- Ch. 6: Between the lines -
Authors note:
Chapter takes place when Dazai was confronted with Chuuya again in the Oalsom but this time in the perspective of Rampo.
Reminder: Dazai had said to Rampo that after investigating they would meet again after 20 minutes to report. Dazai was set out for investigating in another wing than Rampo. Since Dazai was confronted with Chuuya again and Chuuya fainted, Dazai brought Chuuya to his apartment and kinda forgot about Rampo. So here is what happened with Rampo while the two idiots had their lil angsty hello again…
Also I messed up in the previous chapter when I said ch. 5 was about Rampo and Alfie but I meant ch. 6 so here ya go and enjoy:
*Rampo Pov*
25 minutes passed and Dazai was still not here. Should I search for him?
Well, knowing Dazai he will be okay in any kind of situation, he probably found something interesting. If it was something serious and of importance for the investigation he would've called me already. I'll let him be and wait a few more minutes.
…
After some time I looked at my watch. 10 minutes had already passed.
Rampo looked around. He was sitting on a bench in front of some beautiful red flowers. The place had an intriguing vibe to it. The Oalsom estate was said to be a cold and sad place. If you'd pass by the huge gate, you'd see the garden with it's old, worn-out benches, the red flowers followed with the intimidating statues in their fountains that were filled with filthy green water, not to mention the giant haunted looking building behind the garden, so it's understandable that people would be afraid of that place. Just looking at the estate from the outside gave you chills down your spine. But actually having been inside the place and thoroughly looking at it, I could see why Dazai had this sad but also warm smile when entering his previous home. It had some kind melancholic beauty in it. It looked rather lonesome yes, but at the same time also peacefull. Well if you wouldn't count the havoc the brainwashed children had caused inside. But normally that wouldn't be the case. Normally pre-mafia children would fill the place with laughter. It was bittersweet to think about these children, being given a chance for a new life. Being able to be with others like themselves, learning languages, math, how to defend yourself, getting food and a bed to sleep in. Most of these kids were abandoned and lost all those things that seemed so self-evident but for them it would be a life given to them, rather than the struggle to survive that they knew.
If you look at it that way it's no surprise why they wouldn't hesitate to work with the mafia when they turn in. Still, they are being forced. The caretakes manipulate them into thinking they owe them. Refusing the mafia would mean having no gratitude for the life given to them. It would also mean that that life would be taken away as quickly as they got it. If you didn't want to kill people for the sake of this so called "gratitude" then you would be killed instead.
Bittersweet.
But stopping the system was no option. If the agency would interfere and would take the pre-mafia members away you'd take away their home. The Oalsom was all they had. And we couldn't give all of them a better one. So until they turn 18 they would spent their time here, being happy.
In this perspective was the Oalsom something very fragile and beautiful.
I gave another look at the flowers. If I recall correctly Dazai has the same flowers on his desk in the agency. This place must have a lot of meaning to him. Even when we were still behind the gate you could see on Dazai's face it had a huge impact on it. I think it'd be best if I let the man be alone now.
I got my phone and texted Dazai that I'd meet him back at the Agency and began to walk toward the gate to take my leave.
On the thick wall and rather short wall linked with the gate sat a boy. I stood still and pierced my eyes at him.
The boy was sitting legs crossed. He wore black pants with a grey shirt and a loose blue-green checkered shirt above paired with a dark brown hoody. He looked like those edgy 16 year olds boys who would wander down the streets without a single purpose. What was rather odd was that he wore dark blue earmuffs and a black scarf that hid half of his face. It was almost spring… Another odd thing I noticed was that the boy had a very light green eye while the other one was a very dark green color. His right looked almost white, perhaps he was blind at that one?
He noticed me and stared at me with boredom. When I was at the gate, trying to open it he spoke with a mocking tone:
"Found anything interesting detective?" he said.
I looked up. The fact that he was even here was rather odd but that he knew I was investigating the case had me stunned. It wasn't even publically announced that the children had fled and the Oalsom had being left abandoned.
I fixed my glasses and said in a calm tone: "Nothing of your concern. May I ask what you are doing here?"
"Nothing of your concern", he mimicked me with a fake smile.
"Well actually it is my concern, you seem to know why I'm here so you must realise you being here isn't in your favor right? If you don't want to tell me why you are here then you can always tell the cops", I said.
"HA! … boring." The boy said jumping of the wall and facing me with a cocky attitude.
"Detectives and cops don't get along and even if you sent them, you have nothing on me mister detective. I could just say I was chilling here. What's wrong with appreciating the ugly statues or the disgusting flowers. Also the building! Wow! Just phenomenal don't you think? Just look at those bigass windows! You'd almost forget this was a prison!" he said sarcastically with a grim smile on his face. He stepped closer, his smile faded and he looked at me with a death glare and continued: "Almost"
I just glared at him, thought about his words and tried to analyse his behaviour.
First of all, it was certain he knew the Oalsom's true character. Regular people would just say it was an orphanage but the way he described it implied that he knew about the mafia's part in this, it being 'a prison'. He is familiar with it and has a disgust towards it, maybe he's one of the brainwashed children? No, no he doesn't look violent. Sure he does challenge me but it's much different than the overly aggressive victims of one's ability. He looks rather calm and confident. A bit too confident for a brat that knows I'm a detective. Hmm.. what could his connection be? Well I certainly won't let him pass.
