PART 1: THE GOOD
CHAPTER 5
[The Mistletoe]
Cherry blossom petals float around the air as the breeze and gravity brought it down to the earth. Five centimeters per second… That's what she's been told. The cherry blossom petals fall down at a rate of five centimeters per second. She didn't cared much about that.
All she cared about was to be able to become the honorable woman her family wanted her. But being an honorable woman wasn't what she wanted. No, she didn't want to be married to a random man in their town just because she's nearing the age of wedlock. She wanted a different life from what her family had chosen for her.
It was him.
It always has been him.
It had always been the teen who called himself 'Dazai Osamu'.
Her amber-colored irises stared at him with yet another yearning expression. She wanted him to be hers - and only hers. It was impossible, sure, but a girl can dream. Tucking back the stray strands of her long black hair behind her ears, she looked away, hoping that her feelings may fall down at a rate of five centimeters per second and lose its life after a few days - just like the cherry blossom petals. She didn't like the hurt she feels whenever the dark-haired teen would talk and flirt with the other girls in their town.
The girl sighed. How the hell did he even affect her so much? All he did was… be himself. He was a slightly known writer who had moved in their town several months back - no friends, no family. Given that he was absolutely gorgeous, she was more than inlove with how he wrote his stories.
Her brother became friends with Dazai and had once borrowed a book of his but left it at their home. Her, being a studious girl she is, took the book to inspect it.
Upon reading, she didn't know that she had been unconsciously sucked within his world. As she continued reading, his stories weren't merely stories to her anymore… It had been a reflection of his past, his personality and his goals. Everytime she asks her brother to borrow a book from him, it feels as if she's been looking at a mirror.
A mirror where an honest Dazai Osamu is staring back at her.
But now… Even if he's only a few feet away from her, she can't reflect the smile that he has on his face - not if he's smiling because of other girls.
She was a mere fan. He was the idol. It's bound to be that way.
She sighed again and picked up a fallen cherry blossom flower. The golden eyed girl smiled at it wistfully. Oh, how beautiful yet ephemeral. Once she gets married off to a suitor that her family approved, she will be nothing but a cherry blossom. Something so lovely yet it's life is nothing but a fleeting soul.
"You are the sister of Ota, are you not?" A hedonistic voice spoke beside her, surprising the young girl. She looked to her right and the most dazzling brown eyes stared back at her. A familiar face smiled at her patiently, waiting for her reply.
It was her beloved. The one and only.
"Indeed I am." She nodded meekly, a blush reaching up her cheeks. She didn't know what to say. It was their first conversation and she didn't want it to be awkward. She wanted it to become memorable. However, the risk of screwing things up if she talked is higher than the risk of being rude towards her idol. "I am Ota Shizuko."
He took notice of the cherry blossom on her hand. With a kind smile, the dark-haired teen took it from her, the tips of their fingers slightly touching. The black-haired girl felt a spark between them, electricity buzzing around them. Shizuko tried her best to control her emotions. It was not her ideal first meeting with Dazai if she accidentally electrocutes him with her gift.
For a short second, she was distracted from focusing her ability to avoid a potential murder. A hand held the side of her cheeks and it felt as if her gift was stripped from her, something that made her feel comfortable - knowing that she can't harm anyone. She looked up at Dazai, who had placed the flower on the part of where she had tucked her hair prior to their conversation. The teen adjusted it and took in Shizuko's blushing glory."Has anyone told you that you are as beautiful as a cherry blossom?"
With a glowing smile, she replied, "I believe you would be the first."
DECEMBER 30, 20XX; 7:49 PM
Yamazaki wanted to escape.
She didn't know that her most formidable enemy, which reduced her to the lack of speech and her mind haywiring all over the place, wasn't Akutagawa.
It was… something else.
The girl was as pale as a ghost on the pathetic situation she's in. It was a party, for god's sake, and she had wounded herself in a very awkward situation. Karma's a stupid bitch, she glowered to herself.
Had she not run away from Chuuya upon the registration at the front door, she wouldn't have been stuck in a rock and a hard place. The curly-haired teen had instructed her to always hold the crook of his elbow so she can avoid the predatory presence of the other members of the mafia. However, as troublesome as a child, she slipped from her mentor's hands to follow Tachihara with her new phone in attempt to get her revenge.
Tomie gulped.
She was sweating pin drops and her heart was beating so fast at the sight infront of her. Never in her whole life had she seen a woman so confident to flaunt her body and skin to everyone in the room which comprised mostly of men. She was envious of their self-assurance but thinking about being in their shoes, more specifically in their clothes, made her spine shiver.
The woman in front of her moved closer to Tomie and the object of interest bounced slightly upon the action.
Boobs.
Yamazaki looked to her left, evading her gaze from the woman's humongous breasts.
Boobs.
Yamazaki looked to her right, evading her gaze from the woman's ginormous breasts.
Boobs.
Oh, how Dazai would've (probably) killed to be in her place.
She just know it. Her eyes wandered at the huge ballroom in the Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu, hoping to see the said suicidal teen – a possible person who can help her with the situation. Chuuya's out of the option since he was the one who had advised her to not stray away from him, it would be embarrassing to come back for his help.
She knew that there was no turning back. She had lost Michizou in the crowd and the three voluptuous women in front of her was taking interest in her maroon dress that Kouyou had picked for her. She loved the dress yet she hated the dress. It was giving her unnecessary attention from other people because of how it 'fit her' and how it 'made her look so amazing'.
The first woman in a moss green ball gown, black haired lady with a bob cut hairstyle, looked at her with a spark in her blue eyes that Yamazaki can't place. "What's your name, girl?" She asked, her voice a little too high pitched for the brunette's hearing. The look on her eye seemed hostile and judgmental to the young girl but Tomie immediately dismissed it. She didn't want to see evil in everyone.
Dazai had once told her that 'evil expects evil in others'. She didn't want an attitude like that. The only exception would be Akutagawa since the boy was anything but good to her.
"I-I'm Ya-Yamazaki Tomie, ma'am…" The young apprentice stuttered, taken aback from the question of the first woman. The ravenette seemed to be faking her smile, something that tied a knot in Yamazaki's gut.
