Chuuya was deaf, he could not hear. He could hear the vibrations of loud bass and his throat when he hummed, but the teen could not hear. He learned how to read lips and American sign language. The redhead was fascinated with written languages; He couldn't verbally speak any of them, but he could understand them and that was what mattered. The redhead always kept a sharp eye out when not inside, people usually verbally signaled when they were about to do something around you. Strangers didn't know about his problem, which lead to some difficulties when he was younger.
Dazai was blind. He only had a few clues to go off of to understand the people around him. The brunette learned how to guess, how to fill in the blanks. Throughout every conversation, no matter how relaxed he looked, his full concentration was on the people around him. Later on, he figured out how to navigate by touch and sound, although he still carried his cane. The blind teen memorized every path he walked, and so he made a map of Yokohama's streets. Mori forced him to learn written Japanese and English.
When they were introduced to teach other, they did not know how to communicate. Dazai felt Chuuya's face, it was a new person. Chuuya tried to do sign language in Dazai's palm, but the latter had not learned and therefore did not understand.
Chuuya snapped his fingers over and over. That was what he did when he was trying to figure something out.
Dazai suddenly smiled, his whole face lit up in hope. He had learned something recently that might come in handy. The brunette looked in the redhead's general direction and exaggerated the question, "Morse code?"
Chuuya smiled and nodded, yet he knew Dazai could not see that. He had learned Morse code a few years ago. He snapped and tapped, and spelled out H-E-L-L-O.
Dazai grinned, he could understand, finally. Snaps were dashes and taps were dots. H-E-L-L-O.
I-A-M-C-H-U-U-Y-A.
I-A-M-D-A-Z-A-I.
F-R-I-E-N-D-S?
S-U-R-E.
XXX
They were seventeen when they found a scrap of one of the pages. A page that could change reality. They did not end the book for what they wanted.
C-H-A-N-G-E-?, Chuuya spelled out.
U-S, Dazai replied without hesitation.
Chuuya nodded, they were in agreement, O-K-A-Y.
The redhead neatly wrote two sentences, one on each side of the paper: Dazai is not blind. Chuuya is not deaf.
They sealed the scrap into a ziplock plastic bag and hide it in a wall of Port Mafia's Headquarters.
XXX
Chuuya was constantly surprised at the sound of his voice. To fix that, he changed accents and jumped octaves and just plain chattered as much as he could. Whenever he could be coaxed to, his velvetly smooth singing was something to be admired.
Dazai would often stare at things. He memorized every detail he could. The creases, folds, and lines of people's faces. The looks of clothes, guns, hands, knives, eyes, grenades, feet...He especially loved dawn, sunsets, and night. The clouds and colors were always different for the former two. As for the latter, the stars shifted constantly, year round. There was always a different spectacular view of the sky to be seen.
XXX
Dazai used to star gaze on Yokohama's outskirts, Chuuya used to drive the two of them to different spots, after work and a quick dinner. After he left the Port Mafia, his ex-partner most likely checked his favorite spots. Which is exactly why Dazai hadn't gone out to see the stars near the edge of the suburbs. Now, the reunion with Chuuya had already happened and there was a truce with the Port Mafia. There was no risk to being discovered and Chuuya is likely busy with work or sleeping at night.
His relationship with his current colleagues is far too distant to invite anyone on a trip, therefore when he goes he will go alone.
Dazai took a taxi out to the city's edge on a summer night, spread a picnic blanket out on the ground, and sprawled out on the soft fabric.
He slowly broke off and ate pieces of a large chocolate Hershey bar. Dazai's eyes were glued to the stunning lights up above. He thought about the stories told about the different constellations. Leo the Lion, the Cowherd and Weaver Maid, the Gemini Twins...
The nearby roar of a motorcycle engine crashed into his thoughts. Startled, Dazai sat up and stared at the vehicle and rider that sped around the corner at the bottom of the hill.
The motorcycle slowed down, the engine now a soft growl. Dazai squinted at the vehicle and unknown person. He couldn't make out anything distinct, the lights only lit up the path in front and back.
