CHAPTER VVI (11)

Dark Side of The Moon

Alu stared at Dazai.

Dazai stared back.

Alu's nose twitched. She scratched it, finally looking away. Well, the cat was out of the bag— or in this case, fox. She sighed. "I already know you had a hunch," she said, rolling her eyes. "You don't have to feign surprise."

Dazai blinked however, and crossed his arms, a smile on his face—he was in a good mood. That was particularly unsettling to Alu. "I'm not pretending—I had a hunch, but to have it confirmed…" he trailed off, eyeing her. "Now I'm even more fascinated by who you are."

Alu shrugged. "I'm not that special," she said, frowning. "I mean," she thought to Juubi. She sighed again, exasperated. "I guess, you could argue ...the beast I harbor inside is special…"

Dazai stroked his chin, grinning at her. "Beast or not, I'm excited to make friends with you!" He said brightly, beaming.

Alu stared at him. Somehow, she had a feeling "friends" wasn't the right term to describe their relationship. She sighed though. She was getting a headache from all this thinking. Her stomach growled.

She rummaged again in her bin for another package of food. Maybe she'd eat Pringles. She completely ignored Dazai at this point.

Dazai blinked, catching on quickly that she was ignoring him. He pouted. He inched over to her, to watch her rummage for food. "So, where did you get all this food?" He asked, lightly.

Alu blinked. She felt her face warm with shame. She remembered how the agency found out how she had to steal it from stores nearby to live when she didn't have money. She shut the lid, and stood up. "None of your business," she said, grumpy.

Dazai blinked. "Hm, defensive...so I take it you didn't buy it," he asked, brightly.

Alu found this deduction as annoying as Ranpo's. She glared at him. "Okay fine, I stole it, happy?" She growled. "I'm poor, it's not like being here has made me rich or anything," she grumbled, turning away, opening her pringles and popping one in her mouth, moodily. "I plan to pay it back, so lay off."

Dazai didn't say anything. Even if he was about to say something, they were both interrupted by the door opening without warning.

Alu looked up, alarmed.

Panting, in the doorway, stood Kunikida. Alu's expression was comically depressed. "You! Who do you think you are!" Kunikida gasped, glaring at Dazai. "What are you doing with this young lady!"

Alu and Dazai exchanged glances.

Alu sighed, rolling her eyes and looking to Kunikida.

Before she could speak, Dazai piped up, "Oh, I'm sorry. I don't think we've formally met." He trotted over to Kunikida and extended out a bandaged hand with a beaming smile. Kunikida was on the defensive, but since Alu didn't show any signs of distress, he just eyed Dazai's outstretched hand, suspicious. "I'm her boyfriend."

Alu twitched. This guy. Kunikida blinked. "Her boyfriend?" He repeated, and then he saw how Alu looked irritated and he narrowed his eyes at Dazai. "How do I know that?"

Dazai looked to Alu. "Honey, he doesn't believe me," he whined.

Alu made a mental note to smother him to death later. Kunikida was a bit annoying and she didn't want to deal with having Kunikida stare her down for who knows how long. Figuring she could play along with Dazai's immature prank, she smiled back, coming over and wrapping her arm around Dazai's free arm, not outstretched to Kunikida. "Well, I know how much you enjoy it when prying eyes watch us," she purred, tugging Dazai down to eye level with a cat smirk.

Dazai's eyes widened from surprise as she made it look as though she was about to kiss his lips in front of Kunikida.

However, Kunikida squeaked in a deep distressed manner, backing up towards the door again.

"I-I apologize for the intrusion," he stammered, "I will simply be outside—goodbye!" He darted out the door and left Alu and Dazai alone.

Alu was still holding Dazai's face comically as though about to kiss him but she looked away towards the door Kunikida exited. Dazai, having recovered from the momentary surprise at Alu's forwardness, found himself amused. He leaned back towards her.

"Now that he's gone why don't we pick up where you left—" Alu walked away from him.

"No thanks," she said, cheerful.