She didn't like to be enemies with women since she's a girl, too. Akutagawa was enough trouble for her faint heart. But dealing with these women is already taking a toll on her – and she's only conversed with them for less than three minutes.
"How old are you?" The second woman in a bright pink mermaid-cut gown, red hair flowing down until the tail of her spine, asked her.
"I'm fourteen." She said meekly, trying to make it seem as if she's looking for someone. Tomie was hoping that the women will be able to pick up on her gestures. She added, "I'll be turning fifteen in a few months."
"You're so young to be here…" The third woman in a silver ball gown, blonde hair falling until her shoulders, said to her. To the young apprentice, she looked somewhat dismayed and envious at Tomie. The brunette didn't know why but it added another knot on her gut. "Who's your escort?"
"Shh," The first lady shushed her friend, a cautious frown visible on her face, "Maybe she's a daughter of an executive."
"Who? Mori-sama?" The second lady dubiously inquired, taking a quizzical look at the girl, "Well, she does kind of look like his late-wife."
"Oh, I'm an orphan, ma'am." Tomie explained, "I don't have family here."
The third lady's eyebrows perked up, "Really? So you are here because of your connections?" She questioned the brunette, her emphasis on the word 'connections' made another knot on Tomie's gut.
"Connections?"
"Someone important in the mafia had invited you?"
She nodded and smiled, getting the said invitation from her purse, "I got the invitation directly from the top brass, ma'am." Tomie said honestly, showing the gold encrusted paper to the ladies. Chuuya and her shared the same version of the invitation but Tachihara had a silver one. Her mentor had said that the invitations on these parties depend on the person's contributions to the mafia's success and the title that had been given to that person upon their stay in the mafia.
It was somewhat a trophy to brag about by each members, Chuuya told the girl. With a malicious smirk, she had rubbed her gold invitation on Tachihara's face until she had the boy reaching for his guns. After that, they had made a challenge as to who would get a gold invitation on the next event. The winner gets all the excuse to brag about their accomplishments and the loser would be the 'slave' for the winner for a whole day.
Envy suddenly flashed on their expressions upon seeing the young girl's invitation.
The young mafioso felt as if it was wrong of her to bring out the said paper. At first, she found no reason as to why these women would be jealous of her - given that she thought that they had the diamond version of the invitation, same as the one Dazai had accepted. They seemed to be respectable and rich enough that the mafia may have given them the paper, but she was mistaken.
Thoroughly mistaken.
"The suspense is killing me," The woman in the pink dress expressed, crossing her arms beneath her breasts, her tone no longer nice and gentle. "I'm just gonna ask her directly."
"Girl, don't." The woman in the silver dress stopped her friend, fear somewhat evident on her face. Tomie was confused as to what was going on and she asked herself, are they going to ask if I stole the invitation?
"You can't keep beating around the bush! I have to know."
Huh? The brunette looked at her with a frown and an uneasy expression on her face.
"Who's your sugar daddy here, sweetie?"
Sugar…
...daddy.
HAH?!
Tomie had to double take at the question. "My what?" She asked, all the patience and politeness on her voice vanished like thin air. Her amber eyes stared widely in disbelief at the woman.
"Well, you are a pretty face - despite your weird colored eyes..." The lady in the moss green dress complimented the confused girl. She lifted up Tomie's face with her hand positioned at the girl's jaw, examining the apprentice's face and make-up, "In a few years, your body will be in tiptop shape for that when you come of age."
Then Tomie realized that she hasn't been understanding their conversation ever since it started.
"I'm a-"
A voice through the crowd cut her with an abrupt 'Tomie!' followed by a gloved-hand that placed itself on her shoulder, "Where have you been?" The man behind her exclaimed, her amber eyes met a pair of familiar pools of cerulean. "I told you to stay put-"
"Chuuya-san!" Tomie exclaimed and smiled at him childishly, her lips stretching from ear to ear.
The red headed mafioso sighed at his apprentice, his hand still lingering on her shoulder. The gesture seemed too over-protective but the girl felt comfortable just by knowing that Chuuya is finally there with her. He was the one better in socialization, after all. "Madams, I'm sorry if Tomie's been bugging you…" He said, taking off his hat and placed it in front of his chest, an apologetic smile displaying on his face.
"Oh, not at all, Nakahara-sama!" The woman in the moss green dress took a step back, retracting her hand from Tomie's face. She seemed nervous upon seeing Chuuya and the young apprentice felt smug. The woman was downright smitten to her mentor, something that always happens in events and meetings like these.
The brunette's smile widened as she slowly, unnoticeably moved closer to her mentor. "She's a very polite girl…" She heard the woman in the pink dress compliment her but Tomie knew that her tone was hollow.
"I hope you ladies are having a pleasant evening?" Her mentor asked, his voice never losing it's politeness despite the air of confidence and authority around him.
"Indeed, Nakahara-sama." The ravenette answered, "Little Tomie's very pretty, isn't she?"
"You've got such a good eye on your ladies, Nakahara-sama." The blonde agreed.
"A few more years and she's going to be very useful…" The redhead added.
Chuuya's smile didn't falter. The teen looked somewhat confused at first but Tomie noticed his slight recomposure within a span of few seconds. He merely let out a patient sigh and explained, "I'm sorry but I think we do not understand each other here. She's not my girlfriend."
"She's… not?"
"Then who's her…?"
"This is Yamazaki Tomie, she's my apprentice." Upon hearing her mentor's words, the brunette glowed with pride, a pompous smirk forming itself on her face. Take that, madams! She thought to herself, taking in the surprised expression of the women. Chuuya continued, "I've been training her under the boss' commands."
"Oh, she's… a member?" The blonde lady asked in disbelief.
"A young girl her age?" The ravenette added in shock.
"Yep." She casually blurted out, her amber eyes fiery with complacency. Chuuya squeezed her shoulder -hard- upon hearing such a blasé reaction, causing Tomie to groan softly in pain and pleasure. She blushed in embarrassment and immediately retracted her impolite response in a well-behaved manner, "I-I mean, yes, ma'am!"
"She's a little rough on the edges right now but with a little more polishing, she'll be as formidable as that shitty Dazai and I." The red-headed mafia explained further. He was making sure that Tomie is keeping silent, what with his hand still gripping her shoulder unforgivingly. It'll bruise but nothing she can't handle, he thought to himself. He can feel the girl panting and her skin was getting warmer, a sign that she won't be talking to the ladies informally anytime soon.
