[A/N]: Hello there! This is my first Bungou Stray Dogs story. It's based on the manga only and not the anime, so if there any differences between the manga and anime causing you not to understand part of it, I apologise. By the way, if any of my characters are OOC (out of character) do tell me. I admit I'm not very good at writing BSD characters. Please read and review for me to improve!
X
"Ryu…?"
A thin black-haired boy, barely in his teens, called out after his friend almost desperately as he walked away from the window.
Ryu didn't look back.
"Ryu!"
Still no response.
"Hey, you over there, keep quiet!"
It was too late.
The two men dressed in black walked towards the boy and grasped him roughly by the wrists, eyeballing him nastily.
"You gonna try anything funny?"
He shook his head, quivering in fear, eyes still darting around for any possible route of escape.
"Now behave yourself and follow us quietly and obediently, or else."
Being dragged along out of the room, the black-haired boy watched helplessly as he watched one of his two good friends sprint away from the window, still looking back towards the pair of boys, eyes still desperately urging them to follow her, her long hair and dress billowing with the wind.
That was his last image of her – usually beautifully bright eyes full of desperation, her silhouette rushing away from that tortuous place; running towards freedom and hope, while he was trapped in the darkness, longing for a way to escape.
He thought it would be the last time he ever saw her.
X
Gosh, what was he up to again…
Nakajima Atsushi raced down the slope, running and running as fast he possibly could, before stopping right in front of a bizarre structure that somehow held a… fishing net?
It worked like a crane, and it had manoeuvred the net into the water of the lake before him, and the net now contained a massive lump of black. Obviously not fish.
Atsushi sighed and resisted the urge to facepalm as he leaned forward on the edge of the pavement beside the lake.
How many attempts like this was he going to make before he gave up?
"Dazai-san, I know you're there. Please get out."
A murmur arose from the net, as a familiar black mop of hair peeped out of the water. The aforementioned slowly climbed out of the net, only to plop right back into the water.
"Dazai-san! Kunikida-san and the rest told me to get you out, and if I don't I'll probably get in trouble with them, because you're supposed to be catching those people right now together with me! I can't take all of them down alone. So please just come out…"
A whine came out of Dazai's mouth in response, as he slowly began rising to the surface again.
"Why are you always the only one to come to so-called rescue me? Whenever I call everyone else to say that I'm going to commit suicide, they all either just put the phone down and hang up or simply tell me that it's a good thing or they're off to celebrate. You're the only one who actually bothers… If they care, get someone else to fetch me!"
As Dazai was going to sink right back into the lake, his eyes glimpsed something and he frantically began waving and yelling to his left.
Atsushi's eyes followed.
A young woman was walking along the pavement beside the lake – where Atsushi had been a minute ago – and seemed to be in a rush, walking extremely quickly.
Was Dazai going to ask for her help?
"Oi! Miyamoto Yuriko!"
Did he… actually know her?
"Uhh… Dazai-san…"
"What, Atsushi-san?"
"I mean…"
"Yuri Yuri Yurikooo~"
"Do you have friends outside of the Agency?"
Dazai looked at him like he was crazy.
"Now why would you think that?"
But…
"Don't tell me…"
The woman – apparently Miyamoto Yuriko, whom Dazai addressed by first name no less – had changed direction and walked towards them, frowning a little as she examined Dazai in his current situation.
She sighed heavily.
"Gosh, Osa, are you trying to commit suicide again? You know Kunikida-san is going to be rather upset with you if he finds out you've been slacking instead of hunting those thieves down."
Atsushi gaped at the woman in shock.
What?
OSA?!
Hunting thieves?
She was really part of the agency, he supposed.
And he thought that after that little recruitment test, there would be no more surprises in store for him.
As she began helping Dazai out of the net, Miyamoto noticed his startled expression, and smiled slightly.
"Oh hello there. Are you the newbie the Agency recruited recently?"
Atsushi merely nodded dumbly.
"Well, nice to meet you. I'm Miyamoto Yuriko, as you probably have already figured out, and I'm also part of the Detective Agency. Although I've been part of the agency for some time, I'm not a full-blown member and it's not technically my job, so I assume that's why I haven't met you yet."