Dazai blinked. He looked momentarily disappointed but then just amused again. He watched Alu as she went over to a window and watched as she began to step out of it. His expression changed to surprise. "Uh, what are you doing?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Shh," Alu put a finger to her lips. She gestured to the door.

Dazai blinked and looked towards where Kunikida had exited. Then he looked back, realizing what she was doing. But, his eyes widened with shock. In the split second he'd looked away— almost reflexively— she had disappeared!

Running over to the window, he peered out of it, scanning the nearby area for any sign of her. But it was like she'd disappeared into thin air. He was stunned. She'd somehow escaped. Dazai began to giggle to himself. This girl was providing one hell of a source of entertainment for him as far as he was concerned.

He smirked to himself, pulling out a burner phone from his pocket. No matter, he had placed a tracker on her. He saw the small red dot moving south from here. He'd just track her again! Suddenly, without warning, the red dot disappeared from the screen. Dazai stared. He was both impressed and irritated. So his plan to track her by tabbing her had actually failed?

He smirked to no one in particular. "I look forward to what you have in store for this city," he hummed. He thought of himself as extremely handsome and clever. He prided himself in knowing the moves of others before they even realized what their next move would be. This girl was no different. She was just another puzzle for him to figure out.

Challenge accepted.

Kunikida paced outside, stressed. Why was he stressed? Well, he had taken this agency job part-time while being a tutor and attending classes at University. He hadn't signed up to be this girl's bodyguard but if she had a boyfriend on top of everything, he didn't want to just stalk her outside her home. A lady shouldn't even be in this place! Kunikida paced, frustrated. He took out his phone finally.

The president would have some direction for him. He'd ask the president if he could just come back tomorrow. Kunikida gave the president a call.

President Fukuzawa sat at his desk, looking over some paperwork. His phone suddenly rang in a drawer, startling him. Fukuzawa cursed, opening the drawer and looking at it. He blinked. He took the phone out and flipped it open. "What's the status, Kunikida," he asked, formal.

"Sir, I went to guard the girl as you requested," Kunikida replied, formal. "However, it seems her boyfriend is also staying here."

There was silence on the other line. Kunikida cleared his throat. Fukuzawa furrowed his brow, puzzled. "Kunikida," he said, calm despite the puzzled features, "That girl doesn't have a boyfriend."

Kunikida blinked. "No, no, I assure you. I saw them just now," he sighed. "He was admittedly a bit overly friendly," he continued.

Fukuzawa twitched. "Kunikida," he said sharply, cutting off Kunikida's explanation. Not many people would Kunikida allow to interrupt him during an explanation—but the president wasn't just any person. He shut up immediately. "Find out the identity of her boyfriend. As far as Ranpo deduced, she lives alone."

Kunikida blinked. "Ah…" he was about to say more but the door above him opened, and Dazai popped his head out. "The boyfriend is here now, why don't you talk to him?" He suggested. The president sighed. Well, it would help. He leaned back in his chair.

"Put him on, then," Fukuzawa instructed.

Kunikida sighed and although he didn't want some vagabond touching his private property, he looked over to Dazai. "Hey, I have someone who wants to talk to you," he said gruffly. Dazai blinked, coming down the stairs, hands in his pants pockets. He had his bloody trench coat slung over his arm.

"Oh? I'm popular, is it a girl?" He asked cheerfully.

Kunikida twitched. This man had a girlfriend so why did it sound like he was so eager to cheat? Honestly, this was a low life. "No, it's a man," he stated.

"Oh, tell him I'm not interested then," Dazai said, breezily waving at Kunikida like he was shooing an animal.

"Hey! Don't disrespect president Fukuzawa!" Kunikida spluttered.

"President?" Dazai blinked. "Oh, you're from that agency," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Kunikida!" Fukuzawa barked, frustrated at Kunikida getting a bit distracted. For someone who was oddly super focused to a fault, this strange man was clearly throwing Kunikida off the point of all this. Kunikida just growled, and stomped over. Shoving his phone at Dazai. Dazai took it, figuring he had nothing better to do.

"Hello, Hello!" Dazai said cheerfully.

Fukuzawa froze. It was this man. "You," his eyes narrowed instantly. "What the hell are you doing?" He sounded stormy.