After a few more minutes of conversing with them, Chuuya excused himself and Tomie, telling the ladies that he would like to introduce his apprentice to the others as well.
"Whew..." The brunette sighed in relief as Chuuya's hand left her poor abused shoulder. She was flushing red, slightly sweating because she had been forcing herself to not moan out loud. That'd be embarrassing.
Her mentor sighed, exasperated from his apprentice's antics. It wasn't even past eight o'clock and she's been getting into so much trouble. "You've wounded yourself in an awkward situation there, Tomie." He said to her, a teasing tone evident on his voice.
"You added to the awkwardness, Chuuya-san." She replied gloomily, lightly punching her mentor's shoulder. She grunted in irritation, remembering the women's words, "They were asking me who's my sugar daddy! Like I need one to be able to become part of the mafia!" Tomie pouted and crossed her arms, slightly offended that they didn't think about her being an official member.
The cerulean-eyed teen snorted at her. "You should've told them it's Dazai." He said, enunciating each syllable of the last word with sarcasm.
"Eugh." She displayed a disgusted expression and visibly gave out an appalled shiver, "I'd rather jump from the top of the Cosmo Clock than tell that to them."
"They'd die of envy if you did tell them that."
"Oh, I bet." Tomie replied with cynicism, "Who are they, anyway?"
"They're girlfriends of some of the older members." Chuuya explained, steering Yamazaki to the buffet table, much to her pleasure. "They're only there for the bedroom, if you ask me. Soon enough, they'll either end up in the middle of the ocean, being eaten by sharks, or as a trophy bride for the rest of their lives."
With her mentor's explanation, a funny thought passed the girl's mind. Before she could stop herself, she was laughing uncontrollably. "I… I can't…! Can't imagine…" She mumbled out in between laughs.
Chuuya was perplexed. His apprentice suddenly started giggling like a little girl, much to his aggravation. He raised his hands to slap the back of Yamazaki's head but the girl stopped laughing and explained, "I can't imagine you being a sugar daddy. Are you considering…?" She faltered as she started laughing again, finding amusement in the thought.
"I'm basically your sugar daddy right now, Tomie." The short mafioso rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, "I don't need another girl to waste my money on."
"Fair point." Tomie replied, pointing her index finger at her mentor and nodded at his statement, finding no wrong in what he had just claimed. "I like the hats… And that watch you brought from Tokyo last week… And those pretty shoes that I can't wear-"
"You're not wearing it tonight?!" Chuuya raised his voice in fury, mostly because of his rage in hearing that Yamazaki wasn't wearing what he told her. He lifted up her dress, just enough to see that she really came in barefoot, "I thought I told you to use it on the event?" The blue-eyed teen asked, roughly shoving the cloth of Tomie's dress back. His temper was rising once again, and the brunette knew she should be careful. She'll be in big trouble if she happens to snap him accidentally.
However, the fact that her mentor was implying that she can't have any other choices because he had chosen for her… it infuriated her to no end.
"Well, I'm sorry." Tomie replied in a very impudent and spoiled tone, amber-eyes ablaze with the same fury in her mentor's stormy blue ones. "It freaks me out when I can't feel the ground under my feet! Imagine your head without your hat!" She explained with the same intensity as his voice, "Doesn't it feel weird?"
"Good analogy…" Chuuya agreed, suddenly forgetting his wrath towards his apprentice. However, as soon as he forgot about the subject, he remembered it easily and shouted at Tomie hysterically, "Don't change the subject, you bratty little princess!"
Tomie noticed a familiar red-head pass by from behind Chuuya. It looked like it was her one and only rival, the annoying frenemy, Tachihara. She wasn't paying anymore attention to her mentor as she distractedly stared at him walk around the venue.
"Your feet needs at least some form of protection from the ground-"
"Is that Tachihara?" She asked her mentor, pointing towards the direction of the said teen.
Chuuya looked at Tomie with suspicion filled his eyes but followed where her hand was directed at. It is indeed the said gunman in question. "Yeah, why...?" He looked back at his apprentice, seeing a goofy smile on her face and phone in hand.
It was the new one that they bought, a few days after the one that slipped through Tomie's hands and landed on the sea - an obvious lie from Yamazaki but Chuuya accepted it and didn't pry as to how that happened a few hours after they bought it.
"Hehe~" She laughed maliciously, a grin displayed on her face. Yamazaki was taking pictures of Tachihara while the camera was zoomed in so close to the unknowing red-head. "Oh, sweet revenge~" Tomie chanted to herself.
"What are you doing?" Chuuya asked his eccentric apprentice, passing her a plate.
"He took a picture of me while I was eating sushi yesterday and it looked horrendous!" Tomie put back her phone on the small purse that came with her dress. She took the plate from her mentor and they both started to fill their respective plates with a variety of food that displayed the buffet table. "I'm using this as payback and blackmail."
"You're really still a child, huh."
"What?"
"I know what it feels to not experience a regular childhood. Enjoy your youth while you can." The azure-eyed teen said, eyes filled with envy and longing as Tomie stared at him. "In four years, you'll be like me and that shitty mackerel-"
"You sound like an old man…" She jested, hoping to cheer up Chuuya. As much as she liked teasing her mentor when she had the chance, there are times that her pity and sympathy towards Chuuya stands out. This time were one of those times. Tomie gave him the most sincere smile she could muster, "That doesn't sound bad, though. I get to spend more time with you!"
"Are you falling in love with me, young lady?" Chuuya deadpanned, an unamused expression showing on his face. He pulled a chair for his young apprentice in one of the round tables on the banquet hall.
"You're like a brother to me, Chuuya-san." Tomie admitted as she sat on the said chair, giving out a soft 'thank you' towards his mentor. She then looked at him with a malicious smirk, almost painstakingly similar to Chuuya's, and said in her sweetest tone, "Do you want me to~?"
"Remove that smirk off your face." The red-headed mafioso glared at her, "You look like an ugly piece of shit."