Now Atsushi had a chance to study her properly. She had high cheekbones, slightly tanned skin- relatively uncommon for Japanese women, but it was quite striking and suited her – with brownish-black hair and unusual green eyes. A lopsided smile, which softened her hard features. Standing up straight, confident.
Was she wearing… coloured contacts?
Nah. Atsushi felt that someone like her wouldn't do something as tacky as that.
Then again…
What kind of person was she?
Millions of questions popped up in Atsushi's head.
"Wait… why do you and Dazai-san call each other by first names? And why do you know everything about the agency if you're not full-time?"
He blurted the questions out, face turning red with embarrassment.
He hadn't quite meant to be so inquisitive.
Miyamoto merely smiled a little.
"Osamu and I are age-old friends from childhood. I actually never called him by his surname before."
Atsushi 's brain went whirring frantically, attempting to visualise a five-year-old Osamu Dazai playing in a sand pit together with another five-year-old Miyamoto Yuriko, shrieking and laughing together.
Nope. Too difficult.
"Plus, even though I'm not a full-time member of the Agency, I am still technically considered an agent. I'm one of the oldest members, actually, and the Boss always makes sure to tell me of any major happenings within the Agency."
"Oh yeah! Atsushi, Yuri-chan here is an aspiring lawyer at the local university! She's too smart to neglect her studies to be a full-time member of the Detective Agency, unfortunately…"
Miyamoto's cheeks went red at the compliment, before she reached into her pocket and took out her phone, a smirk spreading across her face.
"Kunikida-san, I'm afraid Osa just attempted to commit suicide again, when clearly he was supposed – "
"YURI-CHAN! Give the phone to me now!"
Atsushi suppressed a smile as Miyamoto merely stepped out of the way of Dazai, continuing to talk on the phone with a clearly furious Kunikida, who was so loud that Atsushi could hear his yelling from the phone a distance away.
Smirking a little, Miyamoto winked at Atsushi, before promptly pressing something on her screen.
A loud, blaring voice began echoing throughout the entire area, which was once quiet and peaceful.
Dazai promptly covered both his ears .
Atsushi gawped.
Oh no she didn't…
"OSAMU DAZAI! You're supposed to be catching the scum of society right now, and yet as Miyamoto tells me, you are trying to end your life for the millionth time again!"
The voice was slightly shrill – due to the anxiety of Kunikida – and it began reverberating on and on in the park.
"Fine, I'm quite used to you messing up my perfect, precise and IMPECCABLY PLANNED schedule. But then I create another schedule just to accommodate your needs and your whims, and you MESS UP THIS SCHEDULE TOO?! Now I'm off track by around three minutes! Everything's completely messed up now! And – "
"Yes, yes, Kunikida-san, I'm aware this is an awful situation indeed, messing up your precious schedule. I'll bring him back to wherever he was supposed to be at. By the way, in case you didn't know, the new kid was at the job just now, according to Ranpo-san. He is quite efficient, and you're fifteen minutes ahead, rather. Goodbye."
She hung up with an efficient click, voice dripping with sarcasm throughout her entire monologue.
Atsushi couldn't help but marvel in awe at that perfectly poised figure dragging and lagging the complaining Osamu Dazai on the ground towards the footpath.
How does she do it?
Before Atsushi could continue staring, however, Miyamoto Yuriko glanced behind and gestured him to walk faster.
"Nakajima-san, can you tell me where the place Osa was supposed to be at? I'll bring him there, if you want."
"NONONO It's okay! I think he can walk on his own, and even if he can't I'll just drag him along too."
"Well… Okay then. Enjoy your fun."
With a small smirk and a wave goodbye, Miyamoto Yuriko departed, walking towards her intended location briskly.
And Atsushi was left gaping at her in mild fascination.
"Uh…"
He turned to face an irritated-looking Osamu Dazai who was too busy making childish faces at the departing figure of Miyamoto Yuriko to even notice him.
"Dazai, can you tell me how she's so…"
"Scary? Intimidating? Irritating?"