"I see.. and from where comes this disgust towards this orphanage?" I asked.
The boy sighed and said: "Ah this is so tiresome. I'll be leaving. Ciao"
Before he could walk aways I grabbed his arm and pushed him to the wall. He looked at the ground, his grey/blue hair fell down his eyes and a smile appeared on his face.
"How about you let me go, né?" he said.
"Not before you tell me exactly who you are and what you're doing here", I stated.
"Isn't it obvious? tsk..you're a detective and yet you can't link the pieces together. How laughable. Really, if I was able to laugh I would've. What about you detective? Do you laugh often? You seem like someone who's quite serious when needed to but you aren't afraid to be silly right? Just for the purpose of making others laugh. Funny", he said now looking me straight in the eye.
"Bullseye! Ah, I know what you're feeling detective. You are smart and over confident of that intelligence but you can't know it all you know. Ah how desperately you want to understand emotions of other people. When I was little I was just like you. I knew how to read people, I knew the facts but I couldn't understand it really. I would always try to make people smile and that made me happy but I, myself didn't even get what was so funny about my calculated jokes. But here is the thing detective. Once you understand people's real emotions you'd be surprised how many of them are faking to laugh at your jokes. All the same. They're all the same. Ain't I correct detective?"
"Stop this nonsense. You do realise you're contradicting yourself right? Now tell me your name. I'm not interested in your life story or your problematic view on people. I'm interested in your connection to Oalsom. Don't waste my time kid", I said
"Ugh. I think it's the opposite, you're wasting my time here. I'm done playing", the boy said and then everything went hazy.
I remember the piercing look he gave me and I suddenly felt the desire to let him go. After that I suddenly felt really anxious. My tranquility and confidence suddenly gone. I backed away and tried to calm myself and think of what the fuck was happening.
The boy walked toward me and said: "All this talk about feeling and yet you still haven't figured it out. You shouldn't be so fixated on hidden meaning when there aren't any. Really, I was just chilling. Chilling and waiting when you were going to come out. I just wanted to have fun but even that seems impossible nowadays. Ugh...feelings", he said boredly.
And then it hit me. Feelings. The children and teachers weren't brainwashed. Their feelings were being manipulated. Just like I am now! This kid.. my thoughts were being abruptly cut off and next thing I know I'm seeing an odd boy leave through the gate.
Wait, who's that? And what is that boy doing here?
What am I doing here? Wasn't I standing at the bench just now.
I tried to get a glimpse of the boy's face but when he turned his head it appeared blurry although being a few meters away from me. The only thing I could distinguish was a dark green spot and a light green blurry spot, supposedly his eyes.
What the hell just happened?
*Alfie Pov*
I opened the gate and walked away. Before leaving I turned my head at the perplexed detective. How sad. He doesn't even realise this was all a game. From the moment I saw him I manipulated him into being impatient. Next I boosted his greed. Making him only focus on getting a straight answer on his two questions. Who I am and what I was doing there. Tsk, so impatient he didn't even try and read between the lines. Honestly I was just chilling, minding my own business and keeping guard for snoopers. Really he isn't even part of the mafia. What a disappointment. I didn't even got one genuine laugh out of toying with that man. Well at least I finally got to see those two again.
Ah yes, his expression was worth it though. He looked so miserable. Ha… If you think you can fool me with that facade of yours you couldn't be more wrong… Dazai.
Authors note:
Hi if you thought you'd get answers.. well you've got them but now they're even more questions. And yes, things will get more complicated. But everything will be clear in the end… i think… i hope.
Well anyway now you know, tho it was kinda obvious, who is behind the Oalsom case as well who's the root of Chuuya's hatred. Well kinda, you don't really know who the OC is but you kiiiiinda know his ability? Kinda.. there's more to just manipulating emotions and erasing memories… ALOT more. But what's the fun in revealing it all before the real drama begins? You guessed it! Back storieeeees! yay! Lol I'm sorry I love angst. But don't worry there will be alot of fluffy scenes, mostly in flashbacks tho were soukoku was still smol, but I'm also planning to do a smut scene buuuuuuuuut we'll get there. This gonna be a long fic and before your desires will be answered I'll have to let you wait and build the tension. Oooooooooor I could just let Dazai die in chapter 8, lol who knows? Okay so that was all. Also a big thanks to everyone who reviewed this story! I really appreciate it and it's really motivating! Thanks to you guys I have the motivation to write everyday on this. :) Tomorrow I'll probably write both chapter 7 and 8 so you don't have to wait that long :) (Next we'll be back with soukoku)
Also great thanks to my partner in crime, though wer'e both to lazy to commit crime- ELIIIIIIIIIIN! It's great. You're great. Greater than the great wall of China. It's true. Trust me. T… GREAT LAZY! WRITE YOUR GODDAMN FIC! No, well yes, do that but you are really awsome!
(Yes, yes the praising is going to be a regular thing)
Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it so far! :)