The girl laughed at his childish retort. "Then you look uglier!" She replied, taking a bite of the macaron she got from the buffet table. It tasted like salt and caramel combined, something that peeved off Tomie. She didn't like the way the salt cut through the sweetness of the caramel. If something's supposed to be sweet, it has to be sweet. However, despite the fact that she didn't like the flavor, the girl knew how much it must've cost for the Port Mafia to employ the caterers. Perhaps more than a hundred thousand yen, considering the amount of food she has yet to try. I have to finish these or I'll be such an ungrateful child.
"You're the ugliest." She heard Chuuya said to her, not giving up on their mini-verbal war. When Tomie said nothing, the petit mafia took it as a sign of victory. He didn't know that she was concentrating on how to eat the remains of the salted caramel macaron.
Hoo boy, you can do it, Zheng.
Three…
Two…
One…
The brunette's whole body cringed upon eating the remains of the said dessert in one go. She took the glass of water, which was already set on the table, and drank almost half of it in one gulp. Tomie tried to catch her breath due to the whole ordeal, the silence between her and her mentor starting to irritate her.
Being with Chuuya for more than six months, she had picked up on most of his habits. One of those is not being able to stand a silent dining table. He was talkative while eating, giving the girl a good opportunity to know more about him over the past few months. And they go out to eat together quite a lot - given that neither Tomie nor Chuuya knows how to cook anything past the instant ramen level. The only times both tried to help in the kitchen was when Kouyou asked for their assistance, which wasn't very often.
As much as she wanted to speak up and cut the hushed atmosphere around them, she didn't know what to say.
A few more seconds passed, Chuuya spoke up, "So, I've heard..."
Finally! She internally exclaimed, looking at her mentor with a smile and an audible 'hm?'
A groan escaped the young man, rolling his eyes as he saw the part around Tomie's lips and her cheeks filled with bits of macaron. "Wipe your face off! There're still crumbs on your lips." In hearing her mentor's reprimand, the girl panickedly looked for a table napkin but Chuuya was faster than her. He had already grabbed the cloth and gently cleaned off her face, sapphire eyes focused on the job infront of him.
Tomie pouted and huffed childishly, mumbling under her breath that she 'can do it herself' and that 'Chuuya can fuck off'. The red-head only shook his head regarding the girl's reaction but he continued anyway, seeing that she had made a mess of herself from that single macaron. "Anyway, I heard that the boss assigned you with Akutagawa."
"Oh, that. That's the worst present the boss could give to me, to be honest!"
"That's temporary." Chuuya replied simply, finishing off the last bits he could see on Yamazaki's face.
The young apprentice gave out a confused 'huh?'. Akutagawa didn't tell me anything about this, she mentally said to herself.
He sat back on his chair, giving Tomie a knowing smirk, "You're learning Italian in the next few months. The boss gave me permission to bring you to Italy."
Italy.
I-ta-ly.
"Shut up." Wide golden orbs stared at Chuuya with disbelief, her face didn't know what kind of expression she should be making. She didn't know if she should be sad that she's leaving Yokohama, happy that she's leaving Yokohama, or scared that she's leaving Yokohama.
"He wanted us to personally meet with the allied organizations in Milan and Sicily. Perhaps the boss is thinking about strengthening our connections with the mafia in Europe. I heard that the mafia in Italy is a lot harsher than us, though." The young mafioso explained as he ate his share of food. He was expecting Tomie to give out a sassy retort but it didn't came. A few more seconds passed, Chuuya looked at his apprentice in slight worry. She was frozen in place, eyes glazed and distant. "Oi, Tomie. Earth to Yamazaki Tomie? Hey, wake up, sweet cheeks."
"I get to go to Italy?" She questioned, a dumb expression etched on her face.
"Yes."
She gave out a gleeful and unreserved cheer, which had Chuuya reaching in to cover her loud mouth. "Don't squeal!" He scolded and retracted his hands when Tomie gave out a sheepish shrug. "There's your Christmas present from the boss. Are you happy now?"
"More than happy~" She chirped, continuing to eat her food, "I bet can work with Akutagawa-san happily, knowing that I'm saying goodbye in a few months~"
"You better work hard. The boss is sending us to Europe for free and is paying us twice as much." Chuuya said, finally giving the girl a proud expression and genuine smile. For the first time in Chuuya's life, it felt as if he had helped someone other than himself. He helped her get this opportunity to go to Italy. He was a big part of how she's going to go to Italy. And as far as he know, with the boss' orders or not, supporting Tomie is going to be one of his many unwritten achievements.
"Belated merry Christmas, Tomie." He added, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Sorry I didn't get to come back during Christmas…"
"That's okay!" Tomie moved her chair closer to Chuuya's and reached in for a hug. "Merry Christmas, Chuuya-san~"
It had been such a perfect evening. After eating, there were performances of all kinds - dance numbers, magic tricks and even games. Tomie was happy that Dazai hadn't been spoiling her evening with his usual jokes and antics. She remembered that Dazai had temporarily removed the bandage on his right eye and, damn, Tomie wanted to slap herself for thinking that he had looked a hundred times more attractive than he already was.
After the performances, she caught sight of him flirting with the other women, and that stupid tug in her heart was present (again). It had been going on for a few weeks now whenever she's presented with the same situation infront of her eyes. Yamazaki felt… jealous and envious- With an irked grunt, she shrugged it off and went back to the buffet table.
However, it seemed that karma was still not done with her.
As she was trying to pick out more food from the table, a woman came to her side and complimented her dress. Before Tomie could reply her words of gratitude, the lady was already ushering her towards the dancefloor. A panicked look spread across her face as she was being told that it's easy to dance the waltz and that they needed extra dancers for the cotillion so she'll have to make do.
With her heart thumping in fear and anxiety, everything she was feeling suddenly vanished when Tachihara came into view. Her panic changed into disgust when she realized that they'll be dancing together, in a very romantic setting and in a very romantic holiday. A big part of the brunette wanted to punch the red-head but another part of her merely wanted to run away.
Tachihara placed his left hand on the side of the young apprentice's torso, the right one holding hers. The two refused to move from their very awkward position, what with the only times they'd commit skin contact was during missions - and that doesn't count because it's a life-or-death situation… that is, until the lady came back and scolded the two teens.