Dazai was amused, honestly. "Oh? Me? I was just visiting my girlfriend!" He said cheerfully. Kunikida couldn't really hear so he just crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently waiting for Dazai to finish talking with the president.

"Cut the crap," Fukuzawa said sharply. "Did he send you?"

Dazai's eyes flickered. Ah, so this paranoid bastard thought he was still with the Port Mafia. Not that he could blame him. He sighed. "No. I'm here of my own volition, cross my heart and hope to die! And I never hope to die unless I mean it!" He cheerfully, replied, twirling a little on his toes as he spoke to the president.

"Stay away from that girl," Fukuzawa hissed. Dazai suddenly made bad connection noises with his mouth into the receiver of the phone.

"Oh? What—can't hear—breaking up…" he shut the phone. Kunikida's jaw dropped.

"Did you just...hang up on the president?" He asked, absolutely horrified. Dazai beamed at him, and tossed the phone back to him.

"His flirting wasn't doing it for me," he said cheerfully, waving a hand at Kunikida. "I prefer girls anyways…"

"The president wasn't flirting with you, you bastard!" Kunikida hissed, appalled. "Don't be so vulgar! How dare you disrespect that man! He is a pillar of society! He—" but Dazai was already walking away while Kunikida was ranting. Kunikida yelled after him. "Are you even listening!"

Dazai just waved lazily and walked off, leaving Kunikida alone and awkward in that alley way again. Kunikida a rude man. How he was the boyfriend of that girl, he honestly had no idea. (*A/N: Poor Kunikida...so gullible lol).

Kunikida decided that since Dazai left that he would go check on the girl at least. He knocked but there was no response. He cleared his throat. "Miss?" No answer. He knocked again. Still no response. With a frown, worried, he opened the door, wondering if something had happened. His eyes widened. The place was deserted. He looked around.

Had that man done something after all? He called Fukuzawa. "President," he said, voice full of guilt.

"What is it?" Fukuzawa was talking with Ranpo but paused, when Kunikida called.

"The girl, she isn't here…" Kunikida confessed. "I ...I was careless...forgive me…"

"Tch," Fukuzawa stood up from his seat. "You left him and that girl alone, I presume?"

"Well—yes…" Kunikida stammered.

"They're not dating. They're not even in a relationship," Fukuzawa interjected, sharply. "That man, Kunikida, is named Dazai Osamu. He's not necessarily a reliable or safe person for her to be around. In fact, I'd say he is the most dangerous person for her to be around at this time," Fukuzawa concluded, with an irritable sigh, leaning back against his desk, hand over his eyes.

He was starting to get a real headache.

Ranpo just continued to watch Fukuzawa.

Fukuzawa and Ranpo had been discussing keeping Dazai's more criminal past a secret for the time being from the others at Oda Sakunosuke's earnest request that it be Dazai's business when that information would be revealed. Not normally one to withhold that sort of thing, Fukuzawa had agreed on the condition that Sakunosuke would consider becoming a member of the Armed Detective Agency and turn over a new leaf.

Meanwhile, Kunikida stood, horrified. Wait, if that was true...then he'd just left that girl alone with a dangerously borderline criminal. "Sir…" his voice shook. "I was …"

"No matter," Fukuzawa said curt, "I don't believe he plans to harm that girl. Regardless, you may go home. I will take over from here now that I know what I'm dealing with."

"Sir…" Kunikida tried to speak but Fukuzawa hung up.

Kunikida stared at his phone.

His expression was pained. He'd joined this agency to do the right thing and protect the innocent. He wanted more than anything to follow his ideals and make the world just a bit better. Looking at his phone, his expression twisted with guilt, he realized he'd done the exact opposite. He'd exposed that girl to danger and hadn't even realized it. What if he wasn't cut out for this line of work after all? "Maybe...I'm not cut out for this line of work after all…" he spoke softly, to no one in particular.

