another grin, the boy had gestured for her to open it, and so without missing a beat, the girl
had done just that

To her astonishment, the box had been empty.

When she had looked at him, with the question burning in her eyes, the boy had simply smiled
before telling her to look at her own pocket.

" Wait- So he had hidden the ring inside her pocket? That whole time, she had it? "
" No, no." Chuuya attempted to correct him, remembering what the boy had told him. " The
moment she had bent down to reach for the box, that's when he put it inside her pocket. "

She had taken out the ring and had shown it to him, then.

Too late had she realized that she was still holding in her other hand the map with the drawn lines
that spelled out, 'Marry me?'

The boy had pretended to be shocked by the reversal of the proposal, before ultimately refusing her
offer, telling her that he couldn’t accept a ring from someone that wouldn’t even get down to one
knee for him.

Her laughter had been explosive.

A sound that would forever echo in his head.

‘’ So he was the one that said no, not her. ‘’ Poe concluded ‘’ But there is no way he left it at that
right? He must have asked her, as well.’’
‘’ Well he did.’’ Chuuya replied with another mischievous smirk, ‘’ But like I told you, she said
no.’’

Eventually, after they had both composed themselves, the boy had gracefully grabbed the ring
from her fingers and had gotten down to one knee while taking her hand into his.

When he had asked the question however, he had been met with an answer he had not expected, not
in his wildest dreams.

‘’ She said that as the years had passed, she had realized that her dream had never been about
having a grand ceremony, but rather about having a grant love story.’’ Chuuya explained, making
it apparent that they were reaching the end of the tale.’’ And so, since she had that, she told him
there was no need for a spectacular wedding.’’
‘’ And that’s it? ‘’
‘’ No. Instead of getting married, she proposed they eloped instead. Said it would fit their story
more and would make for a greater finale.’’

Maybe, they were right.

Maybe he didn’t have to be all alone.

Maybe, instead of moping in his room about the life he had lost, he could try and make the best out
of his situation and build another one with the people that were so generously offering to be a part
of it.

Maybe, just maybe, Tachihara had been right to call him out on his bullshit.

‘’ How about you, Boss? ‘’ Higuchi turned to look at Dazai before leaving the table. '' Do you want
another round? '' she asked, glancing at the empty glass in front of him.
Dazai looked at the glass and then at her. ''Some more scotch with ice would be nice,'' he said.
'' Okay,'' Higuchi nodded once. '' So now we have one beer for Hirotsu,'' she started counting with
her fingers, ''one mojito for Tachihara, two Cosmos for me and Gin, and one scotch with ice for the
Boss, right?'' Everyone aforementioned nodded their heads to confirm. '' Great,'' she exclaimed,
smiling to herself for remembering everyone’s orders. '' One beer, one mojito, two Cosmos and one
scotch, coming right up.’’ she added quickly, before disappearing out of sight.

Work had been absolutely hectic these last couple of weeks, but strangely enough, Dazai hadn't
even noticed.

From the crack of dawn till nightfall, he found himself drowning in an inescapable wave of
responsibilities. Running chores for the Boss, writing and reading reports, issuing orders to his
subordinates, attending Black Lizard meetings, Executive meetings, fulfilling all his duties as an
Executive, and of course, doing all the other stuff Mori requested out of him— Honestly, during
the day, Dazai couldn't catch a single breath.

But that didn’t matter.

Ever since Tachihara and he had had that conversation a few days ago, things had actually started
to get better.

Dazai didn’t know how he felt about that, yet.

After calling him out on his avoidant behavior, somehow, despite Dazai’s best efforts to remain as
unsociable as he possibly could, the boy had convinced him to spend some time with him and the
rest of the Black Lizards, outside of work hours.

At first, Tachihara had tried to invite him out for a few drinks after work. Without having thought
of it twice, Dazai had refused his offer, telling him that he didn’t feel like going out. (The real
reason, obviously being, that without permission, he physically could not go anywhere.) Tachihara
had told him that he understood. However, he did not.
Right after being denied, he had invited Dazai to a night-in, instead. Couple beers in his office, with
Gin, Hirotsu and Higuchi. Dazai, not having had a convincing enough excuse that would satisfy
the boy, and in hopes he would stop bugging him about his behavior, had accepted.

He regretted doing so.

He had had so much fun during that little gathering he had momentarily forgotten all about his
inconsolable excuse of a life, he was not allowed to terminate, no matter how much he wanted to.

Those few hours had truly been redemptive.

Being around people that were not Mori, was something he had been deprived of for so long.

Getting the chance to have a normal conversation had truly felt liberating.

At the same time, however, it had also felt condemning in the worst way possible.

The prospect of building new connections and bridging up old ones both excited him and terrified
him at the same time. On one hand, he would finally be getting the chance to patch things up with
Hirotsu. To get to know the others better and learn more about them. To have a group of people he
could talk to and laugh with.
On the other hand- he would be risking getting attached. Again.

But maybe it could work this time around. The people were all members of the Mafia, so
communication with them was not forbidden. And they were not complete strangers, either.
Hirotsu and Gin he had known for years. And Higuchi and Tachihara, he had also known for quite
a while now. And it wasn’t like, he’d be going out with them every single night after work. No, of
course, not. He’d simply just be having a couple of drinks with them occasionally. Always
confined inside Headquarters.

He wouldn’t be breaking any rules. He wouldn’t be violating the contract.

So it would be safe, wouldn’t it?

To simply have a drink with them, once in a while.

Yes.

It would be safe.

No.

God, who was he kidding? Mori wouldn’t let him get away with it. No, not in a million years.
There would surely be a punishment- a price he would have to pay.

Dazai imagined that if Mori found out, he would call for his removal as the Boss of the Black
Lizard assault group, making up an excuse as to register him unfit for the job.

So the question was- Could Dazai risk losing that?

Being the leader of the Black Lizards was the most ‘joy’ he got out of all his duties and
responsibilities as a Port Mafia Executive. In a way, it was his only ‘escape’.
For a few minutes or even hours depending on the day, Dazai could sit at their meeting room table
and merely observe them. Listen to their conversations, without partaking. Watch as they interact
with each other in an authentic and natural way. Laugh at some of the jokes they made, if they
were spoken too loud. He could even agree or disagree with something, if his opinion was asked.

Simply existing in the same room as them was his sole source of an ounce of normalcy.

Could he really afford losing that?

‘’ Where does she even get the drinks from? ‘’ Dazai asked, the question just now popping into his
mind. ‘’ Who makes them? ‘’
‘’ Kaji.’’ Tachihara replied with a shrug. ‘’ He’s our part-time mixologist.’’
Dazai raised his eyebrows at him. ‘’ Your part time mixologist? ‘’
‘’ Yeah. He’s the one making all the different kinds of drinks out of the secret booze-stash the
Mafia members have.’’

Dazai had wanted to ask about Motojiro Kaji and what qualifications he had to be playing their
bartender, but then another question was raised-

‘’ The secret booze-stash? ‘’ Dazai repeated the phrase with disgust in his voice, not believing how
stupid it sounded.
Who could have come up with such a horrid name for it?

‘’ Look, I don’t think we should be telling you this, cause you’re an Exec and all, but the Port
Mafia members all have unlimited access to the best booze in Yokohama there is.’’ Tachihara
revealed, a little too excited to be sharing such a big secret.
‘’ No.’’ Dazai deadpanned. ‘’ Really? ‘’ Trying to make himself sound as surprised as he could.
‘’ Yes.’’ Tachihara answered with a little more enthusiasm, thinking that Dazai was being sincere.
‘’ We have this-
‘’ Tachihara.’’ Hirotsu tried to cut him off, before the boy could further embarrass himself.
" -one connection, to the people working on the harbor that are-
" Tachihara." he tried again,
" -responsible for the transportation-
" Michizo."
‘’ What? ‘’ Tachihara turned to the older man, the annoyance in his face visible.
‘’ I don’t think he’s going to blab on us if we tell him-
‘’ Dazai is the one that created the system.’’ The man said with a sigh, sounding so done with him.
Gin, who was sitting beside him, wore the exact same expression on her face, albeit she was trying
not to laugh.
Tachihara waited for the information to register in his head before talking again.
‘’ Wait, for real? ‘’ He turned back to ask Dazai. ‘’ But weren’t you like fifteen when you worked
here? ‘’
‘’ And sixteen and seventeen and eighteen.’’ Dazai corrected him, not much sentiment over his
words.’’ I was a teenager working for the Mafia. You think I wouldn’t find a way to get as much
alcohol as I could? ‘’
‘’ Holy fuck, dude-’’ Tachihara gaped at him, forgetting who he was addressing, ‘’ That’s like, so
badass of you.’’
Dazai exchanged a look with Hirotsu, who was trying to keep his mouth in a straight line.
‘’ Thank you? ‘’ he said reluctantly. ‘’ But you should know, the system I made had never been
intended to be used by anyone other than me, Hirotsu and Ch-
Nakahara.’’
‘’ So who spread it around? ‘’ Tachihara asked, genuinely interested, ‘’ Cause right now, I can
guarantee you, every member, their mother and their dog, knows about it.’’
Dazai thought for a second.
‘’ I think it was Nakahara,’’ he finally answered, coming to a conclusion. ‘’ Before we had left the
Organization, he had started telling lower ranked members about it, saying it was a pity they could
not taste some good-ass wine just because they made less money than we did.’’
‘’ Ah, that boy,’’ Hirotsu said with a tinge of melancholy, ‘’ Always a man of the people.’’
Dazai let out a soft chuckle, showing that he agreed.

He wanted to add something more on the subject but he quickly decided against it.

‘’ So, Mister Boss,’’ Tachihara addressed him yet again, his tone indicating that he was changing
the subject. ‘’ Completely irrelevant question, but what do you think of Oscar? ‘’
Gin shot him a sharp glare as he spoke the name. Hirotsu rolled his eyes while taking a puff out of
his cigarette. He was getting too old to be dealing with that stuff.
Dazai considered the boy and his question thoroughly before answering.
‘’ I think he has potential.’’ Was all he said. A neutral, diplomatic answer that would not cause the
tension already created, to thicken or escalate.
‘’ Hm.’’ Tachihara nodded his head as if agreeing.

The truth was, Dazai was not that fond of Oscar. There was something off about that boy that made
him feel uneasy and on edge every time he was in the same room with him. Something in the way
he spoke and acted- it all seemed so fake and forced. But until Dazai had discovered what he was
hiding, he would pretend as if his presence did not trouble him at all.

‘’ Alright, question for you, Tachi.’’ Gin said, turning to face the boy, a strange look on her face. ‘’
Why did you just ask that? ‘’

‘’ Well, now that everyone is gone and we’re alone, ’’ Hirotsu started, looking at the closed door
from which Gin and Tahihara had just exited the room screaming at each other, ‘’ I have to ask
you-
‘’ Hirotsu, sir, no more questions, please.’’ Dazai half-joked, ‘’ can’t you see what they’re doing to
the people? ‘’ he continued, indicating their surrounding space. ‘’ All they cause is chaos, and
discord and yelling and-
‘’ I don’t think it was the question that caused that, but very well.’’ Hirotsu said, dropping his
head, ‘’ You don’t want to talk. I won’t make you.’’

I won’t make you.

As someone that had been made to do things he did not want to for more than a year now, Dazai
could not help but let the phrase carve itself into his heart.

I won’t make you.

Hirotsu didn’t know anything in regards to the contract, yet here he was, doing what he had always
done best. Being the greatest comfort the boy had ever had.

Dazai thought it was high time he'd repay the understanding he had shown him, time and time
again.

‘’ Actually, I do want to talk.,’’ he said, surprising even himself. ‘’ So, please, go ahead. Ask me
what you wanted to.’’
The older man remained silent for a moment, taking care not to make the boy feel uncomfortable.
Only after ensuring the boy's ease did he finally speak.
‘’ How did Tachihara convince you to join us? ‘’ Hirotsu asked, looking at him, expectedly ‘’ If it
had been a one time occurrence I wouldn’t have asked you this but, what changed your mind? I
thought you didn’t want the company of others.’’
Dazai gave him a pained smile. ‘’ It’s not that I don’t want it,’’ he said, ‘’ it’s that I can’t have it.’’
His answer was as vague as it could be, yet it still made the older man drop his shoulders in relief.
‘’ The fact that you’re willing to admit that to me…’’ Hirotsu said, lowering his head, ‘’ Look,
Dazai,’’ from the shift of his tone and the use of his name, the younger boy could sense where the
conversation was going. He did not like it. ‘’ I may not know what exactly transpired between you
and the Boss, or why on earth you’re back here, but I know one thing.’’ Dazai looked at him as if
his life depended on his next word. ‘’ You don’t belong here, anymore.’’

