PART 1: THE GOOD
CHAPTER FOUR
[The Birth of the Storm]
It's been several weeks since Dazai had saved her from being killed and she hasn't forgotten a single bit about that encounter. Every time she would catch a glimpse of Akutagawa, the brunette would immediately scamper off the room or hide from him. The girl was sure that Dazai's subordinate would care less whether he knew about her endeavors in absconding or not. Yamazaki's reasoning was that they may cross paths and he could suddenly attack her, killing her on the spot.
She didn't want such a lame death.
She didn't want to die, sooner or later… not if she could help it.
After her and her mentor went to Motomachi to buy herself a phone, Yamazaki caught sight of Akutagawa walking along the adjacent street. With her beloved taiyaki* in hand and Chuuya's on the other, the brunette dragged him hastily to hide. (*Taiyaki = Japanese fish-shaped cake, often filled with 'anko' or red bean paste on the inside.)
The red headed teen shrugged off his student's antics, chuckling at her panicked face. Yamazaki found none of it funny but decided to just give her teacher a frown, instead of a smart-ass retort – she was getting better at that, if Chuuya may say so.
The boy received a call afterwards, telling him to report back to HQ with what happened to his infiltration mission with Dazai the night prior. He left her, telling the girl that she's free to wander around but she'll have to come back to the headquarters before seven in the evening. Yamazaki nodded at her petit mentor's orders, promising that she'll have to come back by five anyway, since Ozaki had asked her to buy some ingredients for that night's dinner.
Seated at one of the benches, Yamazaki could attest that the Harbor View Park was one of the best places one could ever go to around the port. The view was calming and relaxing, in contrast to their headquarters. It reeked of sin and corruption. Of course, she's used to that atmosphere, what with living in the mafia for almost five months now, but a change of scenery is always a good thing.
Even Chuuya highly encourages Yamazaki to walk around even without a task assigned to her. "I don't want you ending up like Dazai's apprentice." Her mentor had once said, "You can never bring that guy out of his room or the headquarters without a proper reason."
Tomie sighed in annoyance. She was fixated on her new phone, trying her best to be accustomed to the configuration of the said gadget. The early afternoon breeze blew her hair. Her soft brown locks grew at a faster rate now that it's being cared for, rather than its usual turtle pace growth back when she was still living in the streets. Yamazaki's shoulder length hair was now past her shoulders, her bangs already stopping at the side of her nose.
The girl blew on her bangs, rolling her eyes as she waited for her phone data to download necessary applications for work. She brought up her hand and rested her head on her palm.
Tomie sported a bandaged left hand, her fingers sloppily wrapped by herself since Kouyou had been a little bit busy and the young mafioso didn't want to impose. The wound was Tachihara's fault, back on their latest mission. His idiocy was going to be the death of her soon, she's sure of it. Sighing once again, Chuuya's apprentice closed her eyes as she attempted to recall the past five months she had with the people from the Port Mafia.
Chuuya being such a responsible mentor, teaching her everything she needs to know in surviving the ways of the mafia.
Hirotsu being the very image of discipline for her whenever she's done something stupid that might taint the fearsome image of their organization.
Tachihara being somewhat of a silly friend and an annoying rival when it comes to their tasks and missions.
Ozaki being a mother figure who scolds her for accumulating so many wounds and bruises from her trainings with Chuuya.
Dazai being very flirty and touchy with her, despite his highly revered title as a mafia executive.
And Akutagawa… Oh, edgelord emo child Akutagawa being such a douchebag for almost killing her twice-
"Tomie-chaaaaan~" A man's voice cut through her thoughts, stopping her from insulting the boy in the black coat further in her mind.
Tomie looked up, not surprised to see a bandage-wrapped Dazai Osamu getting right up her face. His expression was his usual lopsided grin that pulls to the right, making the young mafioso look playful and innocent.
The girl would've fallen for his looks if she knew nothing of his dark deeds in the mafia. "Dazai-san, good afternoon." She calmly nodded at him in response then came back to fiddling with her phone.
Dazai drawled a childish 'eh' and plopped beside her, their legs making contact as he made sure to be sitting exactly right beside her. "What's with the cold response?" He pouted, a frown etched on his handsome face.
Yamazaki didn't bother to move away from him. As long as he wouldn't initiate actual physical contact that might nullify her abilities, she'll let him slide. The brunette answered him, eyes still on her newly bought gadget, "I'm trying to figure out my phone. Chuuya-san went with me to the mall earlier to buy this. The last one exploded when I accidentally electrocuted the charger."
Dazai laughed at her explanation, imagining her face upon the explosion of her own phone. The brunette continued, "Hirotsu-san is getting mad because he can't contact me. I'm getting more of the prompt missions recently." The suicidal executive took notice of Tomie's phone, surprised that they were using the exact same brand and exact same model.
With a huge grin, he teased her, "You know, we really are meant to be~"
"Huh?"
"First, we had matching bandages on the eye~" Dazai pointed at his right eye that's still bandaged shut. Yamazaki wanted to ask how his wound didn't heal even after several weeks but she never really wanted to deal with another overly dramatic explanation from her superior. The young executive pointed at her phone and produced his own from his pockets, "Now, we have matching phones-"
Upon seeing Dazai's gadget, Yamazaki threw off her phone into the distance without hesitation. A deadpanned expression was etched on her face. "Ah, my hand slipped." She added monotonously, staring at the poor phone that has been tossed 7 feet across the bricked pavement. It snapped in two, much to Dazai's horror.
"How cruel~! My dear Tomie-chan, you didn't need to do that!" He exclaimed melodramatically, taking hold of the girl's shoulders as he shook her in exaggeration to his reaction.