The music started and they swayed with the melody, copying the nearest couple beside them. Tachihara grunted in annoyance, "Geez, why do I get to dance with you?"
Yamazaki rolled her eyes, repeating what Tachihara had said, "Geez, why do I get to dance with you?"
"Don't imitate me, Yamazaki." He said, accidentally stepping on the girl's foot.
She yelped in pain and glared at the boy, "Then don't step on my feet, Tachihara."
"Well, I'm sorry you're not wearing any shoes again, miss."
"Well, I'm sorry you have two left feet, mister."
"You wanna fight?!" The orange-eyed teen challenged, his eyes set ablaze with fury.
"You wanna lose?!" Tomie replied, her voice mocking.
"Heh," The boy gave her a sly grin, his hands pulling her closer. Yamazaki tried to get away from his grip but Michizou whispered oh-so-mockingly on her ear, "You already lost."
"What?" She eyed the boy with suspicion. Tachihara tipped his head to the right and Yamazaki wanted to scream in what she saw.
Surprise, surprise... It was the one and only, Dazai Osamu.
She had seen Chuuya dance the waltz in a cotillion before, due to some random mission they were assigned to, and the part of the music was starting to get the dancers ready for the exchange of partners. Much to the brunette's horror, Dazai was happily dancing with a girl, around his age, beside them and he's the one who's going to switch with Tachihara.
It meant that she's going to have to dance with none other than mafia's resident suicidal maniac. "Oh god." Tomie tightened her grip on Tachihara's hand, trying her best to pull him close to her in attempt to not switch with Dazai. "NO. K-Keep me! Keep me in your arms!" She desperately chanted, not wanting to embarrass herself infront of the young executive. "Mi-Michizou, h-hold me tight! Don't you fucking dare…"
The red-headed boy laughed at his partner's distress. "Here's a belated merry Christmas to you, Tomie." With one last twirl, he had made sure Yamazaki ends up in Dazai's arms, all blushing and panicked.
The brunette uncomfortably held Dazai's perpetually bandaged hands, her ability once again stripped off of her. "I will destroy you, Tachihara!" She hissed in irritation, amber-eyes glaring at the laughing teen.
Dazai chuckled at the sight, gently smiling at the young girl, "You two are bickering as usual."
"Yeah…" Yamazaki nodded, her earlier fiery attitude gone with the wind. Her heart was hammering loudly, trying her best to distract herself from that alluring smell of the dark-haired teen's scent. "B-Belated merry Christmas, Dazai-san…" She stuttered, mentally scolding herself for feeling so… awkward.
"Belated merry Christmas to you, too, Tomie-chan~" The suicidal teen cooed, his gentle smile turning into a lopsided playful grin.
"Hah," Upon seeing Dazai's change of expression, Tomie grinned back at him, "This is where you'd ask me about your present, aren't you?" She teased, her previous dread turning into her usual sass and childish nature.
"You know me so well~!" Dazai nodded eagerly and looked at the girl with sparkling dark eyes, "What is it?"
She was about to reply 'nothing', but a familiar riddle came to her, "What's greater than God and more evil than the Devil; the rich want it but the poor have it?" Yamazaki asked him, her grin turning into a 'Chuuya-like' smirk.
"Is that a riddle?" The dark-haired teen questioned, his face expressing confusion from the girl's statement.
"The answer is your present from me." She nodded, "When you know the answer, talk to me again later~"
"I'll think about that after I complimented your pretty dress~"
"Please don't think perverted things while looking at my dress."
"What do you take me for?" Dazai gasped dramatically.
Yamazaki thought about Dazai's question seriously.
Being such an annoying pain in the ass aside, he was a respectable individual despite such a young age. 'The youngest executive of all mafia history', is what they'd always dub him. The explanation was a no-brainer if one had stayed for more than a month in the organization, in which Yamazaki had. To her, Dazai deserved the highly revered title. His blood was as black as their deeds - 'mafia black', is what Hirotsu had once described to her.
Dazai may be a peculiar man but that doesn't discredit him from all of the things he had contributed to the mafia. His plans were always carefully calculated, each step creating a complex web of multifaceted tactics to bring an enemy down. Yamazaki knows and had experienced this firsthand.
She had worked with him and Chuuya once, on her fourth month in the mafia. According to the plan, she would create a huge distraction by destroying the enemy hide-out's electric supply and interfere with the phone and internet signal as her mentor and his partner worked behind the sidelines. She had only caught up with Dazai's elaborate plan almost a three-thirds of the way through the mission. The brunette idolizes – respects – him for that.
Aside from being someone like her mentor, there's a part of her that wanted to become like Dazai - smart, intelligent and confident. The money doesn't bother Yamazaki anymore. She's had more than enough from her first six paychecks. All she wants now is to be able to improve herself for the better.
And the environment with Dazai and Chuuya is making her force herself to improve at such a fast rate. She's aware that her powers have limits but the situation forces her to be creative in with her gift. It was, after all, a blessing and a curse that she has to put up with for the rest of her life.
Going back to the present time, Tomie looked at Dazai straight in the eyes and said in a monotonous voice, "A very flirtatious smooth-talking lady-killer bandage-wrapped suicidal alcohol-loving attractive young mafia executive."
"Attractive?" The dark haired teen stared at her, his eyes wide as saucers upon hearing the girl's words.
The brunette nodded nonchalantly, finding none of her words to be surprising to hear. "That aside, everything's negative." She smiled sweetly at Dazai, sarcasm noticeably dripping from her tone.
"Chuuya's been teaching you more bad things!" Dazai groaned dramatically, placing the blame on Chuuya for Tomie's actions. The teen pouted childishly.
The amber-eyed teen laughed at his reaction, "He's a very responsible mentor."
The suicidal executive sighed with a smile, pulling the girl closer. He was happy that the girl now sees him almost as an equal whenever she talks to him, being all casual and friendly. "Considering that the boss is immediately promoting you abroad, then I'll have to give that hat rack some credits… But you played a huge role in your own success, Tomie-chan. You deserve it."