Alu's stomach growled. It'd been a week since she'd left her hideout. She hadn't really brought anything with her—she hadn't wanted to be tracked— and stealing convenience store food wasn't exactly something she enjoyed doing. "This sucks," she groaned, squatting near some trash bins in some windy part of downtown. She wasn't great with street names so she actually didn't know where she was but that didn't exactly matter to her. Everywhere starts looking similar after a while.

She pulled out a bag of chips she'd snagged and began to munch on them, moody. She had been avoiding any real detection this whole time. Whether it was prying eyes of some local weirdos or gangs at night, she did her best to stay out of anyone's particular turf. For now, she tried to think about what she'd do now. She realized joining the agency right now would at least put a paycheck in her pocket and a roof over her head. But, the thought of having to work with that naggy guy—Kunikida— and deal with that know-it-all Ranpo didn't exactly make it appealing. She sighed another mushroom cloud sigh. "Man, I really don't have any prospects though," she mumbled, sighing, looking up at the sky past the walls of the alley she was sitting in.

The clouds were really white today. The day was warm, and the sun was splashing its influence across the streets and buildings that basked in its light down below. Alu watched a few birds flapping near a street lamp.

She sighed. It would be nice if her gift had been flight or something. That would have been fun. Of course, then she would have an even harder time helping out people like Mr. Oda. She munched, wondering if that Dazai guy was still stalking her or if he'd gone off to turn over a clean slate himself. Not that she particularly cared what he did, but she figured that if anyone was cunning to help out against the children being harmed by Mimic, it would be his help she'd end up needing in the end. The dread of having to deal with his smug expression made it hardly appealing to think about.

Standing up finally, she decided to stretch her legs. Nothing a good walk couldn't take care of to stave off boredom, right?

As she trotted down the street, she came across a rather odd looking man. He had messy dark hair, glasses, and was apparently walking around in a Futon? She furrowed her brows. He was at a magazine stand, and he'd picked up something. She wondered what a weirdo in a sleeping bag was doing, not even properly dressed out in public. Not my business… she shrugged, beginning to walk past him. Oh well, what other people did wasn't exactly her problem all the time.

"Hold on," the unusual man said loudly. Alu paused, looking back, wondering if he was addressing her. He had his face in the magazine it seemed that he'd just purchased. It had swimsuit models on the cover. Alu made a face. Oh, he was one of those. She sighed, shaking her head, and she turned around, walking away. She didn't have time to converse with those kinds of hobbyists.

As she continued to walk, she glanced discreetly over her shoulder and realized she was being followed by that Futon wearing guy. You've got to be kidding me, she thought, eyes narrowing. She turned on her heel and ran Mach speed as far and fast away from him as she could. He looked up meanwhile from the magazine. "Oh…" he mumbled to seemingly no one in particular, "She's made a run for it."

"Don't worry, I'll take it from here," Fukuzawa's voice replied, into an earpiece that had been in this guy's ear. "Good job, Katai. Sorry to bother you like this. We needed to track her down."

"Can I go back to my room now," Katai, the young man in the Futon asked, seemingly upset, "I don't appreciate having the door locked."

Fukuzawa sighed on the other end. "Sorry, Ranpo made it clear to you that your mission was to track this girl in Kunikida's place." Normally he'd have chastised Ranpo for using a childish tactic to get someone to cooperate but in Katai's case—it was necessary.

Katai huffed. "I don't like being outside, or in public. Next time, I'll be the one leaving after Kunikida," he said, upset. Fukuzawa glanced at Ranpo in his office. Ranpo just nodded, adjusting his cap and left the room. Fukuzawa stood up as well.

"Understood. You'll get compensated accordingly for going out of your way—really, it's appreciated," Fukuzawa said, earnestly.

"I'm heading back now," Katai replied, already walking in the opposite direction that Alu had dashed off in.

"Good. And Katai?" Fukuzawa hesitated.

"Yes?" Katai asked, grimacing for some other order he wouldn't like.

"Please...let Kunikida know that if he reconsiders...I haven't formally accepted his resignation," Fukuzawa said, serious.

Katai sighed. "He's stubborn to a fault. What makes you think I'd be able to change his mind?"