The brunette shrugged, her poker-face expression never leaving her face, "I didn't like the arrangement of the apps on it anyway."
On the inside, she's crying at the pitiful sight of her new phone.
Though she's still not used to the configuration of the said gadget, Tomie was looking forward to using it because Chuuya personally helped her look for the perfect model that works well with her. She just can't fathom the fact that she shares the same exact phone as Dazai, giving the teen another excuse for him to tell her that they're meant to be.
"Ah, I'd buy you a new one then~!" Dazai chanted, his grip on her shoulders now encasing the girl in an awkward embrace. Tomie was peeved that her ability was gone as soon as his hands had made contact with her skin.
"No." She replied simply but sharply. Yamazaki squirmed and tried her best to push the suicidal mafioso, irritated by the fact that he's reeking of alcohol once again - it wasn't even past three o'clock in the afternoon. "Please, get off!"
"What am I going to do with you~?"
"Maybe stop touching me?"
"I can't! You're too cute!"
"Gah, g-go away, Dazai-san!" Yamazaki resisted, trying her best to claw off his clutches. His hands were at the same situation as hers, wounded and bandaged. The apprentice took note of how he carefully wrapped his hands and made a mental note of asking him to teach her - on a good day, that is, for minimal flirting and touching.
"You were happily hugging Akutagawa-kun last time, though!" Dazai exclaimed, rubbing his cheeks against hers like an attention-seeking dog who have waited time and time again for its master. "I'm getting jealous!"
"That was an act of desperation. Had I not hugged him, I would've been swimming with the fishes now." The brunette huffed, frowning at the very thought of the incident and why Dazai hadn't forgotten about it.
"True. It was a smart thing of you to do but don't do anything like that again."
"O-Of course not! I'm not the one to give free hugs." Chuuya's apprentice blushed at the notion, both in embarrassment and annoyance. Given the chance to cut ties with Akutagawa, she would do it without hesitation. However, that would require either of them leaving the mafia or dying horribly. She'd rather endure her adventures in playing 'hide and seek' than leave the organization that tolerated her existence or die without properly thanking her mentor.
"How much is one hug from you?"
"Huh?"
"I'm willing to pay~" The suicidal teen cooed, still rubbing his cheeks with Yamazaki's. "How about one kiss per hug?"
"No. Why are you so adamant that I hug you?" The brunette asked in exasperation, "There're other pretty women in the organization, so why me? I'm four years younger, I'm not pretty, I'm not strong and-" She was cut off when Dazai placed his index finger on her lips, his smile more genuine that his usual smirks.
"Shhhh." He shushed her, his voice changing from its earlier playfulness to a serious tone. "Speak no more, Tomie-chan. Didn't I tell you before that you're my one and only?"
"…I don't get it." Yamazaki looked away, pouting and frowning from Dazai's statement. He kept saying that. HE KEEPS SAYING THAT! The girl internally screamed in her mind. It frustrated her how easy it is for Dazai to say such things.
She's a nobody.
She's a piece of garbage with a convenient ability.
She's a member who is only being tolerated by the Port Mafia.
She's a bad person who killed just to prove that she's superior than others.
She's a girl clinging to the illusion that she's needed by the mafia because of her abilities.
She's a weak and frail girl that nobody will ever like-
Her thoughts were cut when Dazai had perched himself infront of her, his face filled with concern, "Did I say something wrong?" The young executive's eye was staring at her worriedly, his hands on top of hers. Yamazaki didn't notice that she was clenching her fists, her knuckles were as white as a pearl.
Chuuya's apprentice shook her head. Damn it! She brought up her legs and hid her face, tears unconsciously streaming down her cheeks. Damn it, this is so embarrassing! Yamazaki hugged her legs, trying her best to shove all of her self-pity aside. She didn't want to break down infront of Dazai again. She didn't want to break down ever again.
It made her feel...
"Crying is for the weak."
Tomie's heart did a jump. It was her late mother's words. That voice… It can't be-!
"And you're a weak piece of shit!"
Yamazaki's shoulders shook in panic. The girl looked up in a dark and cluttered room that has been boarded shut by the windows and a number of locks and chains decorating the door. She was trying her best to find the source of the voice. For the two years that she had stayed in the streets, that phantom of an echo had haunted her wherever she went. She would see the ghost of her dark room - the ghost of her vicious and ruthless prison.
It plagued her dreams. It ravaged her conscience. It destroyed her mind.
The thought of being the one to have killed your own parents with no recollection whatsoever. The terror of seeing a river of blood flowing down from your very own hands. The disgust towards yourself when you see the corpse of your parents not far from the weapon that has been used.
Tomie had been broken beyond belief… and in such a young age of twelve, at that.
No matter how hard she tried to recollect those shattered pieces of her humanity and innocence, the voice still continued, "Bad people like you should just die in a ditch!"
No! Stop it! Tomie pulled at her hair, closed her eyes and cocooned herself in a safety barrier between the cruel world and herself. Her tears kept flowing down and the warm afternoon breeze seemed to have turned cold and bleak. I don't want this… I don't deserve this… Please stop!
"Go kill yourself, you scum!"
I don't want to die. Please, don't let me die... She chanted on her mind, helplessly crying for help. This was despite the fact that she had long accepted that no one will ever save her from her own personal hell. After joining the Port Mafia, however, it sparked up a small ray of hope and salvation. A spark that she's desperately trying to cling to. Someone, please, stop the voices...!
The cold breeze stopped as she felt a warm garment of clothing being plopped down her shoulders. A strong pair of arms encased her in a tender embrace, a hand patting her head in attempt to ease her chaotic mind.