The moon came out from behind a cloud. Dazai could now see that the motorcycle was pink, also the rider wore mostly black and was shorter then him.
However, the moonlight meant that Dazai was visible as well. The person glanced around, their gaze landed on the detective. They pulled over on the side of the road and took off their helmet. The man's ginger hair had been put into a messy bun, but it confirmed his identity nonetheless.
Chuuya Nakahara strolled up the hill, his black helmet tucked under one arm. On his back was a dark grey backpack.
"Nice weather we're having," Dazai dryly said in greeting.
"True, very good for star gazing and camping," Chuuya dully agreed.
"How often do you come up here?"
"A good bit during the summer, usually to drive around. Did you stop coming here just to not run into me?"
"Yup."
"And now...?"
"I've deduced that we're stuck with each other to some degree. Also that you're not going to try to kill me because I left," Dazai responded with a shrug.
Chuuya sighed and made a shooing motion at Dazai, "move over."
The brunette stuck out his tongue but shifted over to one side. Chuuya flopped down.
They spent the next few hours eating snacks, telling stories, and annoying each other.
"Can I get a ride to my apartment?"
Chuuya sighed, "sure."
XXX
Dazai slipped into the apartment unnoticed. The walls were colorful and well decorated with small trinkets and expensive paintings.
The soft humming that drifted passed the trespasser's ears came from the kitchen. He carefully snuck towards the room.
Right before the brunette reached the entrance, the song became recognizable, Chopin's Nocturne 55. The humming jumped between light crisp and drawn out dark notes that perfectly mimicked the tune that came from the phone on the counter. It was peaceful and desperate, melancholic and hopeful.
Nocturne 55 ended and suddenly a loud rock song blasted from Chuuya's phone. The redhead immediately started head-banging and singing snatches of the song. Dazai snorted, Chuuya had always had a love of classical music and rock; as music genres go, it was rather interesting mix.
Chuuya immediately glared at the kitchen entrance, his hand flew to his knife. He sighed in annoyance, "Dazai."
"Chuuya," Dazai mockingly replied.
"Why are you here?"
"I was bored."
"Of course," Chuuya deadpanned, "it's totally okay to break into people's houses at night because you're bored."
Dazai dramatically shrugged and sat down at the table. "Anyways, you want to hang out somewhere?"
"No, I want to stay home and sleep," Chuuya immediately rejected the suggestion. Dazai pouted, "aww, come on Chuuya."
The redhead blinked as he thought of an idea, slightly ridiculous, but if Dazai had been up to this unusual shenanigans..."Are you at my house because your collegues went out and left you behind? Is that why you were bored?"
Dazai sunk back into the chair, his pout only more pronounced.
"I'm right, I'm totally right, aren't I," Chuuya stated. The brunette stuck out his tongue in reply.
XXX
The Armed Detective Agency was not expecting a visit from a volatile Port Mafia Executive. Chuuya Nakahara angrily slammed open the door and stomped into the office. Atsushi hide behind Dazai, Kunikida sighed and continued working, and their colleagues watched with interest.
"You absolute b*d!" The redhead snarled. In his rage he instinctively turned from loudly shouting to rapidly signaling, I-H-A-T-E-Y-O-U.
Dazai held back a laugh and replied in the same manner, I-L-Y-T-O-O-B-F-F.
I-R-E-C-A-L-L-T-H-A-T-T-I-T-L-E. Chuuya deeply regretted ever saying they were best friends, it had been a mistake he made in his younger mute years.
Dazai smirked, B-U-T-C-H-I-B-I-I-A-M-U-R-B-F.
Chuuya stuck out his tongue, N-O-T-A-N-Y-M-O-R-E.
The brunette detective pouted, "fine, I'll give back your knife." "Thank you," the Executive tartly replied.
"What is going on?" Atsushi asked in bewilderment.
"They were talking using Morse code. They were so fast I actually couldn't understand them," Ranpo explained as he opened up a chip bag.
Dazai pulled a sharp combat knife out from his desk drawer and handed it to Chuuya. The detective cheerfully asked, "am I reinstated?"
"Yes, you are, barely," the redhead snarked. Dazai grinned.