"You're doing what you can, I appreciate it, that's all," Fukuzawa said, sighing as he hung up the phone. He gazed again at the letter on his desk, scrawled in neat chicken scratch. The folded letter simply said: Resignation Doppo Kunikida.

Alu breathed hard. Dang, when did she become such a weirdo magnet? She wheezed near a flower shop, catching her breath. Somehow, she'd ended up in yet another unfamiliar part of the city. Yokohama was a big city, she realized. She didn't even know which direction the agency or that Port Mafia building even was from here.

She sighed deeply. Well, whatever. She'd managed to lose that weird guy easily. Catching her breath, her eyes fell upon a little boy, holding his dad's hand and laughing about something, a toy soldier in his hand.

"And I'm gonna be a superhero and kick bad guys' butts!" The little boy giggled. The older man chuckled, picking up his son and letting him ride on his shoulders.

"Of course you are! Just like your old man," he laughed. Alu watched them walk down the street. A small pain twinged within her heart. They looked so much alike. They had similar hair, skin tones, even their mannerisms were similar. Is that what it meant to feel 'related' to your family? Her eyes flickered.

No, she wasn't jealous. Some kids just really were lucky. This feeling she felt, it more had to do with the fact that she wouldn't really ever understand that life of blissful unawareness. Putting her hands in her coat pockets, she just walked down the street, lost in thought again. She was an orphan, though perhaps not in the conventional sense.

She didn't really want to dwell on it. A distant memory flickered in her mind followed by the ghostly crack of a belt and she jolted, shaking herself from the darker side of her childhood as she almost walked into the street while the light was red.

"Look out!" Someone yelled, grabbing her by the arm. She blinked in alarm, bewildered. Looking over her shoulder, she came face to face with Fukuzawa.

Oh great—this guy. Her expression instantly dropped. "Did you follow me?" She asked, deadpan, pulling her arm free of his grasp, frowning apprehensively.

"You haven't shown your face for a week," Fukuzawa stated, "After learning you had contact with that unsavory character, Dazai, I was concerned you'd been abducted by the Port Mafia after all."

Alu made a face of disbelief. Did this guy think she was some dumb little child—no girl— who didn't know how to take care of herself? She bristled. "As you can see, I'm not a damsel," she huffed, turning on her heel and pushing the crosswalk button, irritated.

"I never said that," Fukuzawa sighed, frowning, letting his arms drop to his sides formally, "But, it did trouble me. I'm glad to see you're safe." Whether or not that was genuine or just because he was supposed to act like he cared— Alu couldn't tell. This was why she didn't like adults. They always knew how to put on an act. Her eyes flickered. She huffed, watching the light turn green for walking. She began to cross, ignoring the president. He followed behind her.

"I just want to live a peaceful life," Alu shrugged.

"If that was the case, then you really have a reckless way of showing it," Fukuzawa curtly replied, trailing her.

Alu stepped up onto the curb and continued to walk down the sidewalk, hands behind her head, not looking at the silver haired man following her with those pale steel blue eyes of his. What did he know? Actually better yet, what did he care about what happened to her? It was only because of her unique ability. Or maybe it was because of Juubi. Yeah, adults really tended to pay attention when they wanted something.

"When you're useful, that's how you prove your worth," a woman jeered at a much younger Alu, who hugged a stuffed lamb, tearful as the flash of a belt buckle was made apparent in the dimly lit room.

A sound like a whip cracked through the air.

Alu found herself running again. Whether or not that Silver Wolf was following, she didn't give a damn. She just wanted to get away. She hated those prying eyes. She hated being treated like she couldn't handle herself. And why couldn't she shake those bad memories? What was triggering them? She saw traffic crossing the street and glancing behind her at the older guy following, rather quick on his feet despite wearing those ridiculous old fashioned robes; she did something completely reckless.

She jumped into the road.

Cars squealed as drivers slammed on the brakes, in an attempt to avoid hitting her. As cars swerved to narrowly avoid her, she managed to cross and leave Fukuzawa behind with traffic now congested awkwardly laid out in front of him like scattered toys on a carpet. He stared after.

"Damn, I lost her…"