It felt… familiar.
"It's okay to cry, Tomie-chan…" Dazai's gentle voice cut through the poignant words of her mother, making her feel as if the thorn in her heart has been removed.
Yamazaki let herself cry hard. Every emotion that she kept hidden and locked up came crashing down - her happiness, her sadness, her fears, her self-pity, her envy, her confusion… and even that unnamed feeling on the pit of her stomach whenever Dazai's off to do something so heartfelt…
...exactly what he's doing right now.
"Are you hesitating?" The suicidal executive asked, his hand never leaving Tomie's head as he kept on appeasing her oscillating feelings. Even without context, the girl knew exactly what he was implying.
She sniffed and wiped off her tears. What kind of question is that? That's what she didn't say. The brunette knew that she wasn't hesitating. She never really hesitated in leaving the organization. If not, she had confirmed her resolve in continuing her deeds for the mafia.
"…no." Tomie shook her head. She didn't say anything after that.
To the girl, she was a bad person that nobody will ever accept if they know her past…
Suddenly, Chuuya's image passed her mind. He knew about her history. He knew about what she has done to her parents yet… he's still treating her like a human being. And even Dazai's being such a gentleman to her, though he's occasionally harassing her with flowery words and with his clinginess.
A random question popped up her head, a distraction that she needed, "Dazai-san, if we're the bad guys, then… who are the good guys?"
With a frown, the curly-haired mafioso sighed at her sudden inquiry, "That… I can't answer you, my dear… But what do you think?"
She was surprised by the fact that Dazai threw the question back at her. It gave her an excuse to change the subject and think about the topic at the same time. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Tomie answered, "I don't really think we're the bad guys here. I mean… you're not bad-"
"I have killed hundreds…" The dark haired teen retorted, his voice now sharp and serious, "Criminals, traitors and even innocent civilians."
"Yet you're still talking to me like a normal human being, Dazai-san." The girl leaned in his embrace, closing her eyes in exhaustion. Her nullified abilities have been long pushed back her mind. Just this once… I'll let this slide. She thought to herself, relaxing at the warmth and kindness from Dazai's simple gesture of affection.
"Still a wrecking ball of surprises, huh."
"See, you aren't a bad guy, Dazai-san, you're going to help me with shopping." Tomie smiled at the curly-haired executive, her right hand pulling at his as they both threaded on the sea of people in the Yokohamabashi Shopping District. A list of ingredients, written in beautiful calligraphy and perfect strokes, were on Yamazaki's left hand. Her earlier mood increased tenfold after accidentally sleeping on Dazai's embrace. It was a good thing that the suicidal teen didn't think anything of it as he let her rest for a while.
"Geez. I never thought you'd use a Port Mafia executive as your own personal maid, Tomie-chan." Dazai whined and pouted even though he was enjoying the fact that Tomie was the first one to actually initiate physical contact. He intertwined his fingers with hers, to which the girl didn't mind as she looked around the stalls.
"Plus, don't you just love walking around Yokohama?" She asked, her eyebrows arched in a questioning gesture.
"Well, since I'm with you, it's like a romantic walk, isn't it?"
"No."
"Such a quick shot down…" Dazai sniffed and faked his tears, a crestfallen expression was etched on his face. "You're learning too much from Chuuya! Distance yourself from your slug of a mentor for a bit. The next thing we know, you'd also be calling me a bastard." He melodramatically exclaimed.
Tomie looked offended at his conclusion. She looked at him with a frown and said to him in a very genuine manner, "I won't do that."
"Really?" The curly haired executive smiled, his eyes sparkled at the words coming from Tomie. He closed his eyes in glee and put his free hand on the left side of his chest, "That warms my heart-"
"The boss will have my head for disrespecting you." The apprentice glowered, holding her neck protectively with her free hand, the grocery list now tucked safely on her pants' pocket. She looked at Dazai with fearful eyes, "And I'm disrespecting you enough with my comebacks and retorts."
Upon hearing the girl's reasoning, the crocodile tears came back once again, "How dare you lead me on like that, Tomie-chan! My innocent heart has been wounded!"
Tomie looked at her superior with disbelieving eyes. "Innocent, my ass." She mumbled loud enough for Dazai to hear, a mix of a mocking and a joking tone is evident on her voice.
"I heard that missy." The executive gave her a look and lightly karate chopped her head, a smile gracing his handsome face.
"Ooops~"
"Who's asking you for grocery shopping, anyway? Chuuya?"
"Ane-sama." Tomie simply replied, her focus going back to the shopping list given to her by the said woman.
Dazai took it upon himself to direct the girl along the sea of people in Yokohamabashi, their hands still intertwined and the younger mafioso wasn't showing any signs of noticing it any time soon. "She said she'll be cooking food for you and Chuuya-san since your next mission will take weeks!"
She was upset that her mentor would be gone for two to three weeks, depending on the situation that's been happening in Tokyo. Chuuya and Dazai were assigned to stop any anomaly that has been appearing in the said place. It was disrupting their businesses and the boss wasn't getting anywhere near happy with the ability-users there.
However, Chuuya promised he would be there, just in time, for Christmas. Tomie was looking forward to spending her first Christmas without the pain of being beaten up to death or the fear of being hanged precariously inside a sack, 8 feet above the ground with no means to escape.
This was her first holiday season where she's got freedom to do what she likes and Yamazaki would love to show her appreciation to her mentor. The brunette was thinking of inviting Chuuya to a simple dinner in a restaurant she had passed by once. Of course, that was still a tentative plan - if her mentor isn't spending Christmas' Eve with a special someone.