Dazai offered, still pouting over the fact that he was going to get yet another tongue-lashing from Kunikida later on because of Miyamoto, and muttered something about "busybody Yuri" or other.
Atsushi pretended not to hear that.
"I mean, why's she always so… efficient? And when did you get to know her? How? And why does she want to study law when she already has something to do at the Agency?'
Dazai chuckled.
"Curious, aren't you… Well, let's just say that both of us were from the same kindergarten, elementary, middle school and high school. We got similar grades and qualified for similar schools, and that's how we got to know each other for so long. Along with two others, we were good friends since five years old."
An unreadable expression flashed across Dazai's face, then he smiled.
"Yuri-chan's always been very organised and responsible. I don't think she's ever gotten into severe trouble at school in her entire life, and takes almost everything seriously. I still don't understand why she turned out like this…"
"Also, like me, Yuri-chan's only 21 turning 22. She'd wanted to be a lawyer since young, and I can't stop her from studying law, right? Yuri-chan wants to focus on her studies instead of becoming a full member of the Agency. Besides, she doesn't particularly like to have a so-called 'unstable job'. She would rather be a lawyer, which I find completely senseless and stupid – Wait, don't tell her I said that!"
Atsushi merely laughed, Dazai's words running through his mind as the pair walked leisurely to the location of their assignment.
How did both of them turn out so completely opposite from each other?
X
"Get up, Osa!"
"Mhmm… Ten more minutes…"
"I swear, if you carry on like this, you'll be way too unfit to even run to catch those snatch thieves or to capture criminals."
"But we have guns… And that's what guns for – when you're too lazy to go and give chase… Besides, they're faster than tackling the dudes…"
"Hmm. Let's make a deal. If you get ten more minutes in bed, I'm giving these muffins all to Nakajima-san and Kunikida, even, and you will get – "
Osamu Dazai bolted up from the bed in alarm, making a wild grab at the muffins which Miyamoto Yuriko now held, leaning over him with a wide smirk on her face.
"Gotcha. That's the one thing that will wake you up."
"Nandayo, Yuri-chan, why did you threaten to take away my muffins? They're my source of energy in the morning…"
"Don't forget, I'm the one making those muffins and you don't have the right to them either way."
"Ugh… Just let me eat them later…"
Yuriko grinned to herself as she finished cleaning her baking equipment, whistling a familiar tune as her disgruntled roommate went to wash up.
Although it may seem awkward, she sharing a room with Dazai was the perfect arrangement. Both of them were cash-strapped and desperately needed to share rooms to save on rental, and they didn't have any major problems with each other since they had known each other for so long. When they were younger, they even camped out together at times, sleeping in the same sleeping bag in a cramped tent.
And besides, staying with Dazai gave her lots of advantages, including threatening to take away something important of his if he refused to do something.
She smirked to herself once again.
"Miyamoto-san?"
A familiar knock was heard on her room door, as Yuriko cursed and put her equipment down, heading towards the entrance.
"Yes, Kunikida-san?"
'Where's that lazy Dazai?"
"He just woke up and he's in the toilet right now. Why?"
"We need both of you to come out for an important assignment today. This cannot be delayed."
"Oh…"
So much her exercise plans for her childhood friend…
"Well, according a woman who just visited the agency, she needs to see all the agents of the detective agency in order to announce some kind of terrible thing brewing. I've been wondering, and I think you should go on this job since you haven't done anything recently. Atsushi and Tanizaki will also be going along with you to assist along the way."
"Alright. We'll come along as soon as possible. Thanks though."
As the door swung to a close rather violently, Yuriko stuck out her tongue childishly at the door and made a face at the thought of the woman. Seemed like some kind of big shot.
"Osa! Come out soon! Kunikida-san has a visitor and he says she wants to see us soon!"
She heard a tired and exasperated groan in response, and sighed back.
TIME SKIP
A blonde woman sat patiently at the couch, posture perfect and her eyes darting around the room, seemingly very alert. Dazai wondered what she was doing there, and what was the important thing that she had to say – which caused Yuriko to forcefully drag him out of the toilet in impatience when he was still not done yet.
"Let's see… An investigation request, right?"