Coming from Hirotsu-

‘’ Tachihara told me the same thing a few days ago, you know.’’ Dazai recalled, trying his best not
to smile. ‘’ It didn’t make sense to me why he was being so headstrong about it, but now I see.’’

He tried his best to keep his smile from reaching his eyes.

‘’ Hirotsu sir, ‘’ he grinned ‘’ how many times did you complain to the boy about me? ‘’ It was
both an attempt to lighten up the conversation and a genuine question.
‘’ Questions, questions, questions,’’ Hirotsu laughed, ‘’ Haven’t you seen what they are doing to
the people, my boy? ‘’

It physically pained him how much he had missed that man.

‘’ Okay, seriously now. You know that the only reason Tachihara gave a damn about me was
because of you, right? ‘’ Dazai said, wording out the hypothesis formed inside his head. ‘’ So
whatever you said to him about me- it must have worried him enough to confront me head on..’’
‘’ All I said was that it pained me seeing you like that.’’ the man admitted, rekindling his cigar, ‘’
That’s all.’’
Dazai stood there silent. He took the box of cigarettes placed on the table and took one for himself.
‘’ I’m sorry about that.’’ he said, searching for a lighter in his pockets.
‘’ Here,’’ the man said, lifting his hand that was still holding the lighter, even higher, rolling the
spark wheel. ‘’ use mine.’’
Dazai took his cigarette and held it right above the flame until the first few ashes fell from it.
‘’ Thank you.’’

And even though it hadn’t been explicitly said, they both knew Dazai had not thanked him for the
lighter.

‘’ Osamu, sir, can I talk to you? ‘’

Dazai turned his head around to find Gin Akutagawa waiting for him on the corner before his
office. The girl had never showed up to his office uninvited before, so he figured that whatever she
had to tell him must be important.

‘’ Gin,’’ he greeted, although it had been only but a few minutes since he had bid his farewells to
the entire group still nestled inside Tachihara’s office.’’ Please, come in.’’ he said, opening up the
door for her to pass through. ‘’ Is there something-

‘’ I wanted to thank you, sir. ‘’ The girl said completely unprompted, causing Dazai to blink a few
times from the shock of hearing those words. ‘’ I haven’t had the opportunity to do so for so long,
but I figured- Since we were together earlier in the day, it was a good time for me to finally express
my gratitude.’’

She said and bowed.

‘’ Thank you, sir, for all you’ve done for my brother.’’

Dazai stood still as a statue.

He felt as if his entire body had been paralyzed.
‘’ Firing him from the Port Mafia and giving him an opportunity to turn the page, and start anew
with his life- I will never be able to thank you enough for doing that for him.’’

The words came out clear and deliberate. It was obvious that the girl had thought of speaking them
aloud for a long time now. From the way she clenched her fists, however, so tightly holding on to
the fabric of her coat, Dazai could see that even though she had thought of it, actually doing it was
a lot more difficult for her.

‘’ Because of you sir, I get to go home and see my brother smiling.’’ The girl said, silver, now
lining her eyes. ‘’ Because of you, I get to listen to my brother telling stories about his day in the
Agency. About his life as a detective.’’ she continued with tears threatening to fall.
’’ Because of you, I get to see Ryu being happy.’’

She finally lifted her head and Dazai could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.

‘’ I’m sorry for getting so emotional, sir, but today’s been such an awful day, and I got into this
huge argument with Tachi and-’’ She shook her head, dismissing her own words. ‘’ A few
moments ago I got a text from my brother.’’ She started again, unable to contain her smile.
‘’ It was a picture of him and Atsushi making dinner.’’ she laughed. ‘’ The text beneath read that
they’re waiting for me.’’

He felt as if the air had been knocked out of his lungs.

‘’ I know it’s such a small everyday thing but-" her voice caught, as more tears formed in her eyes.
" Ryu has never brought anyone over to our apartment before.’’ The girl did her best to wipe them
as fast as she could and compose herself, before looking back at the man. ‘’ He has never been
friends with anyone in that way.’’

He felt as if someone had showered him in gasoline, had lightened up a match and had thrown it at
his feet.

‘’ I know it must have come out of the blue for you, but it’s something I’ve been meaning to tell
you for a really long time now.’’ Gin continued speaking, causing the throbbing on his heart to
quicken. ‘’ Getting to see my brother living out his life this past year, has brought me so much
happiness.’’

‘’ So from the bottom of my heart, sir. Thank you for that.’’

THREE MONTHS BEFORE CHUUYA FUCKED UP

For a few months now, there was a certain word stuck inside Chuuya’s mind that had become the
bane of his existence. A word that had not let a single day pass without intruding his thoughts.
Whatever it was that he was doing, no matter whether he was alone or with company, that word
would always be lurking in the recess of his mind, ready to infiltrate his thoughts and ruin
everything.

It was exhausting.

Living every moment of his life with that word stuck in his head like an unwanted halo. But he
supposed it was only fair. That halo was the cross he had to carry for being the Lucky one.
For being the one that had it all.
Ungrateful

He hated that word.

He hated it because it rang true.

Chuuya Nakahara had everything.

He had a roof above his head and a fridge filled with food and water. He had a well-paying job
which he very much enjoyed doing. A great Boss, who he respected and admired. Incredible co-
workers that went out of their way, day after day, to make him feel like part of their family. An
amazing group of friends that didn’t hesitate to drag him to all kinds of places just to have a little
bit of fun. People who he knew he could rely on, if anything happened-

His life was only getting better as more time passed.

His sleeping problems had improved tremendously. So much so that not a day went by without
getting at least four to five hours of good sleep. The marks on his body from when he had used
corruption had almost completely faded away. His headaches had stopped tormenting him. Same
with the flashbacks that still plagued his mind but not with the same intensity as before.

Both his physical and mental health was in excellent shape.

Even his career as a detective was going great.

He had become the spokesman of the ADA after a long conversation with the president and
Kunikida and Ranpo. And he was also mentoring two teams at the same time. The team consisting
of Atsushi and Akuatagawa. And the Agency’s newest partnership, Kyoka and Kenji. All the
meanwhile, he was also growing his own catalog of resolved cases.

He really had it all. So why-

Ungrateful

Why couldn’t he be satisfied?

People would kill to be in his position. To be comfortable enough as to have a home, and food, and
money, and a good job, and friends and good health- They would kill to have a good life.

And Chuuya was taking it all for granted.

Ungrateful

NO.

No.

That was notwhat he was doing.

Taking something for granted means that you think a certain situation will last forever, so you put
minimal to no effort in order to sustain it.

Chuuya was not doing that.

He knew all too well what it was like to live on the streets without a roof over your head. And he
knew how it felt when your stomach was twisting into knots and your whole body was shaking
because you hadn’t eaten in days. And he knew the immense pain that loneliness could bring to
one's heart-

So no.

He never took anything he had for granted. On the contrary, everyday, he fought his hardest to
make sure that he could keep it all. His job at the Agency that was paying the bills for the house,
and the food. His friends- who he showed he cared about in various subtle ways. Even his health-
he had started to take a lot better care of it.

After witnessing all the other versions of his life, taking this one for granted would be plain
insulting to all his other selves.
It would be as unforgiving as eating a steak in front of a child that was dying out of hunger. That’s
what it would feel like.

Because among all worlds and all versions of himself, he was the lucky one.

The one that had a life that the other’s couldn’t even dream of.

And although he knew that, he still had the audacity to feel unsatisfied.

Why?

Because a certain brunette was no longer in his life?

Please.

If any other version of himself could see him, he would spit at his face without a second's thought,
before proceeding to curse him out and call him all kinds of names, and honestly, Chuuya would
understand it. Would endorse it, even.

He had what most would consider a perfect life and yet-

He rolled over from his bed and stood up, his feet already carrying him to the kitchen before he
could even think of grabbing his phone from the nightstand and checking the time.
As he walked to the kitchen, in an attempt to distract himself from the thoughts that were already
creeping into his mind, he counted the footsteps it took him to get there.
Eight.
Like the years he had known—"

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

He neared the threshold and placed his hand on the wall, searching for the switch. Once he found
it, he flipped it. It became apparent, however, very soon, that no light was coming out from the
lightbulb above his head.

He let out an exaggerated sigh before heading to the hall cabinet to see if there were any spare light
bulbs inside. After opening the compartment door and rummaging through bags filled to the brim
with all kinds of household items, he realized he had to go to the store to buy a new one. And a few
more for backup, so if the same thing happened again, he wouldn't have to make another trip.

Since there was no artificial light, and there wouldn't be until after work, he directed himself
towards the balcony door and the curtains in front of the glass. With one swift movement of his
hand, he pulled both fabrics to the side and tied them off to the wall, allowing the early light to
finally enter the room.

He passed through the threshold of the Kitchen, and he looked at the clock, conveniently located
right above the stove. He wouldn't need to be at work for a few more hours, so he figured he’d treat
himself to a nice, rich breakfast.

He opened the fridge and from inside, he grabbed a bottle of cold water and the ingredients he
would need for the meal he had in mind. Thinking that some fish and tamagoyaki would help
better balance that meal, before closing the door, he also took out some eggs and the few pieces of
salmon he had already cut down the previous day.

He placed all the ingredients on the counter before reaching for the cabinets installed right above
the stove and taking out some bowls, a frying pan, and whatever other utensil he would need.

Once he had everything ready to go, he got down to work.

Twenty minutes later, he was sitting down at the table, rejoicing as he ate his rice, and miso soup
accompanied by some grilled salmon and tamagoyaki.

Twenty one minutes later, he was looking at the empty chair opposite to his own, debating on
whether he should throw himself off the balcony or not.

It was so stupid.

Letting one thought ruin his entire day before it had even begun.

No, it wasn't just stupid, it was pathetic—beyond pathetic. And what made it worse was the fact
that he knew it. That he was aware.

And unfortunately for him, there was no escaping that painful self-awareness. That crushing
realization of how utterly ridiculous it was to allow someone's absence to shatter every single good
moment he experienced.

It felt like he was trapped in a vicious cycle, with every happy memory tainted by the shadow of
Dazai’s absence. It was as if a dark cloud followed him wherever he went, obscuring the light that
should have illuminated his life. Each time he spoke, each time he laughed, there it was, that
nagging feeling in his chest that told him that since Dazai was not there because of him, he
shouldn't be allowed to be content.

Time and time again, he had questioned himself, wondering why he allowed those feelings- this
heartache- to consume him so completely. Moving on with his life after losing people he had once
believed would have been part of it forever was something he had unfortunately learned to do from
a very young age. It was the way he had lived his life.

So why was it so different this time?

He pushed the plates and the bowls full of food, as far as he could from him, and stood up.
His appetite was gone.

He couldn’t keep living like this.

More than a year and a half had passed since Dazai had left his life. He couldn’t continue to live
everyday thinking that the man was going to be home before nightfall. Because he wasn’t. And
Chuuya had to come to terms with it. He had to accept that no matter how much he wanted to, he
couldn’t stand and wait for Dazai to return.

Not that he was doing that now — he wasn’t ‘waiting’ for Dazai to return, of course not, but he
wasn’t moving on from him either.

At least not in the way that he should be.

Sure, he wasn’t stuck inside the house drinking his pain away, crying everyday for twenty five
hours straight until he passed out, but still-

Staring at an empty chair, wishing it was occupied instead, could not be considered healthy.

He had to do something about it.

He had to do something to help his mind move on. Something to help his heart move on.
Something to make that awful longing subside.

He got out of the shower, put on some clean clothes, his shoes, grabbed his coat and left.

He opened the door and stepped inside the office, expecting to be greeted by the voices of Atsushi
and Akutagawa fighting, as it was the usual every morning. To his surprise, he was met with
silence.

Wanting to know why that was, he cast a quick glance towards their offices as he was heading to
his own, hoping to find them and solve the little mystery that had been created.
Almost immediately, he spotted Atsushi sitting on the ledge of the window behind his desk. For a
second, he wondered why he was sitting there, instead of his chair, but then his eyes fell on Kyoka,
who was occupying said chair and he understood.

From what he could see, the girl seemed to be asking him a question, And judging by the
momentary glance she shot the empty desk next to them, he figured it was safe to assume that her
question had to do with the boy that was nowhere in the room.

Chuuya could see Atsushi’s expression change then. For a moment, he looked sad. But then that
moment passed, and he was smiling again, answering her. Since the boy could be seen clearly,
Chuuya had no problem reading his lips and understanding what he was saying.