"A party?" Dazai's voice brought her back to Yokohamabashi, stopping her train of thoughts.
Tomie shook her head, "It's not really a party... just a simple get-together, I think."
"What food are you cooking?" The suicidal teen's eye sparkled with anticipation, the thought of seeing Yamazaki prepare food for him made his heart skip a beat. She'd be the perfect wife-material if she's good in cooking! Dazai mentally noted then continued to sing his high praises for the girl, as if Tomie-chan isn't perfect enough~
"I'm just helping out." Tomie smiled humbly, hiding the fact that the only food she knew how to cook is instant ramen and the usual fried foods, like sunny-side up eggs. She passed the grocery list to Dazai and explained, "Ane-sama gave me this list but I'm not really sure where to buy…"
"Leave it to me~" The dark haired executive examined the list and smiled back at the younger girl. Dazai promised himself to bring Tomie to the finest stalls so she could buy quality materials for this 'get-together', thus resulting in amazing food that the girl could make.
They walked around the shopping district, buying the ingredients one by one. The suicidal executive was happily walking alongside Tomie despite the fact that he's the one bringing the things they bought. He insisted on taking the groceries from Tomie, much to the hesitation of the girl.
The two mafiosi was about to go back to the headquarters when a particular shop caught Tomie's eyes. She stopped walking, her eyes fixated on the sign and the glass panels that showed cute little animals staring at the people walking past. The young girl clutched the sleeves of Dazai's black blazer unconsciously. It caught the attention of the teen.
He looked at Tomie in confusion and the girl asked, "Dazai-san, is that a pet store?" She pointed at the said store, in which Dazai turned his attention to the place she's directing at.
With a gentle smile, Dazai nodded and replied, "Why yes. It is a pet store, Tomie-chan."
"Can we take a peek? Just a little bit?"
The bandage wrapped executive frowned, "Tomie-chan, you just told me that you need to go back to the HQ before five..." He faltered as Tomie gave him the sweetest smile and the cutest pleading look that he had ever seen from the young apprentice. Had he not known about self-control, Dazai would've fainted right then and there. With a slight blush across his cheeks, he merely sighed and agreed to the girl's plead, "Well, I can't say no to such a cute face."
Yamazaki gave out a cheer of happiness and dragged the mafia executive to the pet store with the brightest grin she has ever displayed that day.
They entered the shop filled with different kinds of domestic and rare pets. The girl immediately cooed at the closest animal she found, a colorful parrot perched on an artificial branch, "Ah, look at that adorable bird~ I've always wanted a parrot."
"Would you like one?"
"It'll die if I bought one. I'll forget to feed it regularly." She shrugged, an embarrassed blush dusting on her cheeks as she honestly admitted that to Dazai.
"Fair point." He nodded. The dark haired teen's attention was diverted when he saw the little kittens on their own place at the side of the shop. Dazai put the groceries down and squatted down to look closer at the pets. He gave out a cute 'nyan~' and tried to one-sidedly converse with the kittens.
Upon seeing Dazai squatted on the side of the store, Tomie followed him to see what caught the boy's attention. She gave out a disgusted 'geh' and glowered at the pets.
"What's with the reaction?"
"A cat scratched me when I was a kid!" She pouted, rubbing her left wrist as if the scratch from the said cat was still evident on her skin, "It hurt like hell, especially when the doctor gave me the anti-rabies injection, and my mother scolded me for being too playful with animals."
"What happened after? You didn't get rabies, did you?" Dazai stood up with a teasing grin.
"I didn't get rabies, Dazai-san," Tomie shook her head then glared at the kittens unconsciously, hatefully remembering the event, "But she killed my hamsters because of that! Ugh, that old hag."
"Poor hamsters." Dazai laughed at her and patted her head.
"Right?" She replied, agreeing on her own opinions. The brunette heard a soft bark from the other side of the shop. There were puppies of different breeds and sizes. Tomie gave out a squeal and hastily walked towards them, surprising Dazai from the girl's childish display.
It was a first, after all. She always seemed to be sharp, sassy and serious - especially when she's with Chuuya. Dazai found this childish trait of Tomie as endearing.
He sighed in remorse. The suicidal executive realized that the girl is just a simple young teen, too young to be so exposed to mafia's corruption. He feared for her safety and much more for her future.
The teenage boy could only look at her despairingly as she squatted infront of the glass panel. "What a cute little puppy~" She cooed, tapping the glass panel that separates the rest of the shop from the puppies. Tomie looked up to Dazai and stuttered, "C-Can I- Uhm- Would I-?"
He nodded affectionately and signaled for one of the employees. When a female employee came to their side immediately, Dazai asked in the most alluring voice he could muster, "Miss, my little sister would like to see the puppies, would you be so nice to let her inside the room?"
"Uhm, sir, these are for those who'll be placing adoption on one of our puppies… She's welcome to peek at the window, though, if you're both only going to look at them." She explained, looking apologetically at Tomie.
The young apprentice merely looked at the store employee. She was blushing and was a bit fidgety. Tomie's mind processed what had happened. Dazai using his usual flirty voice on a stranger was no surprise to her. However, she knew of his ulterior motive as to why he's using his looks and social skills. It's for the employee to accept his whims. The younger mafioso forced herself to not laugh at the situation. Instead, Tomie frowned dejectedly, playing her part as Dazai's sister.
"I'm sorry, Tomie-chan…" Dazai patted her shoulder, his face expressing remorse at the employee's decision to not let her inside the room of puppies, "I took a day off just for your birthday but I'm sorry, sweetie, you can't go inside-"
"O-Oh! It's her birthday? Uhm…" The employee seemed confused and panicked, her face displaying a forced smile, "M-Maybe I can make an exception… J-Just this once."