Tanizaki slowly wrote something down on a piece of paper attached to his clipboard.
Dazai inwardly groaned at how long this was gonna take, but nevertheless focused his gaze on the woman.
She seemed a little too alert to be a regular woman in an office job – or so she claimed.
"Beautiful… As bold was a water lily, and as sweet as a princess."
Slowly, subtly…
"Would you like to commit a lovers' suicide with me?"
That does it.
"OUCH!"
He yelped in pain, clutching his back as a sudden heavy force came down on him, as Kunikida rose up angrily and turned to the visitor apologetically.
"Ah sorry, please forget that."
Dazai scowled as he was dragged out of the room, complaining about how he just wanted to have a beautiful lovers' suicide with that "beautiful woman".
He made eye contact with a certain green-eyed woman left in the room, and she frowned.
What was he trying to say?
"I had said that it is a request, right? Recently, there has been a mean-looking guy hanging around behind our company's main building."
Tanizaki frowned slightly, Yuriko noticed.
She narrowed her eyes at the visitor.
Even after Osa had purposefully distracted her with his totally outrageous lovers' suicide proposal – which was out of the ordinary for everyone who didn't know him personally – here was this air of absurd calm around her.
Her lips thinned, as she leaned almost casually against the wall nearby, eyes fixated on the visitor.
Osa was right.
"A mean-looking guy? What does he look like, Higuchi-san?"
"I don't know much but…"
Yuriko couldn't bear to listen anymore, and merely tuned out the rest of the conversation as she took up a cup of tea, and sipped it slowly, millions of thoughts running through her head.
Could she be from…?
She shook her head firmly.
No.
She couldn't be.
She looked so young, and she was probably just an efficient businesswoman who's over-paranoid…
Yuriko bit her lip impatiently.
Stop tricking yourself.
Osa couldn't be wrong.
Neither could her gut be wrong.
Still, where was she from exactly, then?
X
"Uh… Miyamoto-san, could you tell me who this person is exactly?"
"Hmm?"
Atsushi pulled out a photo of the mysterious "Akutagawa" person Kunikida had been talking about just now.
As she took the photo and glanced at the person, Atsushi noticed her face turn pale. Her hand immediately dropped the paper, her eyes seemingly unfocused.
Was she in shock…?
Probably, since it was the face of such a dangerous man from the… Port Mafia, did Kunikida say that?
Atsushi picked the photograph up, and realised Miyamoto had already recovered and was kneeling down to pick it up too.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Nakajima-san. I was just momentarily startled. Where did you get that photo from?"
"Ah… Before I left the agency, Kunikida-san gave it to me and told me that this man was from the Port Mafia, and extremely dangerous. Kunikida-san even said he couldn't beat him in a fight. Is he that…?"
Something in Miyamoto's expression changed as she looked at the photo again, and nodded.
"That is most definitely true. Um – Akutagawa is extremely dangerous. All of us have come across him at one point in our careers and the moment we saw him using his ability, we didn't even dare to fight him. If you're ever unlucky enough to see him – run for your life."
"Yeah. His ability – it's specifically designed to kill people."
Tanizaki joined in the conversation, locking eyes with Miyamoto, with unreadable emotion in their eyes.
Atsushi frowned.
"Well, what exactly is this abi – "
"We're here."
The blonde Higuchi interrupted their conversation by turning around, glancing in slight suspicion as the three detective agents suddenly shut their mouths and stopped talking.
As they walked down a deserted alley, the detective trio turned from side to side, observing the place.
"It somehow feels like… A demon's den."
Miyamoto announced ominously, as her eyes continued to check out the place.
Atsushi gulped slightly.
Then Tanizaki narrowed his eyes, and put a thumb to his chin, deep in thought.
"Strange."
Atsushi looked at him curiously.
"Is this really the place?"
What did he mean?
Higuchi was rapidly walking away towards a certain direction.
Strange.
"Higuchi!"
She halted.
"Higuchi-san, if outlaws back out of something, they usually prepare an escape route, but if this was the place, look – "
Atsushi looked, and his eyes widened in realisation.
"If they came from over there, there would be no way out."
