ᴡᴇᴀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴠᴇɴɢᴇᴀɴᴄᴇ | ᴅᴀᴢᴀɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ✔️

Ⅸ: A Café Visit

There stood Dazai along with the gray-haired boy and Kenji. "Yes! it is me in the flesh!" he exaggerated.

Both of the boys were looking around in awe at the little puppies running around. "What brings you here?" you asked.

"You visited my workplace last week, so I came to visit yours," he explained.

"I thought you didn't like dogs," you recalled what he told you when you both first met. He walked closer, leaned on the cashier table making his face close to yours, the height difference made you feel dominated.

"I love how you still remember the smallest details about me, Yn-san," he said in a seductive tone. You took a step back, keeping your gaze at him.

He smirked and you knew he read you too well. You heard the faint giggles of your co-workers, making you fix your posture. "That didn't answer my question," you insisted.

"I'm leaving," a man whose voice wasn't so strange walked next to them with his hood covering his face and head. Dazai wasn't sure who it was, but as soon as he saw his figure from the back, he giggled.

"Have a good day, Mr. fancy hat!" Dazai called, making him flinch, but he exited the café soon after.

"You know him, Dazai-san?" The gray-haired boy, whose name you didn't know yet asked. "Hmm Atsushi, I'm surprised you didn't recognize him," Atsushi ... you made a note in your mind as you fixed your apron.

Atsushi furrowed his eyebrows trying to figure out who it was. "Why don't you come in?" one of the staff waved them in. "Oh, yeah. Follow me," you said, walking to an empty room.

Dazai stood next to you as both Atsushi and Kenji sat on the fluffy mat and the puppies soon circled them. Seeing the customers genuinely happy like little children while they play with the puppies always reminded you why you loved this job.

You glanced up at Dazai who was admiring the setup of the room. "Pretty welcoming," he commented. you hummed in agreement when he looked back at you.

He glanced down at the pink apron you were wearing. "I never thought about how cute you'd look in an apron, Yn-san," he commented. His eyes met with yours again. "I do now," he said with a smile, making your ears heat up again.

"Would you stop flirting out of the blue like that, Osamu-san," you smiled nervously, which made him laugh it off. "What's wrong with showering my girlfriend with compliments every now and then?" he asked innocently. You ignored him and walked toward both Atsushi and Kenji.

"Is there anything you want me to get you?" you asked. They looked up at you with a hesitant gaze, "It'll be on me since it's your first time here, please ask away," you offered. They ordered drinks along with some little treats, and Dazai asked for his usual black tea. You soon left to prepare the order.

Atsushi's and Kenji's gazes followed your back as you disappeared from the room. When you did, they looked up at Dazai, who was looking at the place once more.

"A place that offers jobs for students with only high school degrees. That's one thing Kunikida found out about this place," Dazai noted, his tone changing completely from when he was with you. The smile Atsushi wore soon faded. Kenji, on the other hand, was busy rubbing the puppy's belly.

"So, her parents really died," Atsushi recalled what Dazai told him that morning. Although Dazai felt a bit guilty telling your confession to the agency, he knew it was one step closer to helping you.

"Don't forget that we are here to learn more about her, not... play with dogs," Dazai pointed out, stepping away from a puppy that was approaching him. "These are puppies Dazai-san," Kenji corrected him.

"I don't understand how you don't find them cute!" Atsushi added. Dazai couldn't help but sigh.

You made it to the kitchen, and as you expected, your eager co-worker was waiting patiently for you to come. "Yn," Mika exclaimed, her eyes sparkled with curiosity for answers. You sighed, a smile forming on your lips. You started brewing some coffee as Mika rested her chin on the palm of her hands facing you on the other side of the table.

"You will not give up, will you?" you asked through a smile. "You know me!" she replied.

"Yes, Mika-san, he is my boyfriend," you concluded, finishing up Atsushi's coffee. "Since when?!" she asked excitedly. "Since ... a few weeks now," you continued, recalling the date night,

More specifically, the situation at the ATM station.

You pondered on the thought of the man that killed his friends, then himself, because of you. What if I didn't do anything? you wondered while adding the sugar to Dazai's tea. Dazai... you recalled his actions at the ATM station. when the man threatened to shoot him before you used your ability, there was one expression that Dazai was not able to mask.

Fear, Fear of failure.

"I never thought you were into playboys, Yn," Mika commented, snapping you back to reality.

"Well, he said he was going to be dedicated... and faithful," you trailed off as your phone buzzed in your pocket. You were about to pick it up when you thought it was best to give them the drinks first.

"So, all we have to do is to talk with her?" Atsushi said, seeking reassurance from his senpai. Dazai nodded. "you're becoming friends with her after all, you can ask her questions to 'get to know her', you know?" Dazai pointed out, sitting comfortably on the couch.

"I'm going to observe her actions, her tone, to see how much we can get out of her without her noticing," He concluded. With that, you entered the room.

。。。

"So, free today?" you asked, sitting on the rug near both Kenji and Atsushi. Atsushi nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

Atsushi was so awkward with talks, especially ones where he had to pretend to just talk. He glanced back at the puppy resting on his lap as you stretched your arms.

"How long have you been working here?" he asked, finally breaking that awkward silence. "It has been... almost 3 years," you replied. Okay, I'm engaging in a talk, Atsushi smiled at the progress he made, although it was just too little.

"3 years? how old are you Yn-san?" He asked.

"You don't ask such questions to ladies, Atsushi-kun," Dazai noted, making you chuckle. Heat played on the tips of Atsushi's ears, feeling embarrassed for asking such a question.

He looked back at you with wide eyes and rosy cheeks. "I- I'm sorry, I was just curious," he stuttered.

"It's okay actually, I'm 21," you replied. "o-oh, I should've called you senpai then," he replied. "It's okay, I'm not really a big fan of honorifics, so it's fine if you just stick to 'san'," you assured him.

Atsushi was able to piece together the information given to him so far. She really doesn't go to college, he thought. You, on the other hand, were noticing how Kenji was a little too quiet. "You seem busy playing with the puppies, Kenji-san, you like it here?" you asked.

He looked up from playing with the puppy, smiling wide. "I do like it here, but I'm busy trying to think of a way to ask you about what's bothering you," he confessed.

Oh no! Atsushi exclaimed in his mind. He just realized how bad of an idea it was to choose Kenji as the detective for this mission.

He shot a look at Dazai, who had the widest smile while sipping on his black tea. Of course, he saw right through that... Atsushi sighed internally. Dazai was rather having the best time of his life.

"w-what's bothering me?" you asked, hoping your smile was enough to cover your confusion.

Kenji's gaze and innocent smile didn't waver away from you. He hummed in agreement. "Although you have a great, happily bubbly job, you do seem to have more going on," He continued explaining.

You sat there not having the slightest idea on how to respond to him. Only then, a phone rang in the room.

It was your phone.