"Why, thank you, my lady. It means a lot to me that my little sister is happy on her day." The young executive said, holding the girl employee's hand and kissed it as thanks. Behind the suicidal mafioso, Tomie was gripping at his blazer for support. She was shaking from forcing herself to not howl in laughter at Dazai's schemes. She was highly amused at the scene that's happening before her.
"I-I'll just get the keys from my m-manager, I'll be right back..."
The brunette grinned at Dazai as the store employee made a beeline to the manager's office. He looked at her with his eyebrows arched up in confusion, "What? What's with the smirk?"
"That was some smooth talking, Dazai-san." She lightly punched him on the shoulder, the grin never leaving her face.
"Is that your way of thanking me, imouto?" The dark haired teen chuckled at her, slinging his arm around her shoulders and ruffled her hair.
Tomie yelped and resisted from his grip but she was laughing, in contrast to her previous attempts of getting away from Dazai. "Yes yes, nii-san, thank you so much." She replied sarcastically, making a mocking face at Dazai.
"I'd like a kiss on the cheek, please."
"Kiss my ass, Dazai-san."
Dazai dramatically gasped and looked at her as if it offended him, "Rude."
It has been several weeks.
Three months, to be exact.
Nine weeks, to be more precise.
Sixty-six days, to be a lot more specific.
Akutagawa was unconsciously keeping track of the time. He didn't like how he instinctively counted how long he has seen Yamazaki face-to-face. Of course, the boy in black coat doesn't have a sliver of attraction towards the girl. Not a chance. Never in a million years. No past, present or future lives of him will ever match up or develop the patience to deal with the girl's bright eyed obnoxiousness.
In fact, she was very far from his ideal type.
The ravenet's ideal type was someone like his sister, Gin. Long locks of hair flowing across the breeze, lady-like and well-mannered, strong and independent… These are his preferences, to name a few. And none of these matched Yamazaki in anyway.
He was merely counting the days, weeks and months that they had encountered each other personally. Akutagawa was aware that the girl was avoiding him. She wasn't very obvious on the first weeks, being all stealthy and sneaky whenever he would come to view. The following several weeks were a disappointment. The brunette was being hasty with her evasions and it was starting to become obvious to Akutagawa.
Despite his grudge towards the girl -she was the first one to insult him and has ever lived to tell the tale-, Dazai's apprentice was looking forward to this game of hide-and-seek with Yamazaki. He liked seeing her panicked expression and horrified face. It made him feel… superior, for once.
There are the other men in the mafia who fear him and are inferior to him in the hierarchical caste of the mafia, like that member called Oda Sakunoske, but Yamazaki was different.
The thought of someone groveling at his feet in utter horror made his sickly body feel alive. His whole life was a rollercoaster in the dumpster, after all. Akutagawa was always either hollow, empty or aimless. He wasn't the one to complain about it but meeting Yamazaki made a different turn in his pathetic life.
She was the first to try and attempt to befriend the lovechild of darkness and sin. She was the first to insult him creatively - and she was the first to ever lived, as much as he hated that fact. She was the first to avoid the situation by hiding from him, instead of totally leaving the mafia...
And she was the first to be able to get Dazai's praise and devotion without doing so much as smile idiotically towards her mentor.
She was the bane of his existence. She was the reason why he's keeping his tail in between his legs, in fear of being chased out of the organization if he so much as kill her. Dazai would definitely do that, seeing that Akutagawa's suicidal maniac of a teacher is merely toying with the girl. As the faithful and humble apprentice, the ravenet knows that he shouldn't fuck around with Dazai's playtoys - not now, not ever.
"-gawa." A man's voice shattered his train of thoughts, bringing him back to the bleak hallways of the headquarters.
Akutagawa's attention turned back to the man in the suit. He looked at him with an expressionless face and blinked. What was he saying again? He asked himself, knowing full well that he's been ignoring the man due to his idle thoughts.
The man sighed patiently at the young teen. "Were you listening?" He asked hesitantly, in fear of his own life.
"Sorry. What was it?" Akutagawa replied. He covered his hand infront of his mouth, coughing softly. His coughing had been constantly bugging him but he can't be bothered to go to a doctor. He believed that the medication he's taking is enough to suppress the irritating feeling on his lungs. Gin, however, begged to differ. She was forcing him to at least check-up on his condition. Akutagawa still refused.
"I said you're asked to report to the boss. He's awaiting you."
"Now?"
"Yes." The man nodded, "Now."
The teen in the black coat frowned and grunted. He didn't want to go around the headquarters as of the moment. He was waiting for his prey to come out. Yamazaki was lounging around the lobby. If she goes outside, the girl would eventually see him and this would result in another game of 'hide-and-seek'. "Where's Dazai-san? Does he know?"
"He's off to a mission in Tokyo… And no, the memo was only given this afternoon. Dazai-san left in the morning with Nakahara-san."
"Tch." Akutagawa crossed his arms and glared at the man. He found it unnecessary to go to the boss' office. He's not an executive. He's not a highly revered member, either. He's just… Dazai's apprentice. "Why is the boss asking for my audience? I'm a mere subordinate."
The man shook his head, "He didn't tell."
"Fine." And with that, Akutagawa left for the central building within the Port Mafia complex. Yamazaki's horrified face will have to wait, he thought to himself.
Akutagawa had never met the Port Mafia's leader, even after his years of service to the organization. All he know about the man was his name and his way of running the mafia. He respected the boss, like any other individual in the Port Mafia, but what baffled him is the fact that Mori was asking for his audience.