Instantly, he could sense the green-eyed woman beside him tense up, and Higuchi-san abruptly turned around.
Atsushi let out a little gasp.
There was something different about her; her aura had changed. From appearing as an efficient businesswoman – as she had claimed earlier on – she had abruptly transformed into an unknown figure – eyes piercing and gleaming dangerously, movements a little sharper.
"I know all about that, but this was a trap."
"My targets…"
Atsushi blinked twice, brain processing slowly.
Oh.
"Are you guys!"
Oh no.
"Great. Just great."
Yuriko muttered under her breath as she watched Higuchi whip out a phone. Obviously to call her boss or the person she was working for, to tell them that her targets were so-called captured, and how she had successfully tricked them.
Far from it, blondie.
"Akutagawa-san, I've captured them as planned."
Wait, what?
Did she say…
Akutagawa?
"Now we can dispose of them."
No.
No.
NO –
Out of the corner of her eyes, she spotted her two fellow agents reeling in shock.
"Did you say… Akutagawa?"
A painful expression appeared on Tanizaki's face, and he looked like he was about to faint.
"For the sake of our boss…"
Our Boss?
THEIR BOSS?
Just how much and how high had he climbed the power ladder of the Port Mafia?
"I will gladly kill you right here!"
Then, a pistol was whipped out suddenly, directly facing them.
Yuriko's vision sharpened, and she bent her knees, anticipating something exciting.
She licked her lips.
She hadn't experienced something so exciting for so long, and she was ready for whatever it took to bring down this blonde stranger.
Wait.
But there was Akutagawa Ryunnosuke waiting, hiding for them in the shadows.
Her lips dried.
Akutagawa Ryunnosuke.
A name she wouldn't ever forget.
"Uh… ow…"
She glanced to her side, eyes widening with horror at the sight she now witnessed.
"Onii-sama…"
No.
Naomi?
"Are you all right?"
Blood dripping from her dress, her back wounded and her beautiful pale skin now marred by red substance oozing all over.
"NAOMI!"
She promptly collapsed, still so graceful, a ghost of a smile gracing her features as she fell onto the dirty ground. Retaining her dignity.
Like an angel wounded in battle.
"NAOMI! Hang in there, Naomi! Open your eyes!"
Tanizaki was clearly in no state to help now.
Yuriko thinned her lips.
"Atsushi-kun! Miyamoto-kun! Do you have any bandages?"
Yuriko was already reaching into her bag, bringing out a thick roll of bandages, handing them over quickly to Tanizaki.
She sighed. She was so accustomed to her having to fetch Osa from idiotic suicide situations that she actually carried bandages around, in case Osa ever needed them for his injuries.
"No… I have to clean the wounds first… Then I can get Doctor Yosano to treat her…"
Clearly no state for any form of combat.
I suppose I'll just have to help myself later on.
I hope his ability still works.
Then she stepped behind him, gun pointed to his head, eyes flashing menacingly around.
"I have looked into you. You are not key combat personnel."
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Tanizaki is key combat personnel.
We can't do without his abilities.
"Why don't you join her lovely little sister?"
Big mistake.
Yuriko tensed up.
"Atsushi-kun and Miyamoto-kun, go take cover.."
Run.
"Leave this bitch to me…"
"To kill."
"LIGHT SNOW!"
She dragged the shocked Atsushi by the hand, rushing to a corner.
Higuchi was instantly confused, realising that Tanizaki must have vanished somehow. She pointed her gun in all directions, her posture steady, but her eyes revealed the panic that she tried to conceal inside.
Yuriko grinned.
"My Light Snow…"
Higuchi turned 360 degrees, desperately firing her gun aimlessly in all directions, hopelessly confused.
"… Shall turn this snow-filled space into a smoke-screen."
Higuchi's eyes grew rounder and rounder, larger and larger.
"Where are you?"
She barely whispered, a look of terror and fear plastered on her face, her body slightly trembling.
"My body shall be overwritten by the scenery behind me. You see me not."
Higuchi was in a blind panic now.
"Still… you'll still get shot, even so!"
"Big mistake."