As it turned out, Kyoka had indeed asked Atsushi about Akutagawa. More specifically, of his
whereabouts. It didn’t come as much of a surprise to Chuuya that Atsushi had actually been aware
of Akutagawa's plans.
According to him, Akutagawa, having witnessed all the surprise parties the Agency had thrown for
its members, had wanted to do something similar for his sister, Gin. So for that reason, he had
asked the President to give him a day off. Additionally, he had also invited Atsushi over to his
house, earlier that very morning, before work, so he could help him make her a birthday cake, and
to get some other things he needed for the occasion.

Kyoka listened to Atsushi with her undivided attention, as he continued to explain Akutagawa’s
plans and the preparations the two of them had made.

‘’ Oh, Nakahara,’’ It would seem like Kunikida had finally noticed him being there. ‘’ Good
morning.’’ The man greeted, landing his eyes back on the folders tainting the surface of his desk. ‘’
I see you decided to grace us with your presence today.’’ he added, shooting one glance at the
clock. ‘’ If I’m being honest, I didn’t think you’d show your face here, after being so late.’’
Chuuya tried his hardest not to roll his eyes at him. ‘’ Oh, no,’’ he deadpanned instead, throwing
himself to his chair, ‘’It’s eight o’clock and two minutes.’’ he said, making his voice quiver as if he
was actually worrying, ‘’ So much precious time lost. Whatever will we do? ‘’
Kunikida glared at him without raising his head from the papers.
‘’ I see you’re in the mood to joke around,’’ he said, completely ignoring the fact that he was the
one that started it. ‘’ Which is great, cause guess what.’’
‘’ What? ‘’
‘’ We have nothing to do,’’ Kunikida said, pushing all the papers to the side. ‘’ There is absolutely
nothing.’’ he repeated, sounding incredibly disappointed as he leaned into his chair and threw his
head back. ‘’ So we can joke around all day.’’
‘’ Oh, wow, your excitement is just contagious.’’ Chuuya said, sulking into his own chair in the
same manner as the other man.
‘’It’s not my fault,’’ Kunikida replied, trying to explain himself. ‘’ I much prefer it when there is
work to be done.’’ he said, ‘’ that’s all. Even when I’m at my house, I make it so that I have as
many tasks to complete as possible. Take out the trash, wash all the dishes in the sink, do the
laundry, iron all the clothes, clean around, etc etc. It’s so much more fun than sitting on a couch,
doing nothing.’’
Chuuya looked at him with raised eyebrows.
‘’ Have you ever heard of this thing called relaxing? ‘’
‘’ Yes. But I don’t call it relaxing. I call it, rewarding myself with a nice report at the end of the
day, and by marking future events on my calendar.’’
‘’ Huh,’’ Chuuya turned his head towards his computer screen, wanting to hide his disapproval. ‘’
I see.’’

He figured since they had no work for the time being, he could try and be productive in other
ways, So without wasting more time, he opened up a new tab on his computer and started typing
on the search bar.
Soon enough, his screen was filled with images of houses and apartments alike. There were old
wooden houses up for sale, along with newly renovated houses available for purchase or rent.
There were even some apartments in some nearby complexes and a few surprisingly affordable
condos.

He clicked on a few listings that seemed to match what he was looking for, compared some of the
prices, and even went ahead and read some of the provided information before ultimately closing
all the tabs.

" Are you looking for a house, sir? " Kyoka approached his desk from behind, her voice soft and
curious.
" I think so? " Chuuya answered her, sounding uncertain.
" Did something happen to your current place? " the girl inquired, tilting her head.
" Termites."

For some reason he was not aware of, that was the first thing that popped into his mind.

" Termites? " The girl echoed, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion.
" Yes, and ants, and various other bugs." Chuuya added, still unsure why he was mentioning all
this.
" That's unlucky." Kyoka remarked, "It's not very common for apartments, especially those not on
ground level, to get infested."
" It's not huh? "
" No. But then again, termites do travel through walls, and I remember you mentioning your
apartment isn't that high off the ground... "
" Yeah, well too bad for me, I guess." Chuuya laughed, " Because of the termite infestation in the
building, the landlord wants all tenants to evacuate their apartments for two weeks so that the pest
control can do their job. I figured, since I will have already packed all of my things, I'll use the time
to see if I can find a new place."
Kyoka considered his answer.
" And where are you planning to stay during that time? "

Oh, for fuck's sake. Why did kids have to be so curious?

" I was thinking about-

" Wait, hold on, you need a place to stay? " Kunikida interrupted, looking at the both of them from
his desk. " Why didn't you say anything? "
" I don't—
" What's that I'm hearing? " Ranpo chimed in, approaching their workspace. " Nakahara, you need
a place to crash at? "
" No, I—
‘’ And you didn’t tell us? ‘’
‘’ Yes, because I don’t-
" Oi, Poe," Ranpo called out, wanting to get the attention of the man sitting by his desk.
" Yes? " The man answered in a lowered voice.
" Would you mind if Nakahara stayed at your house for a couple of weeks? "

Lying, Chuuya reminded himself, only lands you in trouble.

How?

How could a nobody become an Executive so fast?

Dazai kept pacing his office, his thoughts consumed by the desire to know how in the world had
that man managed to climb up the Mafia ladder that quickly.

A few months ago, he was a nobody, a low ranked member that was merely following orders,doing
all the dirty work for the ones’ in charge. Now, he was an Executive candidate?
How? The time frame was simply too small. Too small for him to get acquainted with the right
people. Too small for him to pull all the right strings. Too small for the Boss to even acknowledge
his presence in the organization, let alone to consider him as a candidate?

Not even Dazai had managed that in such a short time, and he was, well, Dazai. Mori’s apprentice.
The Demon Prodigy. The Youngest Executive in the History of the Port Mafia.
Even listing half of his titles would take longer than it took the boy to become an Executive
candidate.

It made no sense.

Mori wouldn’t make anyone an Executive if he weren’t one hundred and one percent certain it was
the right call. And Kouyou wouldn’t accept it if she herself, weren’t a hundred and two percent
sure. So how could the two most untrustful people Dazai had ever met in his entire life, both be so
convinced that making the man an Executive was in the best interest of the Organization?

There was only one logical answer.

Oscar was an ability user.

And his ability was to influence people’s opinions about him.

It was the only thing that could explain how Mori, Mori out of all people, had fallen prey to his
charisma. It was an ability. Simple as that. Oscar’s charisma was nothing more than an ability.
That’s why it didn’t work on Dazai. Because Dazai was immune to all abilities. It made perfect
sense.

But if that theory of his was true, it raised the question-

Why?

If the man had such a strong ability, why waste it on an organization like the Port Mafia? Why not
aim higher? If he could influence people’s opinions of him, he could very easily get whatever he
wanted. So why waste time infiltrating the Port Mafia, a place that could not offer him that much in
comparison? Could he have another reason in his mind? A more personal one, Dazai could never
have known of? Or perhaps there was something about the Port Mafia that Oscar found intriguing
or valuable beyond just personal gain? Maybe he had a hidden agenda or a past that was
intertwined with the organization in some way or-

Dazai's mind spiraled as he considered all the different possibilities.

If Oscar was capable of manipulating one’s perception of him, just how far could he take it?
Could he-

His train of thought was derailed by a sudden knock on the door.

As he walked towards the entrance of his office he wondered who it could be. Maybe Higuchi
delivering another report? Or perhaps Tachihara, wanting to ask him to take the day off? Or-

‘’ Osamu, sir. Good evening. May I have a word? ‘’

Think of the Devil and the Devil will appear.

‘’ Mister, Wilde, please, come in.’’

His conversation with Oscar had solidified it.

The man had an ulterior motive.

And though Dazai didn’t know what it was yet, he would bet good money that it was something
big.

It had to be.

Otherwise, Oscar wouldn’t need to become an Executive.

He wouldn’t need to get into Dazai’s good side.
He wouldn’t have to-

Desperately craving a few moments of peace, Dazai stood up from his desk and walked towards
the window, his eyes landing on the same spot they always did, before he could even have the
chance to recognize what used to be there. Used to be, because now, due to the black tint over the
glass, behind it was nothing but darkness.

Maybe on a good day, and if the sun was shining bright enough, some vague shapes of the most
recognizable buildings could be discerned, but that was all. Apart from a few disfigured shadows,
there was nothing else Dazai could see anymore.

But that was fine by him.

Having grown up inside that office, and having stared outside that very window thousands of times
before, the view of the city had been burned into his mind.

He could point with his finger at whatever direction of the glass he wanted, and it wouldn't take
him longer than a couple of seconds to recall the view with perfect clarity.

For example, if he pointed at the center but slightly off to the left, there would be Yokohama’s
Ferris Wheel. And if he moved his finger to the right, at least half the distance between the Ferris
wheel and the floor, there he would find one of the greenest parks of the city. And if he moved his
finger just another inch to the right, there he would find the building he had once called his home.

For a second, and only for a second, Dazai allowed his thoughts to go elsewhere.
To go to a place he could not.

For a second, he pushed aside every other meaningless intrusion, and wondered about what each
member of the Detective Agency would be doing-
Would Kunikida be writing another report? Most probably. And would Ranpo be eating his snacks
seated on his desk, criticizing everything going on inside the office? Oh, for that he was certain,
And he imagined Poe would be there as well, sitting somewhere close to Ranpo, listening to him as
he rambled on and on. And he could picture Yosano with her arms crossed, leaning against the
door frame of the infirmary, like she always did, supervising the office with the faintest smile on
her face. And Kenji and Kyoka, Would they be a team by now? Since all the other members were
partnered up, it would only be logical. With their abilities being complementary to each other, and
their age being the same, Dazai could not see why that wouldn’t be the case. And Atsushi- What
would Atsushi be doing? Knowing that boy he would either be running off to help whichever
member had asked for his assistance, or he would be arguing with Akutagawa about the most
pointless of things.
Akutagawa…

What would he be doing? Maybe he would not be at the office at all.

It was his sister’s birthday. Dazai imagined that after having experienced some parties hosted by
the ADA, the boy would want to do something similar for her. Or maybe not.
Maybe he was completely wrong, and Akutagawa would, in fact, be inside the Agency, arguing
with Atsushi about whether black was a color or not.

And Chuuya-
What would his-

Dazai needed to learn more. About the man, about his connections to the Mafia—if he had any—,
about his family, and his close friends, and his previous jobs- Anything he could find about him,
he would take it. For knowledge was power, and the more you knew about your opponent the
easier your victory became. So if he wanted to win, Dazai would have to learn whatever he could
about him— Who was Oscar Wilde? What exactly was his ability? When had his first encounter
with the Mafia had occurred? Why had he chosen to use his gift to become an Executive in the
Organization? Where-

Another knock on the door interrupted his spiral.

This time around however, underneath the door frame, stood not Oscar, but Tachihara.

‘’ Boss-

Dazai had already slammed the door in his face before the boy had even finished the word.

He was being rude, he knew, but there were far more pressing matters that demanded his attention
than Tachihara wanting to get off work so he could go and surprise Gin.

If Oscar could really manipulate people's perceptions of him, he would surely be skilled at hiding
his true intentions and background. And if that was the case, then there was only one person who
Dazai knew could help him in gathering information inaccessible by most.

So now, he needed to figure out a way to bypass the contract he had with Mori and get in touch
with Ango. He needed to figure out a way to-

The knocking continued to reverberate inside the room, making it impossible for him to focus on
anything else other than the vexing sound.

Wanting to put an end to his suffering, Dazai walked back to the door, his hand clenching the
doorknob tightly as he turned it.
‘’ Yes.’’ he answered sharply, giving the boy no chance to speak. ‘’ You can have the day off, but
if you bother me again-
‘’ I won’t.’’ the boy cut him off, his voice stern. ‘’ I prom-

The door and Tachihara’s face, once again, met.

Five hours had passed, and yet Dazai remained confined inside his office, still sitting on top of his
desk with his legs crossed, tapping a pen rhythmically against his lips, as he tried his hardest to
come up with yet another impossible plan that would save the world.

With one quick movement of his left hand, he picked up one of the papers lying closest to him, and
stared at it, trying to understand what he had written on it mere moments ago. He realized that
although he could still read the text, the task was much more challenging than it should be. He
blamed the five hours of non-stop writing. It had messed up his wrist so bad, that his letters had
now started to look more like caricatures of themselves, rather than formulated words.

Even so, he brought down his pen and he continued to scribe upon the page, trying to make the
words he was writing catch up to the thoughts that were being conceived inside his head.

It was impossible.

His mind was working on overdrive and he could not slow it down. The only thing he could do was
try to catch up with it. But catching up with thoughts that were all over the place, everywhere and
anywhere all at once, was not an easy thing to do.
Which meant that the stacks upon stacks of papers scattered throughout the room, contained
nothing more but incoherent thoughts written down in a desperate attempt to be ‘saved ’ for later.

In other words, nothing of actual substance or value.