Perhaps he has something to say to Dazai-san? Akutagawa asked himself, thinking of the reasons why he's being called upon. Maybe he's assigning me on some important mission-
A shrill scream cut through the dim hallways of the top floor of the main building. Akutagawa's mood turned sour upon hearing the inhuman volume of protests and yells that came from his boss' office. It was as if Mori Ougai's child can't be tamed - that is, if he has a child.
"I'm Akutagawa." The ravenet said to the sentries who were guarding the front door. They let him in without saying a word.
As he stepped inside the room, he saw a little blonde girl in a red dress screaming her lungs off. She was running away from a middle-aged man, presumably the Mori Ougai. The boss was holding a pair of chopsticks and a black bowl. He was sporting a panicked expression, a worried frown etched on his face.
"You can eat that garbage, Rintarou!" The little girl yelled, flinging a throw pillow towards the man. She continued her flight, her face flushed red from all the screaming, running and absconding from the mafia boss. "You're tricking me into eating something spicy again!"
Akutagawa cleared his throat, announcing his presence to the two. "Boss, I came under your orders." He said humbly and politely, not wanting to create a bad impression to the man who had agreed to take him in. If it wasn't for Mori's permission, Akutagawa knew he would be dead and killed by Dazai, years prior to the current situation he's in.
"Akutagawa-kun?" Mori looked at him for support, "Can I ask you of something? This is very urgent." The middle-aged mafia boss walked to his table and picked up a spoon. He hastily went to the teen's direction and offered the food to Akutagawa. "Does this taste spicy? Elise has been running away from me because of this!"
"THAT'S SPICY!" The little girl said, locking herself on one of Mori's closets.
Urgent? Akutagawa swore he would have facepalmed at the boss' notion, if Mori wasn't his boss. The teen took the pork cutlet bowl, taking a decent amount of the food for him to taste. He chewed the food, assessing the taste, texture and it's over-all flavor. "Not at all. The caramelized onions' sweetness actually cut through the salt in the katsu. Plus, the added egg made the dish somewhat creamy. It's nowhere near spicy."
Mori sighed in relief, seeing that one of his members have agreed to him. "See, Elise? I told you it's not spicy!" He said to the little girl, forcing her out of the closet in which she had tried to hide on.
Akutagawa passed the katsudon bowl to the little girl without a word. He was mystified and perplexed at this urgent matter with the boss. Was this his reason why he asked of me? He mentally questioned, not really sure if this was the same man as he was expecting Mori to be. If this was the case, then he's not surprised why Dazai's the way he is today.
Elise took the food from him and picked up the forgotten chopsticks from Mori's table. The little girl sat on one of the sofas in the office with a pout. She ate silently in the background, much to Mori's pleasure.
The young assassin diverted his attention to the mafia boss, who was now seated on his chair, fixing himself after the chaotic feeding time with Elise. "Now, do you know why I asked of you to come up here?" Mori asked him, looking at Akutagawa straight in the eyes.
"No, boss."
"I think you've been properly acquainted to Yamazaki Tomie-chan?" The mafia boss smiled at him, his eyes showing a spark that screams 'ulterior motives' to the ravenet.
"Yes, sir." He replied politely, "She's Nakahara-san's subordinate-"
Mori cut him, slightly narrowing his eyes at Dazai's apprentice. "Reports came in to me, saying that you once tried to kill her and another time you merely left her to fend off for herself a few months ago. Is that true?" There was a sudden chill that spread across the room and Akutagawa knew that this conversation with the boss is going south.
One wrong answer may cost him his life, if he's not careful.
"Yes, sir." The ravenet merely agreed, forcing himself to tell the truth - no matter how hard it is to avoid the temptation of lying.
"Do you know why Yamazaki-chan, despite such a frail young and inexperienced ability-user like her, is in this organization?"
"…I can't say I know, boss."
"She has greater potential than any of our subordinates in this organization… including you." Mori shrugged lightheartedly, baffling the young teen. Akutagawa can't seem to imagine Yamazaki being a lot stronger than him.
According to Dazai, he was a slow learner and that his ability is useless. The black haired assassin proved that wrong - and he kept proving that wrong. He may be a slow learner but he's becoming stronger each time he defeats his enemies. Yamazaki, on the other hand, is also a slow learner and her emotions cloud her potentials to use her ability. She can't even kill a single enemy without a force that pushes her to commit the crime.
To Akutagawa, that's their most obvious difference. The mental and emotional strength to do the dark deeds for the Port Mafia without hesitation.
"Can I ask why, sir?" Akutagawa inquired, hoping that he wasn't crossing the line with that one question. If there was something he didn't want to do when meeting Mori, that would be offending the mafia boss by thinking that Akutagawa's a know-it-all and an obnoxious teen who's not worth the mafia's time. The ravenet didn't want that.
"There are things I cannot state as of yet but I'm going to tell you right now… Yamazaki-chan is important to the mafia and its future, Akutagawa-kun. Killing her in your own hands means you're crushing the organization that fed and sheltered you all these years."
"With all due respect, how can you say that she's important? She can't even protect herself-"
"I can't give you the full details, Akutagawa-kun." The middle aged man sighed at Akutagawa's inquiries. Then, an idea popped in his mind, "Hmmm… Maybe just one significant fact to scare you off."
Akutagawa had never been so traumatized his whole life upon hearing the classified information from Mori.
It's been six days since Chuuya went to Tokyo with Dazai for official mafia business. Yamazaki was in the dark about what's actually happening there and how bad the situation is, since her mentor had only left her with a simple note and a new hat to add to her humble collection.