Yuriko thought she could see a ghost of Tanizaki's smile flit across the space as something lunged towards her, Higuchi's throat being clasped by a pair of unerring, tough, strong hands.
Yuriko knew the true power of Tanizaki's hands.
They were powerful, tough, and there was no way –
"Ahem."
Did she just hear… a cough sound?
Yuriko quietly cursed under her breath.
She should have expected this happening.
As Tanizaki opened his mouth in shock to speak, his body crumpled to the ground.
Atsushi gaped, as he turned behind to face the monstrosity that was Akutagawa Ryunnosuke.
Great.
Just great.
Atsushi's mind filled with a billion, trillion, quadrillion, infinite number of thoughts as their eyes met.
Akutagawa's eyes were pitch black.
"You fear death."
"You fear killing."
He felt like he was slowly falling into a chasm; his body quivering, and for some reason the air felt just a little chiller than usual.
Definitely not because of the snow Tanizaki had created earlier.
"Those who yearn for death, are also yearned by death."
No.
What Kunikida had warned him about earlier flashed through his mind.
"Stay away from this guy. If you see him, run away."
The expression on Kunikida's face had been grave, even for him.
"Even I… Wouldn't pick a fight with him."
"Therefore…"
Atsushi glanced sideways, a plea for help hidden in his eyes. But Miyamoto Yuriko didn't notice him, and was instead staring at Akutagawa, seemingly deep in thought.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Akutagawa."
Obviously.
"… I am but a lowly dog of the Port Mafia…"
"Yeah, right."
Atsushi turned to face his partner, gaping at her.
What did she just say?!
Miyamoto didn't look in the least unruffled by what the Akutagawa character had just said, and merely stood with her hands on her hips, lips pursed.
"Obviously you're someone important. If you weren't Higuchi's superior or something, why would she report to you or call you?"
WHAT was Miyamoto Yuriko doing?!
Atsushi fervently chanted a silent prayer that she hadn't gone mad with fear or shock.
"At least credit us with some kind of common sense."
Yuriko glanced to the side, vaguely amused as Nakajima Atsushi looked like he was going to faint from what she had just said to the greatly feared Akutagawa Ryunnosuke.
Akutagawa curled his lip with amusement, as his lackey Higuchi sprang forward with disgust and horrification at what Yuriko's words.
"Akutagawa-senpai, don't belittle yourself like this! And how dare she insult you like that!?"
Higuchi was practically shooting daggers at Yuriko, as the green-eyed detective agent merely shrugged her off in response.
Seems like this Higuchi doesn't know anything about Akutagawa…
"I can handle this on my – "
Higuchi was interrupted by a swift movement, Akutagawa effectively controlling her with a violent swish of pure nothing.
He loomed over her terrified self.
"Your order is to capture the Man-Tiger alive. What if you shot him by mistake? Useless imbecile."
Yuriko pursed her lips.
Akutagawa Ryunnosuke…
"I am sorry…"
Higuchi bowed and muttered her apologies, eyes still fearfully watching her superior to see if he would dish out even more harsh words.
What kind of person had he become since she last saw him?
"Man-Tiger? Capture alive? Who are you people?"
"Our target has always been you alone, Man-Tiger."
Yuriko's mind swirled with thoughts.
Her mind flashed back to when Osa had told her about the lone man-tiger who had escaped from the area near an orphanage, fleeing to Yokohama…
So that's him, huh.
She scowled at the thought.
"Your companions lying over there… I guess you can say they got hurt because of you."
What?
In battle, when someone got injured or killed, it was no one's fault.
It was everyone's fault for slipping up, letting him suffer.
"You bring calamity to those around you simply by living."
What?
"You should have sensed it by now."
She had thought he would have known better than to say those exact lines which he had been told before to yet another innocent boy.
"Rashomon."
And as Atsushi thought he was going to die, he heard a whisper barely escaping Miyamoto Yuriko's mouth, filled with fury.
"Futatsu no niwa."
X
Thank you for reading this chapter! It's quite satisfying to end with a cliffhanger hehehe… Please give feedback on my writing and the story! I'd like to see how readers want the story to go.
By the way, Futatsu no niwa means two gardens in Japanese.