So why was he even writing them?

Because he didn’t trust his brain.

Not anymore. After failing to predict how Fyodor would move, he no longer trusted himself as
much as he once had. He did not have the same unwavering confidence in his skills or intellect.
Sure, he was more than smart, and definitely more than capable of neutralizing a global threat, but
when it had mattered the most, he had failed. And because of that, he would never have the same
trust in himself.

So not only would he continue to write down every thought he had until his hand had started to
bleed, but he would also read all of it after he was done to make sure he had accounted for
everything.

Everything.

He would neither eat nor rest, not until he had written down every possibility he could think of.
Not until he had enough strategies planned out to consider his plan foolproof.
Making the same mistake a second time was not something he would allow himself to do. He
would not let anyone outsmart him ever again, especially not a delusional boy like Oscar, thinking
he could get what he wanted that easily.

Oscar Wilde - That boy was the threat he would have to neutralize.

He hadn’t done anything yet, but that did not mean Dazai could rest as he waited for him to strike.
No, he could not afford to wait for the move to be made. He had to find out what his move was
going to be before it could happen. Yes. That was the only way he could get a head start- Figuring
his plan out before it could ever be set in motion.

It was easier said than done, but unfortunately, it had to be done.

And it had to be done by him.

Because, for better or worse, definitely for worse because that precognition of his had only ever
caused him trouble, he was the only person that knew when a storm was about to hit. Which meant
that he was also the only person that could influence the impact it would have when it eventually
arrived.

Had he ever wanted to have that responsibility? No. But for some god-forsaken reason, whenever
something massive was about to happen, he always got this peculiar feeling on his chest, that
persisted until the threat had finally revealed itself.
It was odd. When Fitzgerald had come to Yokohama, or even when Fyodor had set foot inside the
city, it wasn't just the knowledge Dazai had possessed about the two of them that had warned him
they were bad news. No, there had been something else—a feeling. But not a gut feeling or a
particular emotion. No. It was more like a strange sixth sense that had warned him?

Whatever it was, whenever trouble was coming, Dazai always knew.

This was one of the things he had never understood about himself and thus had never shared with
anyone else – one of the many mysteries that comprised him.

He set his pen aside and raised his head, his eyes traveling to the door at the far end of the room.
Though faint, the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. It was a matter of time before-

Ah, there it was.

Another person knocking on his door. The third for the day. Could it be Higuchi? Perhaps finally
arriving with the report he had requested since yesterday? Or was it Oscar once again? Making
another attempt to establish a closer connection?

He pushed some of the papers on his desk down to the floor before standing up and going to the
door.

As it would seem, that damn report would not be joining his stacks tonight.

‘’ Hirotsu, sir, to what do I owe the pleasure? ‘’

The man looked at Dazai with knitted eyebrows, his confusion painted across his face.
‘’ Is everything alright, boy? ‘’ he asked, not trying to hide his concern.
Now it was Dazai’s turn to look at him confused. ‘’ Everything is fine.’’ he replied with not much
sentiment. ‘’ Why wouldn’t it be? ‘’
‘’ Tachihara said he saw Oscar leaving your office earlier and that you were in a foul mood after
his departure.’’
‘’ Is that all? ‘’
‘’ And also, you didn't show up to the meeting, so I-
‘’ Oh, fuck.’’ Dazai had completely forgotten all about that meeting ‘’ I hadn’t meant to be absent.
’’ he said, trying to make up an excuse for his negligence. ‘’ I got caught up with-
‘’ Work, yes, I can see that…’’ Hirotsu offered, his eyes curiously scanning the floor of the office.
‘’ Why do you have so many papers just-
‘’ Was there anything I should know about, discussed at the meeting? ‘’ Dazai asked, derailing the
conversation.
‘’ Well, since our Boss was not present and we were unable to reach him, we decided it would be
better for everyone if we postponed the meeting for, say, tomorrow? That is if it works for you.’’
‘’ Tomorrow…’’ Dazai echoed, buying some time to remember whether he had anything scheduled
for the next day. ‘’ Certainly. Let’s make it— Wait, no. There’s an Executive meeting happening
tomorrow.’’ Even momentarily, how could ha have forgotten about that?
‘’ And Mori said it was going to take a while, so the only time I’ll be available will be after the
morning mission and before that.’’
‘’ So I’m assuming five o’clock could work well? ‘’
‘’ Five o’clock it is.’’

There was a long pause after that, awkward for them both. Dazai figured he would be the one to
break the silence.

‘’ Is there anything else? ‘’ he asked out of courtesy, not wanting to ask the older man to leave his
door.
‘’ Actually there is.’’ Hirotsu replied, his hands reaching into the pockets on his coat. ‘’ I figured
you wouldn't have left your office all day, so I brought you these.’’ he said, taking out two messily
wrapped triangular shaped rice balls. ‘’ It’s not a proper meal but it’s better than nothing, isn't it? ’’
‘’ Hirotsu, sir I-
‘’ And I could definitely use a cigarette break, so what do you say? Will you join this old man for
some lunch? ‘’

Dazai wouldn’t deserve Hirotsu, not in a thousand lifetimes.

‘’ I suppose I too could use a break.’’ he replied, opening the door further as an invitation for the
man to come inside. Without saying anything more, Hirotsu walked in.

Holidays were always the worst.

There was nothing Chuuya hated more than when memories of his other lives suddenly resurfaced
unprovoked, during a holiday dinner or a celebratory outing. Nothing.
He could be laughing with his friends white ordering a second round of drinks, and then suddenly,
without any warning, he would freeze in the middle of saying something, and he would be forced
to relive, simultaneously, another, most times, vastly different experience than the one he was
having. One he had already ‘lived’ in a way, but also not.

And although he had gotten a lot better at keeping his calm and finding excuses for the long pauses
he made when those episodes hit him, the shock and overwhelm he felt each time had remained
just as intense. Especially when it came to memories that had been formed on specific holidays or
special days.

The worst of the worst for him were, Christmas, New Year’s, Birthdays, Tanabata, April Fool’s,
and of course, because the universe hated him, the most stupid of them all, Valentine’s Day.

Why—Oh, why did that one life of his, had to have experienced an actual romantic Valentine’s
Day? Why couldn’t that Chuuya have been like the rest? Why couldn't he have been indifferent to
that marketing-scheme of a holiday? If he had not cared as much, then maybe Chuuya wouldn’t be
agonizing all throughout the day, now. But noooo, it had to have happened once. And of course, it
had to have happened with him.
‘’ I’m clocking out for tonight.’’ Chuuya said, taking out some money from his wallet, placing it
on the table. ‘’ I haven’t drank this much in a little while and so it's messing with my head.’’ he
added as an afterthought, thinking he needed to provide some sort of excuse to leave.
‘’ Sure,’’ Yosano remarked, not fully convinced that he was telling the truth, but also not
overbearing enough to confront him and ask him about the real reason he was leaving so early in
the night. ‘’ Just be careful riding that thing.’’ she advised, instead, grabbing a bottle from the table
and refilling her glass.
‘’ And you be careful with that.’’ Chuuya countered, looking at the two other bottles put away.
‘’ I won’t let her drink all of it.’’ Kunikida assured him, looking at Yosano and then at Chuuya. ‘’
You have my word.’’
Chuuya thought about turning the man’s answer into a joke, but quickly refrained.

Even opening his mouth seemed like too much work, so he settled for a simple wave of his hand as
he was exiting through the door.

Valentine’s Day was truly the worst.

He took off his shoes and his jacket, placed the basket Kenji had given him on top of the drawer,
and threw himself to the couch.
He thought returning to the apartment would feel weird after spending two weeks inside of Poe’s
mansion.
It did not. On the contrary, it felt right.

He still could not believe that there was a universe out there where he and Dazai had actually gone
out on a date on Valentine’s day. It simply seemed like too much. But a flashback of that ‘date’ had
hit him earlier in the morning, so really, he could not deny the fact that it had happened. The
flashbacks weren’t fake, as much as he wanted them to be. They were simply not his. The same
went for that date. It wasn’t that it hadn’t happened, it was that it had not happened to him.
Unfortunately, because of the impact the book still had on his life, it felt as if it had happened to
him. And it was such an awful and cruel feeling, because due to everything that had happened,
unlike those two in that world, he and Dazai had never had the chance to go out on a date. Much
less on a Valentine Date.
Not that he would have wanted that. No. Absolutely not. Going out with Dazai? On dates? Yeah,
no. Even the thought- Even the thought upset him. But not for the reasons he pretended it did
inside his head.

He turned his body so that his back would be touching the pillows on the couch. Then, he turned
his head so that his eyes would be aligned with the TV screen placed on the wall. He thought about
putting on a movie to try and distract himself.

Something about watching everyone at the Agency experience a happy Valentine's had made his
insides twist in envy, not for any other reason, than it felt like they were rubbing salt in a wound
that had not yet fully healed.
Chuuya had never cared much about the holiday, but for a very brief time frame after Dazai had
lost his ability and before everything had gone south, he had allowed himself to anticipate it. To
entertain thoughts even, about celebrating it. And it was stupid and foolish, and so incredibly
unlike him, but that's just how it was. He couldn’t control those kinds of thoughts and feelings, no
matter how much he wished he could.
So yeah, after having built that anticipation, and then having his hopes crash-land hard on the
ground, seeing others being so carefree and happy during that day, made him jealous.

He took the remote, turned on the TV and started searching through lists of movies, trying to
decide on what he should put on to watch. By accident, he landed on the kid’s list. More
specifically, on a movie he had not seen in years.

If it weren’t for the ache in his heart, Chuuya would have found the day to have been incredible.
Definitely one of the best and most interesting days in the office so far. So many things had
happened, Chuuya had trouble telling which little story had been his favourite to witness.

The story of how Atsushi had come first as the most wanted in the Agency? The story of
Akutagawa’s secret but not so secret admirer? The story of how Kunikida had accidentally scored a
date for Valentine’s? Or the story of the Bet that had almost set the building aflame?

The day had been eventful, to say the least.

Chuuya pressed the play button on his remote and then let go of it.

It had started off as any other normal day, but the moment the first box of chocolates had been
given away, the whole atmosphere had changed drastically. In an instant, Naomi had left her
position on her desk she was sharing with Haruno, and was singing and dancing, happily hanging
paper hearts all around the office, all while going on a rant about how thankful she was for her
brother she sooo much adored. Tanizaki had looked like he had wanted to disappear. Which
Chuuya had found to be completely understandable.

But yes, Tanizaki’s kind gesture of simply giving Naomi a box of chocolates had, much like the lie
Chuuya had told two weeks prior, avalanched into something a lot bigger. Soon, after Tanizaki’s
brave introduction to the day, everyone had started to follow suit with their own plans, the first to
do so, having been Atsushi.

With a wide smile on his face, the boy had taken out of his bag one chocolate box for each member
of the Agency, saying that he was thankful and grateful for every single person he had gotten to
know over the time he had worked for the ADA, which also had included Lucy, who was still
working downstairs at the Cafe, and Poe, who was, of course, present in the room.
Everyone had thought of the gesture as something sweet that had perfectly reflected the boy’s
heart– everyone but Akutagawa, who had seemed to not really appreciate getting handed a box of
chocolates so abruptly and for ‘no good reason’.

Had seemed, because later it had been revealed that had not been the case at all.
The next one to follow through with her plan for the day had been Lucy, who, very bravely, had
come to the office while still on her break, to give Atsushi a chocolate cake she had baked herself.
Atsushi had insisted she’d stay for a little while longer so she too could have a piece of it. Lucy
hadn’t needed much persuasion to accept his offer. She had found a chair, and she had sat down
next to Atsushi, rejoicing as the boy cut down the cake to pieces, so they could share it with
everyone.

The next to receive a Valentine’s gift had been Yosano, who had been flooded by an enormous
wave of flowers and chocolates being sent to the office for her, from various patients she had
treated over the years. Eventually, that flood of presents had become so incredibly big, Kunikida
had had to relocate every bouquet and every box inside the archive
room, so that the Agency members could move freely inside the office.