Tomie stared at Dazai in embarrassment, her cheeks heating up as a blush crept up to her face. "Th-Thank you…"
"Don't get a boyfriend over Italy, okay?" He said, rubbing his cheeks with hers like a clingy little kitten. Tomie tried to push him away but Dazai continued, "I'll get jealous~"
"You're not even my boyfriend, Dazai-san." Yamazaki rolled her eyes, giving up with the losing battle with Dazai's ruthless soft cheeks. Can't he respect my personal space?! She sighed in exasperation.
"Then, can I be your boyfriend?"
"N-No!" The girl exclaimed, her heart once again hammering against her chest. This time, her hands went cold yet her face and ears felt like they were burning up.
"Meanieee~" Dazai sobbed, feigning crocodile-tears and mumbled random things like 'why can't you just say yes' or 'I'll be the bestest boyfriend ever, Tomie-chan' in an agonized tone.
The two of them stayed silent for a while, Tomie not knowing what to reply to the dark-haired executive's previous statement. The orchestra stopped playing and a new song started, something that prompted Yamazaki to say unconsciously, "Oh, I know this song…"
"Love me like you do…" Dazai replied, his eyes focused onto the girl's face.
Tomie didn't know how to respond. Was he seriously asking to be my boyfriend earlier!? She asked herself mentally, panicking inwardly as the young executive's gaze didn't left her. The girl bit her lip in embarrassment, forcing herself to not break down at the dancefloor in front of everyone else. It was too much. The shame was too much.
"The song… It's 'Love Me Like You Do', isn't it?" The teen added, closing his eyes and sang with the music. "You're the cure, you're the pain; You're the only thing I wanna touch…"
Dazai pulled her closer, keeping her in at such an intimate hold - his hands gently but firmly holding her, as if he's not going to let her go. Yamazaki blushed, feeling as if each word was directed towards her. Impossible, she told herself, Dazai-san is just being nice - nothing more, nothing less.
"Never knew that it could mean so much, so much." He continued, his melodious voice forcing Tomie's doubtful thoughts. He swayed her across the dancefloor as if they were the only people within the cotillion circle. Dazai opened his eyes and smiled at Tomie. "You're the fear, I don't care… Cause I've never been so high; Follow me to the dark, let me take you past our satellites… You can see the world you brought to life, to life…" He chuckled upon seeing Tomie look like a deer-in-the-headlights from his singing. "Come on, Tomie-chan, sing with me~"
"N-No way… I don't sing…" She admitted, remembering that one time when Chuuya laughed at her for trying to sing a lullaby with her tone-deaf singing voice.
Dazai looked behind him, seeing that the balcony doors were open. He guided Tomie outside while continuing to sing the song, "So love me like you do, love me like you do…"
"U-Uhm… We're… Why are we getting a-away from the cotillion circle?" The brunette inquired in alarm, hoping that the woman who had ushered her to dance wouldn't scold them once she sees two of the dancers went rogue. "D-Dazai-san?!"
"Shhh, just follow me, my princess…" He replied sweetly, twirling the girl as he brought her to the open air balcony. The moon's glow shone so beautifully down them, the rays creating such a romantic effect on the said place.
"B-But why…?" She asked, letting go of Dazai's hands and taking a step back from him. Tomie wanted to go back to the banquet hall, Chuuya's words resonated on her ears: 'Should he do anything to bring you to a secluded place, run for your life if you want to preserve your innocence'
"D-Dazai-san! You're not going to ask me to jump on the balcony with you, are you?"
"That's a good thought!" Dazai's eyes lit up brightly, "Want to commit a double suicide, Tomie-chan?"
"N-No!" She exclaimed, panicking at the situation she's currently in. Yamazaki didn't want to seem to be avoiding the mafia executive too much, it would be rude and he might retaliate by telling the boss to not let her go to Italy. Dazai is, in fact, more powerful than Chuuya is in terms the hierarchy of the Port Mafia.
Tomie felt a hand slip in beside her torso and held her hands, the way it was before when she and Dazai were dancing. The bandaged teen had positioned them both again for a waltz, "Let's dance here~ It gives us much more privacy and it's more romantic, don't you think?"
"No…" The girl weakly replied, crumpling in Dazai's arms in exhaustion. Tomie knew that she was over-thinking too much. Dazai doesn't like her romantically. She doesn't like him romantically. He's just being nice and flirty, just like his usual self. Nothing more, nothing less.
"Am I too eager, Tomie-chan?" Dazai asked her, his tone lacing uncertainty and wariness.
Tomie looked up at Dazai in confusion, "Eager? On what-?" She was cut when he lifted her chin, making sure that the young apprentice was looking at him directly. Her suicidal maniac of a superior leaned in, closing the gap between them, his soft lips crashing against hers.
He's kissing me.
The brunette blanked out. She didn't know what to do. Should she kiss back?! Should she try to pull him closer?! Should she push him away?! Should she run away and pretend like nothing had happened?!
Tomie was frozen like a statue. Her mind had melted upon such a simple action. She can't fathom the fact that Dazai, the almighty Dazai, was showing her such a romantic act of affection.
HE'S KISSING ME!
She exclaimed to herself in disbelief yet her eyes unintentionally closed as she felt the dark-haired teen's soft lips push gently against her chapped ones.
Her mind was trying its best to process everything that's been happening. Why is she feeling so happy and excited and scared at the same time? Could it be that… I really do like him?! The brunette asked herself.
After a few more seconds, Dazai pulled away. He was confused when he saw Tomie, looking at him with a horrified expression - what he didn't know was that Tomie was already dreading the fact that she liked what her superior did. As desperate as it may sound, Tomie can't help but feel as if… she wanted more.
The bandage clad executive chuckled nervously, afraid that he might've finally broken the young girl, and merely said with his usual playful voice, "There's a mistletoe~"
"W-wha…" She looked up to the ceiling and saw the said plant, a feeling of dismay sat on the pit of her stomach.
"Mistletoe aside, I really really like you, Tomie-chan…" With those words, Dazai cupped her face and slowly dived in for another kiss. Tomie blushed red and gulped at the sudden confession. She unconsciously closed her eyes and waited-
A cough interrupted them, forcing the brunette to open her eyes and whip her head at the direction of the sound. The young apprentice heard Dazai let out an annoyed 'tch' at the man who disrupted them.
"Dazai-san, I'm sorry to interrupt but the boss wants to talk to you..." The man explained, his face poker-faced and his voice monotonous.
