Constant Denial? [Soukuko]

Chapter 6: Only to Irritate Chuuya?

He's walking out of the room after having his conversation about the contract and what would be the best option for action on the threat of a new Lovecraft. Atsushi is holding the slip of paper to his chest.

"So you're really agreeing to do it?" His eyes facing Dazai's stretched smile. "You'll have to fight on the field".

"Atsushi, I'm not agreeing to the terms of this." He says still smiling as if there is no threatening bit of information in the paper. "I'm just going there to annoy my dog for a bit and than I'll leave". Atsushi looks at His devious smile crawled further to each end of his face before they continue their explanation. "The terms of this don't even benefit the agency's needs very much. If we are faced with something like Lovecraft then all we need is to get a bomb in him. He can't regenerate after being blown up from the inside".

"Then why even bother? If we can just plant a bomb and be done why don't we? Then there would be no need for this contract and all the measures of it. You even said that this won't help the agency!", he said, irritated from the confusion. He jumps in front of Dazai's path. "Why can't we and the agency take care of this on our own?". Atsushi's voice went from irritated and confused to demanding and eager.

Dazai's smile doesn't drop for a moment even after he'd been blocked by Atsushi, in fact he laughed lightly at the eager young man in front of him. "Well if you must know," he gets down to eye level "if I go, I get to push Chuuya's buttons and annoy him for the night and the coming few hours if I'm lucky". Atsushi, lost once again in the many misunderstandings given to himself by his mentor, doesn't move even when Dazai straightens up and walks around him. He snaps out of his contact with the air while Dazai walks away.

"So you risking your life only to annoy someone?!". Dazai nods to the conclusion that he came to. "You two better be close if you aren't gonna get killed by the end.".

Dazai let's out a snarky laugh from underneath his shortened smile. "I won't be killed by that Slug, I'd rather die alongside a maiden of beauty", Dazai's knees hit the ground and he waves his arm out to the clouds as if expecting something in return. "Ohhh great planet Earth! Send me a woman of beauty and willingness to join me in a beautiful double suicide". Atsushi just stands staring at him as he waves his arms around asking for a woman of beauty to join him in parting from the world.

Dazai's behavior lasts for what feels longer than it should have to Atsushi. The people around them begin to throw stares at what Dazai is doing, but before Atsushi can turn his gaze back to him there is a loud smack from in front of them. Atsushi jumped at the sound.

"Did your family not teach you to respect others in public!? None of the people here want to watch you be a child in the streets when you look like a grown man.". The slap came from a middle aged woman. She finished 'correcting' Dazai before turning and walking away.

"... Dazai? Are you okay?". He jumped back on his feet as if nothing ever happened.

" Yes, I'm just wishing that the slap would have been hard enough to end it all for me." He sighs but continues toward the direction of the agency.

Atsushi stood, not moving an inch for a moment, all just to think. Does Dazai really just bounce back from events like this? Does this not faze him? Why take a mission only to irritate someone who hates him? There are many questions with our answers litmited to the little amount of true emotion that he shows to the public.

He leaves his questions behind for now as he runs to catch up with Dazai's fast pace.