By far, the most unexpected display of affection, however, had been Akutagawa’s secret admirer
who had not hesitated to climb up the entire Agency building so she could reach the window
located just behind Akutagawa’s desk and simply place on top of it, her own present for the boy.
Without saying anything to him, without leaving a card behind, and without being seen by anyone.
Well, anyone but Chuuya.
Chuuya had been the only person that had caught even a glimpse of Higuchi as she had infiltrated
the office. The woman was simply too good at her job. Soundless as a mouse, and quick as a cat.
She had gotten in, had done what she had wanted, and had left without raising a single head to look
at her.
Chuuya had thought that the gesture had very nicely illustrated Higuchi and her development as a
person after Akutagawa’s departure from the Port Mafia. The woman had not made Valentine’s
into a big deal, going out of her way to come to the Agency unannounced and express her affection
towards the boy in what would be a rather awkward interaction for all the other people. No. She
had done it in a way that had neither revealed her identity nor caused any trouble or discomfort for
Akutagawa. She hadn’t even stayed to watch his reaction. That alone, told Chuuya everything.
Higuchi still held affection for Akutagawa, but not in the same all consuming-obsessive way, as
she once did. No. The kind of affection she was displaying now, was something entirely different.
Something a lot healthier.
Even if he had never been close with the woman, he couldn’t help but be glad for her and her
progress.

Before the day had ended, Atsushi had received two more Valentine’s presents. A chocolate in the
shape of a tiger, Kyoka had made with the assistance of Demon Snow, and a box of smaller
chocolates Akutagawa had thrown at his face, unprovoked. Atsushi had had no problem thanking
Kyoka and sharing with her how wonderful her gift was, but when it had come to Akutagawa, it
had not been as easy.

The boy had thrown the box at Atsushi’s face with such force that it had bruised his nose. And
when Atsushi had opened the said death box, he had found that the smaller chocolates inside,
shaped like little tigers, had been missing their legs. Chuuya, who had been sitting next to him
when that had happened. He had tried his hardest to contain his laughter.

On one hand, a gift was a gift no matter what it was, and Atsushi should be thankful for that. On
the other hand, the said gift had broken his nose and had given him chills when he had opened it. It
was no wonder why the boy had seemed so perplexed as he had pondered over what his reaction
should be.

Akutagawa had gone out of his way to get him something for the day, even if it had obviously been
just a distasteful joke. Atsushi should still thank him for doing that.
Chuuya had watched as Atsushi had made several attempts during the day to express his gratitude
to the other boy. It had been quite entertaining to watch Akutagawa shut down every single attempt
at communication, finding the weirdest of excuses as to why he could not talk at the moment.

It had been as entertaining as watching Ranpo and Poe stealing Atsushi’s chocolates from right
under his nose, and sharing them with each other while also trying to get Kunikida to realize that
going out with a woman for a cup of coffee on Valentine’s Day was definitely a date. Kunikida had
tried hard to convince them that it was not. Ranpo and Poe had had a blast, countering all his points
and messing with him.

But undoubtedly, the best moment for Chuuya had been when Kenji had disappeared from the
office for a while, only to come back later with a dozen or so chickens. When he had been asked
about them, he had simply shrugged his shoulders, starting handing out one to each member of the
Agency, stating that was how Valentine’s Day was celebrated in his village.

Chuuya tried hard to drown every other thought circling his head and concentrate on the movie
playing on the TV.

To his dismay, the sound of the chicken clucking from the hallway, proved to be far too distracting

‘’ I’ll also need you to take care of the shipments that are to deck tonight and make sure that
everything will be transported to the 13th Warehouse as soon as possible. Standing by the entrance
of the warehouse, you’ll find an outside business partner of mine, to whom you will give the key
code for the inner Vault. He has already acquired clearance from me, so no one will question him
if they see him there. Your job is to give him the code, and trail him. Once he is finished with his
tasks, I’ll need you to return here, and give me a report on everything he did and of everything he
did not, but should have.’’
‘’ Is that all? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’

Dazai nodded once before turning his head to the door, and starting to walk towards it.
Before he could cover even half the distance, the Boss’s unpleasant voice was heard once more.

‘’ Oh, and Dazai,’’

‘’ Yes? ‘’

‘’ You have my condolences.’’

That was enough to push him over the edge.

‘’ Your condolences? ‘’ Dazai echoed, a dark amusement in his voice as he turned to face him. ‘’
Your condolences?‘’ like a broken record he repeated, a chuckle escaping his lips. ‘’ Mori, sir,
please- pretending like you didn’t plan for this outcome is plain insulting.’’
‘’ Look, I know how much that man meant to you,’’ Mori continued unbothered, ignoring him so
he could finish his little speech. ‘’ Hirotsu was-
‘’ Oh, don’t you dare speak his name.’’ The words came out hurried and on top of each other but
that was the last thing Dazai cared about. ‘’ That man was your most loyal subordinate.’’ he stated,
the disgust in his voice painfully audible, ‘’ He was with the Mafia before you ever stepped foot
inside these halls.’’ his voice grew unsteady.
‘’ Osamu-
‘’ He had dedicated his entire life to this organization.’’ Dazai continued, each sentence hurting
him more than the last. ‘’ Had spend years upon years by your side.’’
‘’ I understand that you’re upset-
‘’ Upset? ‘’ Dazai laughed, and it was an empty laugh. A laugh devoid of any feeling a human
could have. ‘’ Why would I be upset? ‘’ he asked, his eyes boring into the man’s soul. ‘’ Because
you killed the only person that had never asked anything out of me? ‘’ he offered, his teeth
showing as his grin grew wider and wider, ‘’ Because you killed someone, yet again, for simply
showing that they cared? ‘’ His voice remained eerily calm as he spoke. ‘’ Because no matter what
I do I-
‘’ Are you done throwing your little, childish tantrum? ‘’ The man asked, still organizing some of
the files on his desk. His indifference to him making everything more painful. ‘’ Or are you
planning to continue tossing around baseless accusations until you can satisfy whatever narrative
you have created inside your head? ‘’
Baseless?
‘’ Baseless? ‘’ Dazai laughed again, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood.‘’ This whole
situation reeks of you.’’ he said, unable to contain his anger. ‘’ I don’t need proof to know that the
one behind it was you .’’
‘’ So what if I were? ‘’ There it was again, that dangerous glint in his eyes that had caused Dazai to
lose his sleep forever. ‘’ What if I did kill him? ‘’ Mori challenged, keeping his voice leveled. His
eyes on him ‘’ What will you do then, my boy? ‘’

My boy

The urge to grab him by the collar and beat him until his face was unrecognizable and the blood
loss had killed him, was too strong at that moment.

‘’ You have no-

‘’ I warned you, didn’t I? ‘’ Mori’s tone suddenly shifted. His forced disinterest transforming into
cold factuality. ‘’ To get attached is to become weak."

Another conversation flashed before Dazai's eyes then, a conversation that had taken place a little
less than a year ago.

" It was the first thing I tried to teach you…A shame that knowledge never took root.’’ The man
shook his head slowly as he considered the boy standing in front of him. ‘’ Time and time again,
you have disappointed me Dazai.’’
‘’ Well, that makes us two.’’
‘’ Perhaps I’ve given you too much freedom, don’t you think? ’’ Mori said unprompted, surprising
even Dazai. ‘’ Maybe it would be better for all of us if it became harder for you to make such big
decisions.’’

Dazai’s eyes stayed on him as he spoke.

‘’ I’m not relieving you of your position as an Executive, but I firmly believe that putting some
restrains in your actions would benefit this organization.’’
Dazai had to remind himself that he was no longer fifteen.

‘’ The decisions you’ve made so far have cost me greatly. I can no longer afford to turn a blind eye
and defend you.’’

He had to remind himself that he was not a helpless, scared child, but rather a fully grown adult,
capable of standing his ground.

‘’ Because of you and your decisions, I’ve lost one of my most strongest Executives, a very capable
ability user whose power was irreplaceable to our attack units, and most recently, my
organization’s most loyal member.’’

He had to remind himself, because listening to that man speak, he could not help but question if he
had ever truly grew up.

‘’ If you had not left with Chuuya, I would still have my strongest Executive laying around, waiting
for me to find a use for him. I would still be able to wedge war on whoever I wanted without
having to think of it twice.’’

If he had truly ever escaped that helplessness.

‘’ If you had not had the power to fire Ryunosuke Akutagawa, that boy would still work under my
command. His abilities would be there for me to use and exploit however I saw fit. I would still
have an unbeatable soldier on the offensive side.’’

That fear.

‘’ If you had no authorization to rewrite commands and issue your own orders-
‘’ No.’’
‘’ Hirotsu would still be alive.’’

[Link]. He would not let him do this. No. Not again.

‘’ You were the one that told me to give out the order.’’ Dazai stated, his voice factual.
‘’ Was I? ‘’ Mori asked, faking misremembering, ‘’ I was told it was a decision you made in the
heat of the moment.’’
‘’ You called my phone, and issued the command.’’
‘’ Are you sure? ‘’

Yes.
Yes he was sure.

Mori had called him, and regretfully so, he had answered, not having had any other choice.
Then Mori had given him the command and he had forwarded to Higuchi.

Dazai had only followed his orders. He had not issued new ones.

‘’ I am.’’ his voice shook.

‘’ You are clearly still affected by everything that happened, maybe you’re having trouble
recalling-
‘’ I’m not.’’
‘’ Even in our line of work, where we deal with death as frequently as we do, it’s not unusual for
our memories to get foggy with the details when we lose someone close to us.’’
‘’ My memory is serving me correct.’’ Dazai stated, his voice catching. ‘’ You called me and
issued the command, obviously planning for this exact outcome.’’
‘’ Fine, let’s say, your version is the truth. If you saw through my plan, why did you not stop it? ‘’

Dazai stared at him.

‘’ If Hirotsu was so important to you, why did you let him die? ‘’
‘’ I didn’t.’’

He felt as if not a day had passed since Mori had found him.

‘’ If you knew that order would cause his separation from the rest of the group and thus endanger
him, why did you give it, anyway? ‘’

Shut up.

‘’ I did not know that.’’

‘’ How come? ‘’

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

‘’ You deliberately left that information out when you called me to-
‘’ And you didn’t figure it out? ‘’

Stop it.

‘’ I did.’’
‘’ But by the time you did, it was too late,’’

STOP IT.

‘’ Wasn’t it? ‘’

FUCKING STOP IT.

‘’ …It was.’’

Something inside of him broke then.

He could feel it shatter into a million pieces.

‘’ So what you’re telling me is that you could have saved him, but didn’t.’’

Could feel as those pieces pierced through his insides, bleeding him dry.

‘’ Yes.’’

Mori’s smile at that moment was the single worst thing he had ever seen.

‘’ So keeping that in mind,’’

Yet it did nothing to him.

‘’ Who's the one at fault, again? ‘’

It did not anger him.

‘’ I am.’’
And it did not disgust him.

‘’ Well, I’m sorry to hear that.’’

It simply did nothing.

ONE MONTH BEFORE DAZAI LOST ALL HOPE

‘’ ~HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR

CHUUYA, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!~ ‘’
‘’ Come on, make a wish, blow the candles.’’
‘’We don’t have all day, It’s an ice-cream cake, if you aren’t quick enough it’ going to melt.’’
‘’ Well, technically it was not an ice-cream cake when-
‘’ Yeah, yeah, but I put it into the freezer by accident, so now it is one.’’

Chuuya shook his head and rolled his eyes at them before 'making a wish' and blowing out the
candles.

‘’ Oh, wow, my little Chuuya is growing up so fast.’’ Albatross said, pretending to wipe away a
tear. ‘’ Eighteen…Who would have thought he'd have survived for so long.’’ he asked, turning to
Pianoman for answers.
‘’ Well, everyone? ‘’ Pianoman offered, looking at him confused ‘’ I mean, he is Chuuya
Nakahara.’’
‘’ Strongest ability user in the entire world.’’ Lippmann said with a teasing smile, raising his glass
towards the boy’s direction.
" Youngest Executive in our organization." Doc added in, lifting his cup.
‘’ A toast then,’’ Albatross proposed, raising his own glass higher than the rest in an attempt to
beat them to it.‘’ To the worst billiard player there is! ‘’
‘’ TO CHUUYA ‘’

Chuuya tried shaking his head as violently as he could, but the images would not leave it.

‘’ I got half the cake, you guys shared the rest.’’

‘’ How the fuck is that fair? ‘’
‘’ It's fair because I'm the one that made it.’’
‘’ You are not. We all bought it together from the store ’’
‘’ Yeah, duh. But I made it into this.’’ explained Albatross, showcasing with his hands the lumpy,
almost completely melted, last piece of the cake that had remained on the plate.
Chuuya raised his eyebrows at him.
‘’ It’s seen better days, I swear.’’

He tried slamming it into a wall, with as much force as he could.