The note read:
Oi, Tomie, I'll be back before Christmas. Don't forget about my gift. Remember that wine we saw in the antique shop? It'd be great if you can get that for me. I'd buy it myself but the owner had banned me from his shop because he claims that I kept scamming him! As if I'd stoop so low for such an amazing bottle of wine. Every yen is worth it, to be honest. And I'll tell you about the mission once I get back since the boss ordered me not to tell you yet.
In the meantime, always follow Kouyou-ane-san, she'll know what to do with you. Play nice with Tachihara and Dazai's apprentice, don't let them kill you while I'm gone. I'll bring back gifts for you, don't worry. You'd like more hats, too, right?
Alright, I'm off. Shitty Dazai's whining about me being all fiddly with my 'love letter' – he didn't know I'm writing this to you. Here's an early gift, in case I don't get to be there at Christmas… Just in case!
–Chuuya
She could only sigh at the pretty hat that her mentor gave her. It has been like that for a few months now. Chuuya would buy her something that caught his attention or something that reminded him of her and Tomie would do the same for him. Her pay was too much for herself so she'd spend half of it on savings and every day needs, a quarter for donations, another quarter for the gift-war she declared with Chuuya.
Yamazaki groaned in boredom. It was downtime in the mafia, not many tasks are to be accomplished since most of their businesses are begrudgingly on-hold. The brunette had no idea why it's possible to have so much free time in their organization. She could only hypothesize the fact that maybe the anomalies in Tokyo had been affecting their local trades.
"Hhhgnhh… Why is Chuuya-san out of town again…! And Tachihara's off with his squad." She complained, stretching herself at one of the sofas in the lobby. The reception was one of Yamazaki's favorite hang-out places if she's home-bound. In addition to the nice lady receptionist, many of the members did not use the sofa when they're checking in for a job – giving the brunette the pleasure of being sprawled on the said furniture alone. The buildings may seem normally elegant to an outsider but if one is a member of the Port Mafia, they'd know the secrets around the structures.
Their receptionist left for a lunch break when the young apprentice decided to stay in the lobby for a bit. "This isn't fair. Why am I left here in the HQ?" Yamazaki cried out rolling around the sofa like a small child waiting for Santa Claus to come on a Christmas Eve.
"Gah! Even Hirotsu-san and Ane-sama are gone for their missions." She sat up abruptly, making her head swirl for a while. The girl felt her wallet fall down from the back pocket of her pants. Groaning, she picked it up reluctantly – only to blush upon seeing a familiar picture displayed in it.
It was her and Dazai when they went out to the shopping district. The dark-haired teen insisted that they try the purikura* since no one is using it and since they have time to spare. The girl was dragged along, much to her dismay. She would've been alright with it if Dazai didn't kiss her on the cheeks, again, at the last picture. (*Purikura = Photo booth)
"Yamazaki."
"Eeek!" She immediately closed her wallet in panic and looked up to the source of the voice. Lo and behold, the one and only emo-lord Akutagawa was standing proud and tall infront of her, eyes glazed with boredom. The brunette's heart was thumping hard upon the sight of the dangerous teen and she dashed for it, running away with her life intact.
Akutagawa clicked his tongue and used his rashoumon to grab the girl by the ankles, dragging her back towards him. "Yamazaki…" He repeated, his tone strained.
"G-Go away!" She screamed, gripping the potted Madagascar Dragon tree that was near her vicinity and hugged it for her dear life. "I w-want to live!" Tomie protested as Akutagawa's rashoumon pulled her away from the poor plant.
He hanged her upside down, leaving the girl squirming mid-air. Why is today not my day?! Tomie internally screamed as she resisted Dazai's apprentice's ability. "Don't ignore me when I am making an effort to speak with your sorry ass." He stared at her with a poker face but his voice was lacing with irritation and annoyance.
"Don't kill me! I'm sorry for that last stunt in the port…" She faltered when Akutagawa shoved a small pocket-sized box towards her. He lowered her to the floor, leaving the girl in confusion. "Uhm… W-What's this?"
"It's-"
"T-This is a small grenade, isn't it? It'll explode o-once I open it, right? Or m-maybe it's a poison gas th-that will kill me once it shoots its g-gases into my face? I saw t-that once of the TV wh-when my father was w-watching. Or maybe-!" Yamazaki stopped babbling when the dangerous teen pointed multiple knife-like strips of rashoumon around her neck, forcing her to shut up.
"The boss assigned me to be your partner for the rest of your life-"
"You're proposing to me?!" She gaped at him, almost forgetting the pointy tips of the ravenet's ability.
"No, you fool." He spat out with pure venom. Akutagawa was disgusted at her notion.
"But you said…" The girl opened the little box. It showed her a simple silver necklace with a small emerald gem decorating it. Oh, it's not a ring. She sighed in relief, unable to think about her answer if Akutagawa really is proposing to her. Whew. WAIT, WHY IS HE GIVING ME A NECKLACE?! Yamazaki was about to ask him why he'd give her such a piece of jewelry but he was faster with his reply.
"I have neither the intention of getting married nor to get married to a simpleton like you."
"That's harsh. I have good qualities, too…" She mumbled the last part in aggravation, her mind not processing the fact that they were now official partners.
"This letter is directly from the boss, stating that whenever you have missions, we'll be going together as a pair." Akutagawa explain, his voice displaying hints of antipathy and exasperation. "Apparently, he didn't see chaos when you're with that Black Lizard guy."
"But why? Y-You probably hate me-"
"Not probably. I despise you."