"Do tell him that I'll be there in a few minutes." The bandage-wrapped executive replied, his voice strained and controlled. Tomie can only gape at Dazai as he detached himself from her. "Tomie-chan, thank you for dancing with me. Have a good evening and belated merry Christmas again." Before leaving her, he held up her hands gently and kissed it.
"O-Okay… You too, D-Dazai-san."
The girl was absolutely mindfucked when she went back to the banquet hall. She didn't know how to save face infront of Dazai. To think that he had actually confessed his feelings for her... It was… nerve-wracking.
Tomie sighed at the problem at hand. The brunette walked back to their table from before in a zombie-like pace, her mind still pre-occupied at the events at the balcony. Tachihara was sitting at the bar, drinking of what appears to be a yellow and orange drink that suspiciously looked like a cocktail. Yamazaki made her way towards him, the sound of drowning her embarrassment in alcohol seemed so attractive.
She was stopped on her tracks when Chuuya spun her around, screaming bloody murder, "Oi, Yamazaki! Where's your boyfriend?!"
"B-Boyfriend?" She asked, her face paling upon hearing the word. He can't have known about it, can he? Tomie asked herself, blushing red.
"That mackerel!" The red-head drawled on, swinging his glass of red wine infront of the girl, "I know you're hiding him!"
"I don't have a boyfriend, Chuuya-san… And you're drunk." The young apprentice sighed in exasperation, finally putting the pieces of the puzzle together. She took the glass from her mentor in a gentle way, to avoid him from being more lost in translation and to avoid him from humiliating himself more.
"I'm not drunk! You're drunk!"
"I haven't even touched any of the cocktails in the bar." The brunette explained and ushered him back to their seats, asking a waiter for two glasses of water. "It's tempting since Tachihara's downing the drinks there and he's just around my age…"
"I'm going to kill Dazai!"
"Please don't kill anyone." Tomie pleaded, hoping that this isn't going to be another one of his drink-rage-and-forget moments. It happens quite a lot, especially when he's angry or stressed, and she had somewhat grasped on how to handle him at such times but Tomie has always been cautious. A drunk man is still a drunk man no matter how nice and gentleman they may have been, as said by none other than Kouyou - and it's a lot more dangerous since Chuuya's such a powerful individual.
Chuuya suddenly stood up from his seat and started removing his coat and vest. Tomie stared at her mentor's audacity as the curly haired teen ripped of his necktie and started unbuttoning his dress shirt. Tomie stood up, clawing his hands away from his clothes to avoid further casualties - there were a few women around them who's already eyeing her mentor. She exclaimed in panic, "Stop it- Chuuya-san-!"
The red-head slapped away her hands and used his ability to pin her to the ground as he flew up the ceiling. Tomie groaned in annoyance, "Urgh, you stupid hat rack, get down from there!" She screamed, not taking anymore of Chuuya's shit. Drunk or not drunk, he's not going to embarrass himself infront of the other members. Yamazaki wanted her mentor's image to be as respectable and honorable like when she had first met him.
The petit mafia looked at the ceiling and noticed a mistletoe right beside him. He peered down, momentarily forgetting to pin his student in the floor, and saw the Port Mafia's resident bomber talking to a Black Lizard member. "Kaiji! Look, a mistletoe!"He yelled none too loudly and pointed at the said plant that was hanged in the ceiling, "Go and fuck Masaoka!" Chuuya cackled madly, thinking that his joke was funny.
Yamazaki could only face palm at her mentor's antics. "…not again."
"Chuuya-san's drunk again, huh?" Tachihara said to her from behind, a shot glass with clear alcohol present on his right hand. The young gunman was looking up at the laughing red-head, an amused grin present on Michizou's features.
"You don't say…" Tomie shook her head as the boy hoisted her up. She took the shot glass from the boy and downed it in one gulp. It wasn't too alcoholic to the point that it would bring her to oblivion like her mentor, if the brunette was to be asked. Tachihara was about to scold her for stealing his drink but Yamazaki sighed, "I have to bring him up his room now… I can't let him wreak havoc in the ballroom."
"What a sad life you're leading." He said sarcastically, irked about the drink that he didn't get to taste. "Have you seen Dazai-san?"
"No." Tomie lied blatantly.
"His creepy apprentice is dead… I think." The boy said, pointing to the bar. There was a knocked out Akutagawa, his face planted on the table. "I think he passed out after a glass of vodka was switched with his water."
The girl looked at her former partner with a frown, then back at her current partner, "No one can kill Ryuunosuke, Tachihara."
"You're on first… You're on first name basis with him, Yamazaki?!"
"I call him that because he hates it."
"You've got guts."
"He can't kill me. Boss' orders~" The young apprentice answered, her face sporting a smug grin as the official letter was sent to her. The order for Akutagawa was to not kill her at all costs for as long as the order is still in action.
"Let me repeat that… You've got fucking guts, lady." Tachihara replied, a look of admiration evident on his face.
"Let him be for now. Dazai-san will pick him up in the morning." She told him, looking up to the ceiling. Tomie wanted to shoot her mentor in what she's currently seeing. A running Chuuya was moving the mistletoes around, forcing the people to 'kiss and fuck each other' in a drunken haze. "Now… How to bring down Chuuya-san from the ceiling…" She mumbled in a strained voice, forcing herself to not snap at the sight.
"I don't think Dazai-san will ever come back for him." She heard Tachihara add, a tone of pity can be heard from his voice.
"How sad…" Yamazaki cooed sarcastically then cried out, "Chuuya-san! I'll burn down your hats if you don't come down from there!"
"Don't you dare, Dazai!" The curly haired mafioso replied, his tone threatening.
The girl's eye twitched at the statement, "I'm not Dazai-san!"
"I will not let you fuck my apprentice! You're a stupid idiot who'll probably won't even know how to do it properly!" Chuuya announced loudly, a collective laugh echoed in the banquet hall and Tomie wanted to electrocute her mentor right then and there.
She heard Tachihara laugh beside her, to which she responded with her elbow to his abdomen. "Shut up, Tachihara." Tomie glared at him but decided that getting Chuuya down from the ceiling was much more of a priority than bickering with her friend-slash-enemy. "Chuuya-san, get down from there!"