‘’ Bowling? I don’t think we’ve ever tried bowling before? ‘’ Lippman observed, the initial
surprise in his voice turning to excitement .
‘’ Wait, are you sure? ‘’ Iceman inquired, turning his head to him, ‘’ That simply can not be true,
we have gathered here for years now. There is no way we haven’t played at least one round.’’
‘’ I mean, all we ever do when we come here is drink and play pool, so-’’
" Bowling it is? "
They all nodded their heads affirmatively.
" Then, let us ask the question." Pianoman turned to all of them, squinting his eyes, " Who here has
played before? "
" I have." Lippmann answered, raising his hand. " Some co-stars of mine had invited me out with
them some years ago, so yeah, I have some experience. "
" I also have." Albatross admitted. " Took a girl to a bowling center once. One of the worst dates of
my life."
Chuuya rolled his eyes at him. The rest of the group simply ignored him, as they often did.
" And how about you Chuuya? "
The younger boy shrugged his shoulders, " Same with-
" YOU WENT THERE ON A DATE?? " Albatross gawked at him his mouth agape, " WITH A
GIRL??? ‘’
" I'VE PLAYED BEFORE." Chuuya cut him off, sharply correcting him, kicking his leg. " God,
why do you have to be so-
" WITH A GIRL??? "
Knowing Chuuya better than anyone else there, Albatross dropped to the ground, right then and
there, successfully dodging the last piece of cake that had magically been tossed at the exact spot
where his face had been seconds prior.
" HA HA, MISSED ME WITH THAT-

Like a boomerang, the cake returned, landing on his face.

" Man fell for the oldest trick in Chuuya's book." Iceman remarked in a monotone, watching as
Albatross tried to clean the frosting off his face.
" I didn't fall for it- I simply let him have his way because it's his Birthday. "
" Sure you did."

Chuuya could feel his heart racing through his shirt. He could feel his head growing dizzier.

" Sure you did." Dazai agreed, his voice as unbearable as always.
" I hate you so much."
" Sure you do." Dazai said in the same manner, the grin on his face growing.
" One day, I'll fucking kill you."
" Sure you will."

They were fifteen and they were in a mission together on some tourist-y, Japanese island. It just so
happened that it was also Chuuya's Birthday.

" This is so embarrassing."

" I know."

Dazai kept quiet as the waiters surrounding them continued to sing the happy Birthday song in a
most joyful tune. Chuuya glared at him, thinking of ways to take off his stupid 'birthday boy' hat,
and kill commit murder.
" How did you even know that it was today? ‘’
" I have my ways." Dazai dismissed the question.
" Let me guess, you sneaked into the Boss's office, found my records, and read through them? "
" You think I would spend so much time and effort just to learn something so simple about you? "
Dazai laughed, rolling his eyes. " Please, just because you would do that for me that does not mean
I-
" I WOULD NOT." Chuuya proclaimed," I don't give two shits about when your birthday is, and I
wouldn't be caught dead, sneaking inside the Boss's office."
" Fu fu, well, for your Information, if you want to plan on throwing me a surprise party or confess
your undying feelings," Chuuya made a gagging sound, pointing to his tongue. " my Birthday is on
June the 17th."
" The 19th."

Too late Chuuya realized what he had done.

" My, my-

" Shut the fuck up."
" I didn't say anything." Dazai raised his hands in defense.
" And if you value your life, you won't. "
" Good thing I don't then, cause I'm I dying to know-
Chuuya grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him down so he could meet his eyes
" You either shut the fuck up, or I throw you inside that fucking Volcano. " he said, his voice
sounding angry.
" Again, by doing that you would only be-
He let go and pushed him away with a loud sigh.
‘’ You're the worst."

Chuuya fell to his knees, clutching his chest with his hand. It felt as if his heart was about to burst
out of his body. As if his brain was on the brink of total collapse.

" You're the worst."

" Fine by me.’’ Albatross said with a shrug, ‘’ as long as my baby gets to go home without a
scratch, you can cuss me all you want.’’ he continued, dragging the ‘a’ in ‘all’ for an excessive
amount of time.
‘’ Come on, only for one ride,’’ Chuuya tried yo negotiate. ‘’ That’s all I’m asking, just one ride on
it.’’
‘’ Her, first of all. And second of all, no way in Hell, man.’’
‘’ Yeah, no. I’m not a weirdo like you. I ain’t gonna refer to a motorcycle as ‘her’ or ‘baby’,’’
Chuuya explained, making his disgust obvious.
‘’ Well, if you ain’t gonna respect her, you don’t deserve her.’’
‘’ Says the person that doesn’t even remember the names of half the girls he has hooked up with.’’
‘’ Hooked up? ‘’ Albatross gasped dramatically. ‘’ Just who do you take me for? ’’
‘’ Really, man? ‘’ Chuuya looked at him with raised eyebrows. ‘’ Okay, what was the name of the
blond girl I saw leaving your room earlier this the morning? ‘’
‘’ Damn, I was with girl this morning? ‘’ Albatross mumbled, ‘’ barely forgot.’’
‘’ SEE. That’s exactly what I mean.’’
‘’ Alright, fair point.’’
‘’ So? ‘’
‘’ The answer is still no.’’
‘’ Not even for my Birthday? ‘’ Chuuya asked, trying to persuade him by appealing to his emotion.
‘’ I had a great day so far with all of you, and I really fucking want to end it on a-
‘’ UHHHHHHH, fine.’’ Albatross sighted, defeated. ‘’ You can have her, but only for an hour. If
she’s not at home by then-
‘’ SICK.’’ exclaimed Chuuya, tossing the keys high and then catching them.
Albatross stared at him, trying to understand when, where and how, had he fallen victim of such
blatant pick pocketing.
‘’ Just don’t crash her, okay? ’’
‘’ I won’t. I promise.’’

It hadn’t even been a few seconds into the day and Chuuya was already curled up on the ground,
spasming, as flashbacks hit him relentlessly.

‘’ I won’t. I promise.’’
‘’ Good.’’ announced Kunikida, pleased with the other boy’s reply. ‘’ Now, let’s put that bottle of
wine back to the cabinet and wait for Dazai, so we can all have a nice and quiet-
‘’ I’M HERE AND I’VE BROUGHT ALCOHOL ‘’ Dazai announced, barging inside the house
with six bottles into his hand, three in each. ‘’ I HAVE VODKA, AND I HAVE WHISKEY AND
A MARTINI AND CHAMPAGNE AND WHATEVER ELSE I COULD FIND,’’ He added,
turning around so that the other two boys could see the backpack he was carrying.
‘’ GOOD.’’ Chuuya exclaimed, banging his hands on the table with much enthusiasm, before
turning to the other boy sitting next to him. ‘’ Don’t look at me like that. I promised I wouldn’t
touch that.’’ he clarified, pointing to the wine bottle Kunikida was holding. ‘’ I never said anything
about not drinking whatever Dazai brought along.’’
‘’ God, you’re both impossible.’’
‘’ Oh come on, Kuni,’’ Dazai nudged him with his elbow, before placing his hand on his shoulder
and giving him a good shake, ‘’ We’re fifteen only once.’’
‘’ Technically, neither you nor I are fifteen yet-
‘’ Oh, who cares.’’ Dazai said with a flick of his wrist. ‘’ We’re teenagers. At parties, WE-’’
He waited for Chuuya to catch up and finish the motto.
‘’ -DRINK.’’
‘’ YES. THAT’S MY MAN.’’ He exclaimed loudly, bumping his fist with Chuuya before going
for an incredibly complicated handshake.
‘’ Now, Kuni,’’ Dazai turned back to Kunikida, ‘’ How about we play monopoly, like you wanted,
BUT, instead of rent, we take shots.’’
‘’ That’s such a terrible idea.’’
‘’ OOOO, WE’RE GONNA GET SO WAISTED.’’
‘’ See, Birthday boy gets it.’’
‘’ Good lord, fine, then,’’ Kunikida gave in, knowing he had once again been defeated by the
impossible duo. ‘’ I suppose we could try playing it like that-
’’ YES. THAT’S THE SPIRIT.’’

With time, the flashbacks had subsided. They had become less frequent, less intense. So Chuuya
had very foolishly assumed that this year, things would be better than last year. He had assumed
that, since Dazai wouldn't be able to reach him, he could stay at his house for a few minutes, and
then go out and celebrate his birthday with everyone without any problems
He had assumed that, since most of the flashbacks of his birthdays had already hit him last year,
this year wouldn't be as bad. He had assumed that they wouldn't cause such damage to him. Such
pain.

But now, feeling as if his heart were being torn apart and stitched back together in a never-ending
loop, he could see just how stupid he was for having thought that.

He raised his head, and looked at the clock on the wall.

12:01

He felt as if days had passed since he had witnessed the needle striking twelve. But no. It would
seem it had only been a minute.

A minute, stretched out enough, to feel like an eternity.

He brought his knees in front of him, and put all his weight into his legs, trying to get up from the
carpeted floor. He pushed the ground with his hands, and stood up.

As he he stood there motionless, feeling disoriented, completely incapable of taking even a step
forwards, another wave of dizziness washed over him.

The room appeared to be spinning around him, as voices echoed inside his head. There were so
many things been said. So many things by so many people. All at the same time, all while he
struggled to take even a single breath.
He could hear echoes of Kouyou’s voice, and Shirase’s, and Albatross’s and Lippmann’s and
Kunikida’s and Dazai’s and- He could hear the voices of all the people he had ever met, all
melting together in one cacophony of nonsensical words and inflections.

He tried to move his hands, but every movement he made only worsened his condition. Muscles
have memories too, so even the slightest bit of movement, reminded him of another time in another
world, where he had moved in the same manner- but the movements were so minuscule and
ordinary- he had done them a million times before- so really, the end result was him shaking like
had just been electrocuted.

He hadn’t had such an episode in months.

Just when things had started to get better. Just when he had started to move on.

He looked around at his ‘new’ apartment. It seemed so foreign. But he had been living there for
close to two months now, hadn’t he? So why-

His phone rang.

Immediately his hands reached for it.

‘’ Chuuya! Happy Birthday! Ready to go out and have the best time? ‘’

He opened his mouth to answer but the words wouldn’t come out.

‘’ Chuuya? ‘’

It felt as if his whole body was on fire. As if everything inside of him had been set aflame.
As if the smoke coming from with in his body, was suffocating him
‘’ Oi, can you hear me? ‘’ he heard Yosano try, ‘’ Must be the signal. I’m hanging up. I’ll call you
again in two.’’

The line died.

Chuuya tried to let go of the phone but his shaking hand would not let him do that. So instead, he
forced it to call the number back.

‘’ I told you I’d call you in-

‘’ Yosano-’’ Her name came out sounding desperate.
‘’ Wait, Chuuya- what’s wrong? ‘’

He willed for an answer to come out of his mouth, but yet again, he found himself unable to speak.

‘’ Are you okay? ‘’

He was making her worry.

He didn’t want that.

‘’ If you don’t answer me in the next five seconds I’m coming to your house right-
‘’ Please, don’t.’’ Chuuya replied, finally able to breathe like normal. ‘’ You don’t have to, I’m
fine.’’
‘’ Are you sure? ‘’ The concern in her voice was making me nauseous. ‘’ You don’t sound fine.’’
‘’ I am, it's just- I have a headache.’’ Chuuya tried his best to breathe as quietly as he could, so that
the woman wouldn't hear his discomfort.
‘’ Like a normal one or-
‘’ Or.’’
‘’ Wait, since when-
‘’ Today.’’ Chuuya answered immediately before she could even form the question. ‘’ It’s the first
time in months, I swear, I would have told you otherwise.’’
‘’ That better be that case cause if it’s not-
‘’ It is.’’ Chuuya replied with certainty in his voice. ‘’I swear.’’
‘’ Alright.’’ Yosano chose to believe him. ‘’ So, I guess it’s a no for today? ‘’
‘’ No at all. I’m perfectly fine now. I have no problem going out.’’
‘’ You sure? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’ Chuuya confirmed, ‘’ I’m sure.’’
‘’ See you in ten? ‘’
‘’ See you then.’’

Nothing.

Dazai could do nothing.

He could sit and stare at the clock, willing it to strike twelve, but besides that, he could do nothing
else other than drown himself in alcohol as he imagined all the things he wished he could be doing
instead.

There was no loophole he could exploit this year. Nothing he could do.
But maybe that was for the best.

Maybe not being able to remind Chuuya of his existence by pulling some ludicrous plan out of thin
air just to wish him a Happy Birthday, was for the best.

Maybe Chuuya would be better off, if Dazai never interacted with him again.

Maybe he would be better off, if he could forget all about him.

Maybe anyone who had ever met him, would be.

After all, Dazai only brings but Death, to the people in his life.

He moved to the window and put his back against it, before letting his body slide down to the
ground. He turned his head and looked outside the window, at the all consuming blackness that
was staring back at him.
Perhaps it wasn't that awful that he couldn't see the night sky. The brightest star he had ever seen
wouldn't be there, that he knew. So all the others would simply pale in comparison.

He turned his head back towards the door before throwing it backwards. He stared at the ceiling,
letting his thoughts drift away from his melancholy.