"Point taken…" She nodded, understanding why Akutagawa despises her. She hates him, too, for all of the horrible things he has done. Now, pointing all of his rashoumon towards her, is another reason why she hates the boy. "Why would he do that, though?!"
"Confidential information."
"Hah?!"
"The boss did not want me to tell you any more information regarding this subject."
Yamazaki sighed in exasperation. "Just a clue, please?"
"Loosen your tongue and you lose your life, Yamazaki. The second most important rule of the mafia." He looked at her, eyes judging every bit of Yamazaki's being. The teen put up his hands infront of his mouth, coughing ever-so-slightly. "Unfortunately, however, being in an official partnership like this also means that you've been given a label that stops me from killing you." Akutagawa explained, retracting the knife-like rashoumon away from Yamazaki.
"Shut up." She replied, eyes as wide as saucers. Am I really hearing this? She thought to herself. The thought of Akutagawa not killing her thrilled the brunette. It was like a thorn was pulled from her soul, knowing that the dangerous ravenet isn't going to hunt her for blood.
"Yes."
"So, even if I do this?" Yamazaki asked, poking the boy at his shoulder.
"Fuck off." He slapped away her hands.
"Or this?" The girl poked his back.
"Poke me one more time-"
"Maybe this?" She poked him on the right side of his abdomen, making the boy step back from her touch. It seemed uncharacteristic of Dazai's apprentice to retreat from her poking - leaving the girl to one hypothesis: Akutagawa is ticklish on his sides.
"I will stab you, Yamazaki!" He yelled at her, his ability now ready to attack her in every possible angle one can imagine.
"But you said you can't kill me!"
"I can't kill you but that doesn't mean I can't hurt you."
Fear came back to the brunette's eyes, not believing Akutagawa's words. "But stabbing me will kill me!" She reasoned out, giving out a desperate but panicked smile.
"I heard from Ozaki-san about your healing rate. You will not perish if I stab you… just a little bit. Am I right?" The ravenet asked her, dark irises appreciating the fear he had instilled within the girl in mere seconds.
"You're having fun at the thought of being able to torture me, aren't you?" She asked him, voice cracking from the thoughts of herself, blushing and moaning under Akutagawa's ministrations. Chuuya had accepted that part of her, giving her leeway time to adjust if the pain is too much for her. The boy in the black coat, however, would laugh at her if he knew about this strange masochistic behavior she had developed.
She wasn't ready to show anyone that side of her. Not Dazai… and especially not her now-official partner, Akutagawa. This edgelord will surely love her pain, seeing that he can blackmail and humiliate her all he wants.
"I'm basically looking forward to it, Yamazaki."
"Shit." That's when Yamazaki knew… A storm is starting to brew within the Port Mafia, and that's not because of the Soukoku pair.
A/N:
*Hang around in the next few days because I'll be updating soon with the Christmas and New Year's Special!*
9,000 words. That's what you guys get for being amazing readers! My Christmas is already happy enough that Mystic Messenger's Christmas DLC came in and I— /sniffs/ 43 favorites and 57 follows…! Thank you so much for believing in this story! I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas despite the fact that the BSD anime was finished last Friday! /whispers/ It's okay, we're getting a season three sooner or later because Dostoevsky's been featured in the finaleeeee!
VeraVera: I hope you passed all of your exams, bae! I'm happy to have brought light to your dark week on my last update! And yes, I love insulting our beloved emo child, Akutagawa. /cackles manically/ It's something that I won't be able to do if I'm in their universe, after all, so I'm enjoying the liberty that I have right now. Thank you for always reviewing in this story and I hope you never get tired of me asking for feedback and motivation!
3: Akutagawa being such an ass is the best Akutagawa tbh! Hahahaha /slapped/
Yuki15: That's an interesting suggestion but I'm sorry to say that I can't do that. I've written out the partially-complete plotline of this story. All I have to do now is write the actual chapters with a few edits here and there. If there is a certain event that I'm not satisfied with, I'll have to tweak the story a bit but I can't change something so major in the plot line. It's very interesting (/whispers/ it's sooo tempting since Mafia!Dazai is waaaay hotter and cooler than A.D.A.!Dazai, if that makes sense… /stabbed/) but I'm really sorry that I can't do that. Please look forward to the following chapters that I have prepared, though!
Mikilla: Well, as of now, she has Dazai, Akutagawa, Chuuya and Tachihara… Should we bring in Tanizaki and Atsushi? /waggles eyebrows/ That'd be interesting HAHAHAHA /shot/ OH AND BY THE WAY, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO YOUR DRAWING OF TOMIEEE! /squeals/ This is the first time someone had asked me if they can draw my OC and please do! Here is the reference sheet I made a few days back (made especially for you, darling) and you can contact me on tumblr, under the same username I have here in Fanfiction-dot-net!
[Please change the "dot"s to actual periods because Fanfiction doesn't allow links… and if it doesn't show up, PM me, I'll try to reply right away!] principessabel(dot)tumblr(dot)com/post/154549348964/
kirika o7: SAAAMEEEE! I'm trying my best to not rush the events, since we're four years before the actual plotline but please keep looking forward to more chapters! We'll get to the current storyline soon enough, I promise!
BTW, I plan on updating two more times this holiday season (and since I'm free of the clutches of college as of now)! One is the special, as I've said above, and another one after New Year, perhaps around the second or third week of January? We only have three to four more chapters before we transition to the second part, "The Bad"! I love y'all and, once again, please do favorite and follow if you liked my story! Leave a review for feedback about me grammar, spelling and over-all things you'd like to tell me~!
Please keep looking forward to the future chapters and I hope you guys have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! /sends out virtual festive cookies/