"Never!"
A sudden thought came to her. With a complacent smirk, she replied, "Ane-sama will scold you!"
"I'm going down. Calm your tits, I'm going down! I SAID DON'T CALL FOR HER!" With that simple threat, Chuuya came down with a childish pout on his face.
"I'm not calling her..." Yamazaki sighed and directed her mentor to an unoccupied chair. She helped him fix himself as the teen kept on muttering about how 'scary Ane-san is when she's angry' or how 'he's going to get pulverized if Ane-san found him like that'. "Idiot Chuuya-san… Now, I don't know where you left your necktie."
Tachihara marveled at the scene. Tomie had her mentor by the palm of her hand. No one, except the boss, Kouyou and Dazai, had such a grip on Chuuya's erratic personality during his drunken rages. It was an amazing sight, to see his rival force her mentor to wear his vest or he's going to 'shit his pants because of the cold'.
"Tachihara…" A voice spoke behind him, making the boy turn around. It was Hirotsu with his ever so serious mien.
"Gramps, what is it?" He asked, eyebrows cocked up in curiosity.
"Dazai-dono asked the Black Lizard to 'take care' of his apprentice." The old man replied, pointing at the still sleeping Akutagawa, "Bring Akutagawa-kun to his room. Gin has disappeared in the shadows once again so you'll have to do this task."
The red-headed teen groaned in annoyance, "That bastard Gin's ditched us again!" He complained, crossing his arms infront of him, "Why not you, Gramps?"
"The boss is asking for my audience regarding the next trades since the things in Tokyo have been settled. Dazai-dono said that the keys to Akutagawa's room is in his coat pocket." And with that, the commander of the Black Lizard left without another word.
"Damn it." Tachihara cursed under his breath. He was about to go back to the cocktail bar when Tomie passed by, dragging a half-asleep Nakahara. A grand idea popped in the gunman's mind and he called for the girl, "Yamazaki!"
"Yo?"
He went beside Chuuya's other side and hoisted him up, "I'll help bring Nakahara-san to his room." Tachihara said with a friendly smile. A very friendly smile.
"Really? Thanks!" Yamazaki smiled back in gratefulness, not suspecting a thing from the boy.
"You'll help me with an official Black Lizard mission in exchange."
"Okay. That's not so bad, to be honest. I've worked with you guys plenty~"
Tomie, after a few more moments, realized that karma had never been satisfied with her misfortune during that night.
OMAKE:
"Fuck you, Tachihara Michizou!" Tomie screamed at the top of her lungs as she dragged a half-unconscious Akutagawa along the corridors of the hotel. Tachihara was infront of her, bringing a sleeping Chuuya in a piggyback ride. "I will find the biggest cactus in Japan and I'll shove it up your ass with no mercy!" She added in pure rage.
The red-head laughed in amusement and teased her with the sweetest voice he can muster, "Go for it, babe~"
"You'll pay for this!" Yamazaki screeched in irritation, not expecting this to be 'the official Black Lizard mission' that her rival was talking about. To her left, Akutagawa was slowly mummifying her with his ability, muttering randoms phrases like 'screw broad beans' and 'you're fucked, Yamazaki'. She tried to remove the strips of his rashoumon but to no avail, he was faster in wrapping her up. "You dip-dye idiot, stop that!"
kirika07 : that's for me to know... and you to sit back, enjoy the ride and curse me as I'll present to you the clusterfuck of an explanation in the future chapters~ 'All in due time', as they say! /pats/ Don't worry, I'm also unsure as to who she'll end up with xD
Aikawa Nagisa : well, here's another chapter filled with Dazai and Tomie! I'm glad that you're happy with the story and I hope you keep on enjoying this!
Naliyu : hehehe, Mori-san said 'shhhh, confidential information~' so I'll keep my mouth shut… for now! It will be revealed in due time, don't worry~!
Jasmine : /laughs/ OH IT WILL BE! Imagine Dazai getting turned on by Tomie's moans, tho- /slapped with a bible/ Okay, I won't disclose any more potential spoilers. hahahah a h a
Probably2Insane : Thank you! I hope you keep reading this because things are just heating up!
Guest : Right? But he was able to get back at her by being her escort at the event! And probably a lot more hats… and the pair of shoes she never really did wore.
Mikilla : Well well well~ Is the sky blue? Is the water wet? BTW, THE DRAWING WAS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS, BAE! I won't repeat what I said in DA but I really loved it!
underwhelmedJaded/ VeraVera : I made it better? OMG stop it you ( / / A / / ) hahaha Dazai really would be her older brother if we go by their age. Dazai is 18 and Tomie is 14 - a four year difference. They're basically like the KyouAtsu pair right now. Thank you for thinking that I caught Ryuu's thinking perfectly. I picture his thoughts as very straightforward but harsh and since their meetings are never the definition of good. I thought 'Huh, what if he's actually more predatory towards Tomie, he would like that'. Again, Mori-san told Akutagawa to be silent about it so I will too~
ineed2sleep : Aaahh thank you and I hope you continue reading this~!
By the way! Since sharing pictures here in FFN is such a pain in the ass, I decided to make a twitter for Tomie! Sometimes I'll post my own drawings of her or share other people's drawing of her, you guys are always open to draw her! (Your imagination is your limit so I won't give out any rules except for crediting her and the story back to me~ *cough* you can also draw NSFW stuff if y'all want to *cough*) I might also post some snippets of her daily life in the mafia randomly! So please, follow her and her random misadventures in twitter PM_Yamazaki : 3 [Also, you guys will see me force my way into the Japanese language so please tell me if I have wrong grammar or I'm making a complete embarrassment of myself in that account hahahaha]
I said I'll be posting this Christmas special and another chapter by the second week of January but I think the other chapter will have to wait. Don't worry, I'll try to do it by the third or fourth week still, but school is coming up again (SAVE MEEEE) and I kindaaaa… spent the last two weeks with my family because it's the holidays. hehehe, sorry about that! I hope I won't take up months to update again but yeah, priorities. /cries/
Thank you for reading until this point and a follow and favorite is always appreciated but I'd be sooo happy if you guys leave a review! Tell me anything you'd like! I don't bite so please feel free to talk to me~! 'Till next update, and ciao ciao~