There was an Executive meeting happening tomorrow. An Executive meeting where he was
supposed to convince everyone that his plan should be the one to get approved.
The fact it had even come to that point told him everything he needed to know.

Oscar's influential ability was just another thing he could do nothing about.

He could stare at him as he sat on the chair opposite to his in the Executive table, and he could find
valid points to support his claims about his plan being worse than his, but other than that, he
couldn't do anything.

Oscar's ability had charmed both Kouyou and Mori and all the other Executives. It didn't matter
what Dazai said or did. Oscar's plan would get approved before he could even pitch his.

After that man had become Executive, he had convinced everyone to turn on Dazai. Nobody would
listen to him when he tried to say something of import, and no one would give a damn about his
opinion. Not even Kouyou or Mori. They were simply too busy praising the boy, to actually listen
to Dazai and his concerns.

And Dazai would have been okay with that. Better than okay. Getting to see the Organization
crumbling down to its knees, all because of Mori's inability to listen to him?? Oh he would have
been ecstatic.

But the Port Mafia crumbling down…

He couldn't let that happen. It was written in the contract. If Dazai allowed the Port Mafia to fall
from grace, then that would be considered a violation and Dazai could not afford to let that happen.

But how could he save the organization when he had nothing at his disposal?
Dazai rocked his body back and forth, his mind racing as his thoughts darted between strategies
and possibilities. He had always been a master of strategy, taking pride in his plans, but this was a
different kind of challenge. The Port Mafia's power was waning, and Mori's grip on the
organization was slipping. If he wanted to have a chance to change that, he needed allies, and he
needed resources, but all were denied to him.

Dazai's fingers tapped rhythmically on the floor, a habit he often turned to when deep in thought.
The realization had downed on him months now. There was only one thing he could do to take
control of this situation. He needed to find a way to contact Ango. But what excuse could he
possible use?

He had no idea.

All that he knew was that he had to find something and he had to find something fast. Anything
that would convince Mori to let him speak to that man.
Anything would do.

If he could find a good enough excuse, then he could reach Ango and ask him to put some trust in
him, like had always done so many times in the past. He could ask him to follow his instructions
discreetly, without divulging them to anyone.

If he could simply reach Ango, there was no doubt in his mind that the man would do it.
Ango would do most anything if it meant he could help him. He had proved that time and time
again…

One excuse. That was all he needed. One good enough excuse.

His head snapped to the direction of his desk, where his phone could be heard ringing.
With hasty movements he got up and reached for it.

‘’ Hello? ‘’
‘’ Osamu, sir,’’ The woman on the other side of the line sounded distressed. ‘’ I think there’s
something wrong.’’ A million possibilities attacked his mind as she said those words.
‘’ Higuchi, what happened? ‘’ he asked, the worst possible scenarios already banging the door of
his head. ‘’ What’s wrong? ‘’
‘’ I think there is someone in the Mafia that has been stealing old files from the Archive room.’’
Dazai furrowed his eyebrows. Out of all the things he had expected her to say- that one he had not.
‘’ Old files? Can you elaborate? ‘’
‘’ There are binders missing,’’ Higuchi said, her voice sounding scared. ‘’ I’m sure of that.’’
‘’ Binders? From which time? ‘’
‘’ From before the current Boss was-

The line died.

‘’ It hasn’t stopped raining for two days now,’’ Atsushi observed, looking outside the window at
the cloudy sky that had turned gray. ‘’ Do you think-
‘’ I’m certain.’’ Chuuya cut him off, his voice low. ‘’ The rain hasn’t stopped, not even for a single
second.’’ he said, his eyes drifting to the sky. ‘’ It must be him.’’

The rain persisted without pause, a somber curtain of water veiling the world outside. The
unending rhythm of droplets striking the windows appeared to mirror the foreboding atmosphere
that lingered, The death of the girl was merely but the first note in a haunting symphony of
misfortune that was about to unfold.

He leaned against the window, his fingers tracing the condensation that had formed on the glass.
The rain outside seemed to match the turmoil brewing inside him.

Chuuya couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was an undeniable tension in the air at the
office. The usually bustling and lively atmosphere had taken on an eerie quietness, as if everyone
was holding their breath, waiting for an impending storm to break.

A sudden crack of thunder pierced the silence, causing Chuuya to startle slightly. The storm
outside seemed to be intensifying, its fury echoing the boy’s raw desperation.

Something big was coming and Chuuya could feel it in his bones.

For him, that day was nothing else but the prelude to a calamity of unimaginable proportions.

ONE WEEK BEFORE THEY FELL APART

The news didn’t take long to reach him.

They didn’t take him by surprise either.

Over the night, both Executive Oscar Wilde and Q had disappeared.

THE NIGHT BEFORE EVERYTHING WOULD CHANGE FOR THE WORST

He looked at the mirror.

At his puffy red eyes, at his messy hair.

At the impossibly faint crimson marks engraved on his skin, a painful reminder of that day.

His gaze trailed down to the clothes he wore.

Tattered and dirty, they clung to him like a second skin. Stains all over them, still. Was it blood?
Was it wine? He couldn’t differentiate between the two, the lines blurred in his mind like a
nightmarish haze.

He raise his hands.

Those same hands that had cause the building to collapse. Those same hands that had destroyed
half of Yokohama. His fingers trembled as if holding the weight of the world's devastation.
NO. The word echoed in his mind, a desperate plea against the accusations his own thoughts hurled
at him.
He looked at the mirror again, at the reflection painted across him, a portrait of guilt and turmoil.
No. His voice quivered, barely above a whisper, as if hoping the denial would erase the haunting
images from his mind.
His heart started beating faster, a wild rhythm matching the chaos in his head. He hadn't done that.
No. He knew he hadn’t done that. Yet the doubt gnawed at him, an insidious whisper that
threatened to consume his sanity.

He stepped back, stumbling, falling onto the unmade bed, his eyes still glued to his reflection.
No. His voice cracked, the word fractured like his own shattered reality.
The memories were there again.
Flashes of red, and screams, and fires.
No.
No
No. The mantra repeated, a futile attempt to ward off the nightmare.
He hadn’t cause that.
He hadn’t done that.
No. The word turned into a sob, a guttural cry torn from his throat, as he struggled against the grip
of his own mind.

He ran to the window and looked outside, gasping for air as if the outside world held the answers
he so desperately sought.

The streets were as busy as usual, the cityscape painted with a semblance of normalcy. All the
buildings stood tall, untouched by the devastation he remembered.
There were no fires and no debris scattered around.
The city wasn’t a pile of ashes.

Relief washed over him.

He hadn’t destroyed the city.
At least not in this universe.

He stumbled back, his legs giving way as he collapsed onto the cold floor. His mind racing,
thoughts swirling in a maddening vortex. His mind felt like a battleground of memories and regrets.

Without thinking, he grabbed his phone from the ground, his fingers fumbling over the keys as he
typed out Dazai’s number, each press an urgent plea.
He pressed the call button and waited, the seconds stretching into an eternity of anticipation.

Nothing.

He pressed the same numbers again.

Nothing,

What had he expected? For Dazai to pick up?

Dazai was gone.
He couldn’t even breathe, how could he answer his calls?

Wait, what? His mind snapped back, a jolt of realization cutting through the haze.
Dazai wasn’t gone. At least not in that sense. Dazai was alive. Breathing and all.

Wait, was he?

What reality was this one again?
The worlds had all blended inside his head. Had become one.
His headache was growing stronger, a relentless drumbeat of confusion.

Was this the world where Dazai had left the Mafia, and consequently, him all alone? The one
where he had died as a vampire, getting drowned by-
No. He clung to the thought, to the lifeline it offered. If he could be thinking that, it meant he was
alive.

So was it the world were Dazai had become the Port Mafia Boss, then?
No.

His eyes travelled around the room, desperately searching to find anything that could anchor him to
reality. A clue, an object, a memory, anything.
He caught sight of a bunch of photos on the ground,
Photos half ripped, half crumbled up.
Memories half-destroyed, perfectly mirroring his own shattered mind.

He knelt down and picked on up, turning it around so he could see it.
The one where Dazai had stayed. The words echoed in his mind, a thread of recognition pulling
him back from the abyss.

That was the universe he was in, the one world where Dazai had returned for him. The one world
where they had remained partners, even if it had been in another job.

Chuuya looked at the two figures on the photograph,

At their smiles as they were showing off their arms.

He let go of the picture and rolled up his sleeves.

His fingers tracing the indelible mark etched into his skin.

The ink was still there.

He felt sick.

He needed it gone.

Guided by his emotions alone, Chuuya reached for the lighter in his back pocket.

He rolled the sparks wheel and there it appeared, a flicker of light dancing in the darkness. His
gaze remained fixed on the flame, the orange and blue hues mesmerizing, almost hypnotic.

For a moment, time seemed to halt, his surroundings fading into a distant blur as he focused on the
delicate dance of destruction. The flame's dance mirrored the turmoil in his heart, a tempestuous
waltz that only he could understand.

With a breath caught between desperation and resolve, he brought the flame closer to his exposed
wrist, the heat gently brushing his skin.

The fire burned him, but he continued to move his hand and the lighter, tracing a desperate pattern
of circular motions on his skin. His hand moved with a fervent determination, as if by burning
away the physical pain, he could also purge the torment that resided deep within his heart.

He pressed harder, the pain intensifying with each rotation, each stroke etching a mark of his
anguish onto his very being. He didn't want a trace of it to remain. Not a single vestige to remind
him of-
The seconds stretched into an eternity, the stench of burning flesh mingling with the scent of
desperation that hung heavy in the air.

He wanted release. A cathartic liberation from the demons that clawed at his sanity. The pain was a
bitter salve, a way to prove that he was still anchored to this fractured reality. That he could still
feel something amidst the tumultuous sea of his thoughts that were holding his own mind hostage.

The moment he let go of the lighter, he realized what he had just done.

His eyes widened and his pupils dilated in shock as the gravity of his actions crashed over him like
a tidal wave. Panic surged through his veins, the taste of regret bitter on his tongue.

He could feel his regret trying to claw at him, trying to pull him back to that abyss of bottled-up
emotions. It was as if the very air was suffused with the weight of his choices, pressing down on
him from all sides.

He stumbled back, his chest heaving, the scars on his skin throbbing in time with his racing pulse.

Suddenly, and without warning, everything stopped. The room spinning, the sharp pain in his skin,
the dizziness he felt in his head, the turmoil in his heart – it all came to an abrupt halt. It was as if
the universe had hit the pause button, freezing him in a moment of agonizing clarity.

His breath hitched in his throat as his frantic movements were suspended in time. He blinked,
disoriented, as if awakening from a feverish dream. Not that he would know what that felt like, but
he imagined it would be close to what he was feeling now.

He looked around him, his eyes wide and disbelieving. He was outside, passed out on the sidewalk.

What was he doing outside?

Strangely enough, he couldn’t remember.

All that he could remember was bumping into-

" My sincerest apologies, everyone. I’m late, I know, but that’s because there's been a change of
plans." Dazai began speaking, his gaze deliberately avoiding the eyes of anyone from the Agency.
" As I'm sure you know, the one that was supposed to be conducting this meeting was my Boss and
not I. However, something rather urgent came up and he couldn't be here with you today, so I have
been instructed to attend on his behalf." He explained, maintaining a neutral tone. " Port Mafia's
Executive Osamu."
" I hope I will suffice."

Immediately after Dazai was done talking, silence befell the room.

Dazai took that awkward pause as an opportunity to finally raise his head and look at the two men
seated across from him. In the few seconds of unbearable quiet that followed, his solemn gaze
wavered between Kunikida and Chuuya.
One was his detective partner for his first few months navigating the world of light, a great friend
who had cared for him deeply and had shown it in so many ways.
The other was Chuuya.

There was not a sentence in the world that could so perfectly encapsulate everything that Chuuya
was to Dazai, so the man wouldn’t even bother to try.

Looking at them, Dazai tried his hardest not to seem like he was staring, but the pained expressions
on their faces made it impossible for him to hide his concern and focus on anything else. Both of
them carried such sadness behind their eyes—but why? Because of everything that had transpired
with Q? He had heard a few rumors going around about Q’s curse affecting the members of the
Agency, so could that be why they seemed so grim? Dazai wanted to open his mouth and ask them.
He wanted to know—who had been attacked by Q? How had they been affected? Had they—

'’ Well, since we’re all here,’' Kouyou started, taking it upon herself to break the silence that had
been created. '’ I say we proceed with the Meeting? ‘’

Dazai was thankful that at least one of the two could actually focus on the reason behind the
gathering.

‘’ Since the Port Mafia were the ones responsible for this catastrophe, I think it is only fair that you
are ones to lead this discussion? ‘’ Kunikida offered, finding it a lot easier to keep his eyes at
Kouyou rather at the man sitting beside her.

‘’ Very well, then,’’ Kouyou accepted, ‘’ Osamu,’’ she turned to address Dazai. ‘’ The papers.’’
she said, nodding to the briefcase he was carrying.

Both Kunikida and Chuuya hid their shock behind blank expressions. They had not anticipated to
hear that name being spoken by someone other than Dazai.

‘’ Of, course.’’ Dazai reached for the briefcase, his movements robotic.

Chuuya wondered just how many meeting like these had he attended this past week alone.

Probably too many to count.

‘’ Here, ‘’ Dazai said, laying the papers flat on the surface of the table. ‘’ I suggest you read it
before you sign,’’ he warned, earning a glare from the woman beside him. ‘’ Otherwise you might
regret.’’

The fact he was working for the Port Mafia did not, in any shape or form, mean that he was going
to let the Organization have leverage or even exploit the Agency. No.
That he would never let Mori have.

Kunikida took the papers in his hands, splitting them equally before handing one half to Chuuya. ‘’
Like I would ever do the opposite, Dazai.’’ Kunikida tried to joke.
‘’ Osamu.’’
‘’ What? ‘’ the man looked at him confused, the papers still in his hands.
‘’ I don’t go by that name anymore.’’ Dazai clarified, ‘’ if you want to refer to me, you can use
either Osamu or Executive.’’
Kunikida raised hie eyebrows, not hiding the surprise the statement had caused.
‘’ Executive it is, then.’’ Chuuya said with not much interest in their current discourse.

Dazai appreciated the gesture.

As the conversation had progressed, the weight of the papers had laid bare the gravity of their
situation. None of them had said it, but the incident had affected both side a lot more than they had
put in the paper.

The Port Mafia, for once, an organization accustomed to wielding power and influence with an iron
grip, had found itself teetering on the brink of extinction .

Oscar had played his cards so perfectly, that him leaving had managed to evoke exactly the kind of
panic he had needed to, to move freely and set his plan in motion. His plan that had involved the
cursed child itself.
Q. Hadn’t Dazai been able to contact Ango as fast as he had with the excuse of Higuchi’s concern
about the archives, none of them would have been standing in that room.

Hadn’t he and Ango found a way to communicate outside of Mori’s control, Dazai wouldn’t have
been able to locate either Oscar or Q. And if he hadn’t been…Oscar would have destroyed not only
the Port Mafia but rather Japan as a whole. His plan, albeit not as outrageous as Fukuchi’s, had
been massive. Dazai had been beyond lucky, to have been able to stop him when he had.

But for that, he had needed some temporary help from the Agency. Help he knew he couldn’t have
asked of them with Mori watching. That’s where Ango had came in. Once again there at just the
right time, to ‘save’ the day.

Still, even thought at the end the threat of Oscar and Q had been eliminated, during that one week
that had passed, the destruction they had cause leading to that point had been irreversible. That’s
what the meeting was all about- Damage control.

More specifically, the present gathering held a dual purpose – to mend and to mitigate. It was a
convergence of two rival organizations, forced to unite in the face of shared adversity.

The agreements being negotiated on those parchment pages spanned from the practical to the
profound – contracts to address collateral damage, strategies for patient relocation, funds allocated
for the arduous task of rebuilding shattered properties – all fragments of a collective effort to
reassemble their shattered city.

Despite the discomfort that clung to each interaction among the people present on the room,
the meeting had been a success.

Kouyou and Kunikida had just exited through the door, which meant that for the first time in a long
while, Dazai and Chuuya were alone in the same room.

‘’ You can’t talk to me, can you? ‘’ The question escaped his lips before he could even think about
asking it. ‘’ But that’s fine, I can still talk to you, and you can still hear me, right? ‘’

Dazai gave no indication he could. He kept his hands busy, organizing all the files he and Kouyou
had needed, putting them away in the briefcase he had carried with him.

Seeing his former partner being so indifferent to him hurt, but still, he wouldn’t falter at that.

‘’ I heard what happened to Hirotsu.’’ Chuuya said, not knowing where he was going with that. ‘’ I
know I used to tease you about him being like a father figure to you, and stuff, but I had never
meant any of it in a bad way.’’ he offered, his sincerity earning a momentary glance from Dazai. ‘’
I only ever said that stuff because I knew how much that man cared about you.’’
‘’ Well the good it did to him.’’ Dazai’s answer was as sharp as the pain that hit him.

Understanding what he had just done, Dazai closed his mouth, and focused back on the papers
laying on the office. His hands now moving in a much faster speed than before, as he sorted
through the documents.

‘’ You can’t say that.’’ Chuuya argued, ‘’ You’re not the one responsible for his death.’’ he tried,
but in vain. Chuuya knew Dazai. It would take a lot more than a few words, to convince him of
that. ‘’ I’m not stupid. I understand that it was Mori’s way of punishing you for something-but
even then- it’s his fault, not yours.’’

Dazai clipped a handful of papers together before putting them inside the bag.

‘’ If you aren’t talking because you worry about the pain, it's not that bad.’’ Chuuya said, making
yet another attempt to communicate with him. ‘’ I barely even feel the sting.’’ He lied, wanting to
make things appear better than they were. ‘’ So if you want to talk, go ahead.’’ please

Much to no one’s surprise, Dazai remained silent.

Seeing that reaction of his, Chuuya couldn’t help but bite the inner part of his lip in frustration. The
pain giving him a brief escape from the disappointment this ‘interaction’, if it could even be called
that, was causing him.

‘’ Fine, if you aren’t talking I will.’’ He said, his eyes on him. ‘’ A lot of stuff has happened since
your departure from the Agency,’’ Chuuya started, a strange melancholy leaking from his words. ‘’
But I’m sure that the thing you most want to know is one- so I’ll start with that.
Both Atsushi and Akutagawa are doing great.’’

Dazai knew that much. Still getting to hear it from someone still involved with them, it was a much
needed confirmation.

‘’ Everyone on the Agency is doing great, our honorary members too.’’

He wouldn’t show it, but Dazai was pleased to hear that.

‘’ A few weeks ago we celebrated, the twelfth anniversary of the Agency, you know. It was such a
cheesy night honestly. Fukuzawa made us all say a few words about the Agency, and how we feel
about working for the ADA. Atsushi’s speech left as all speechless. It was so beautiful. And he
mentioned you tones…’’ his eyes fell to the ground. ‘’ You deserved to hear it. ‘

Dazai could picture it.

The office all dolled up for the anniversary party, surrounding Atsushi as he stood before
everyone, doing what he always did best. Opening his heart in the most unapologetic way. He
could listen to his smile as he talked about each and every member, and he could see the tears of
happiness and of gratefulness forming in his eyes.
He didn’t know whether he had deserved to hear the boy’s speech, or no, but he knew that he
would have liked to.

‘’ Akutagawa also gave a speech.’’

Dazai remained motionless.

‘’ He was the only one that was offered an out, yet he still chose to give one.’’
Dazai wondered how that would look like. Picturing Atsushi inside the office, surrounded but all
his former colleagues was as easy as breathing. But picturing Akutagawa…It wasn’t impossible,
but it was a lot more challenging.

‘’ His speech also mentioned you.’’ Chuuya offered, remembering back to the boy’s words, about
how Dazai had changed his life twice. ‘’ In fact, most speeches did.’’

Really?
Dazai didn’t think that the Agency would still care enough as to include him in such a way.

‘’ You even got a toast to your name.’’ Chuuya said with an easy smile, recalling the clinging
sound their glasses had made when they had met. ‘’ Ranpo was the one to initiate it. Said he would
much rather having you there, making the suggestion, but since you could not attend he would fill
in for your behalf.’’

No…

‘’ He talked about how awesome and charismatic and generous and-

His words were interrupted by the sound of Dazai laughing.

Chuuya had never been so happy to be interrupted before.

‘’ He really misses you.’’ Chuuya said, lowering his voice. ‘’ Kunikida does too.’’ he added.
‘’ And Atsushi and Yosano and everyone. They all miss you.’’

Dazai wanted to disappear. He wanted for the Earth to open up and swallow him whole.
He wanted-
He wanted to go back.
He wanted to walk out of that door and head to the same direction as Chuuya and Kunikida, and
not Kouyou. He wanted to go back to his home.

‘’ I don’t.’’

The words were out of his mouth before he could even register them.

Baffled, he realized Chuuya, albeit a bit shocked from the sudden pain, looked more amused by
them, if anything.

‘’ You don’t huh? ‘’ The other man asked, a smirk on his face. ‘’ That’s good to know. I’ll be sure
to transfer it to the rest.’’ he joked, knowing that Dazai could not possibly mean that.

Dazai did not laugh. He didn’t smile. He didn’t say anything.

‘’ Why don’t you talk to me? ‘’ Chuuya asked, not caring whether he sounded pathetic or not. ‘’
It’s not because of the pain it causes me when you address me, so what is it? ‘’

Dazai made the mistake to look at him at that moment.

He made the mistake of locking eyes with him.

‘’ I don’t have to.’’ Dazai offered, forcing indifference, ‘’ And I don’t care to.’’ he pushed,
‘’ Satisfied? ‘’

He didn’t believe him. No. That could not be the truth.

‘’ Don’t look at me like that.’’ Dazai spoke again, causing the pain to grow sharper. ‘’ I mean what
I say. ‘’
‘’ Bullshit.’’
‘’ Is it? ‘’ Dazai challenged, the air suddenly getting colder around them. ‘’ One month from now
will be my two years anniversary back in the Port Mafia. Believe me, if this meeting was
happening even a little later on, I wouldn’t have cared enough as to answer you.’’

Chuuya stared at him, hiding the fact he was greeting his teeth, with another poker face.

‘’ What are you even trying to do? ‘’ he asked, making his disappointment audible, ‘’ make me
hate you, or something? ‘’
‘’ I couldn’t care less what you think of me.’’
‘’ Is that the case? ‘’
‘’ Yes.’’ he replied, ‘’ I’m sorry but- I just don’t feel anything anymore.’’ he stated, forcing
disinterest even in his eyes.
‘’ Is that so…’’ Chuuya kept his voice leveled, fighting with the currents of pain Dazai’s voice
caused. ‘’ I guess we have nothing to talk about, then.’’
‘’ I guess not.’’

No.
Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to stop talking. To shut the fuck up before the
damage could be irreparable. He could feel his heart pounding, the weight of his words hanging in
the air like a leaden anchor.

The silence that followed seemed to stretch into eternity, each passing second etching the moment
deeper into his consciousness.

His gaze remained fixed, his eyes locked onto Chuuya who was standing before him, searching for
any sign of the emotions that he himself was struggling to suppress.
He saw a flicker of hurt in his eyes, a vulnerability that tore at something deep within him.

But he had made his choice, hadn't he? The choice to lie, to distance himself, to feign indifference
even as his heart ached.

He could almost hear his own internal battle, a cacophony of voices arguing over the right course
of action. The voices that whispered of honesty, vulnerability, and the relief that might come from
unburdening his true feelings, fighting with the voices that demanded strength, detachment, and
the preservation of the fragile situation he had constructed.

he couldn't falter now, couldn't let his resolve waver. He had to keep up the facade, maintain the
distance, lie and deny the truth that threatened to spill from his lips.

His hands clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white with the effort of restraint. The seconds
continued to tick away, each one a testament to his struggle.

Twenty-eight seconds passed before he could see a change in Chuuya’s expression.

A change that had gutted him.

Without saying anything Chuuya turned around and headed to the door.

Before Chuuya could reach the door, and before Dazai could understand what he was doing, Dazai
had pulled him back by grabbing his wrist.

He looked at his stormy eyes and then down at their hands.

He saw something then.

 He turned his hand, revealing the inner part of Chuuya’s wrist.

Dazai let go of him.

Chuuya looked surprised by his reaction. But then his gaze fell down to his hand, and suddenly
Dazai’s withdrawal made perfect sense.

‘’ No.’’ The word come out desperate as he watched Dazai reach for the doorknob. ‘’ No, Dazai
this is not-
He tried to grab him and pull him back in the same manner, but Dazai carefully evaded him.
‘’ It’s not what you think, it’s not-

Before he could even blink, the door was shut and Dazai was gone.

Chapter End Notes

THE FACT YOU READ ALL OF THIS WARMS MY HEART MORE THAN ANY
FLAME COULD EVER

Thank you for your time, honestly. 39k words (290k in total????) is A LOT. So the
fact you found something I wrote this interesting as to keep reading....God, I can not
put into words how much it means to me. Thank you. I really hope you liked it<333

( see how carefully I avoided referring to the next ch-

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