ᴡᴇᴀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴠᴇɴɢᴇᴀɴᴄᴇ | ᴅᴀᴢᴀɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ✔️

XXIX: Standing still

The members of the agency were busy with their own trouble, but they were listening. Kunikida sensed Dazai's panic in his tone.

I have to create a diversion, Kunikida thought, knowing that the attack from the Jackals is nothing but a distraction so Dazai's becomes alone, unarmed, giving him no chance but to surrender.

Exactly what Ranpo had suspected.

In the car on the way to the building, with Kunikida driving and Ranpo in the passenger seat, and Yosano sitting in the back seat, Ranpo was writing down all that was finally coming back to his head about you. He wrote non-stop. Kunikida had never seen Ranpo this panicked in his years of working with him before.

"Such a powerful skill, and yet, we did not suspect anything about her before in the past two months," Kunikida said with furrowed eyebrows. He looked in the rear mirror to see the same expression on Yosano's face. "You wouldn't suspect it because she only used it once..." Ranpo said, writing non-stop.

"... or because she used it perfectly, we could all have replaced memories now," he continued, sending chills on both Kunikida and Yosano's bodies.

"Dazai.. warn him," Ranpo said when Kunikida and Yosano were about to leave the car. "He might be careful not to let the boss hypnotize him, but she could do so with her words," both Kunikida and Yosano looked at each other then back to Ranpo.

"After all, the boss knows all too well that love can be the biggest weakness of all,"

。。。

"how do you know about that?" Dazai asked, shooting a look back at you.

"Yn-san, are your parents still in this world?" Dazai's voice played through Hina's phone. The shift in your gaze was clear to Dazai as day.

It's the truth.. is what your eyes struggled to hide.

"My loyal agent was able to record the whole deal, with that, I was able to .. hear the conversations you two had," the boss continued.

Dazai still managed to keep his breaths steady, he wasn't stupid. He knew she was trying to play with his mind. Yet, she sure found despicable ways to get her words into his head.

His gaze never left yours, but his ears were attentively listening to the boss' words.

You, on the other hand, remembered the recording you did way back when things weren't like this. Back when Kenta was still alive, when you still had to go to the puppies cafe every day, when Nakahara was just some regular customer at your place, when Dazai was your pretending-boyfriend.

Back when you still had a chance to choose the right path.

This whole time, you were only trying to do all the things just to get close to your, once was, target.

It was all gone, and somehow, Hina found his weakness without you realizing. You were just a bait. This whole time ..

The time was up, and you had to act fast.

You looked at Dazai one last time. He looked your way, his eyebrows slightly furrowing, his trust in you was beginning to shake.

You closed your eyes, and held your breath.

The only way to break Hina's curse is by manipulating your own memories. You are able to enchant your mind into not being hypnotized by Hina ever again. You knew you had to be unconscious first to be able to get into your own brain.

You didn't know if it would work because you never tried it. However, you knew such a choice of power would come with a cost.

You remembered your mother warning you not to do so because looking at your own memories was against the will of nature. You didn't give a single shit about nature, but you remembered what else your mother had said..

The trip to your own memories, it would take you to where all your buried trauma was hidden. It could traumatize you from using your skill ever again.

You would do it, if it meant to restore Dazai's trust in you...

And to kill Hina once and for all.
。。。

Dazai had no idea why you had your eyes closed. Only a minute in he noticed your face paling.

"Your nullifting skill could be ..." Hina trailed off, realizing something else caught Dazai's attention. She looked your way, "You useless little brat," she spat, knowing the very thing you were doing. 

She closed her phone and placed it back in her pocket, walking up to you. "The same foolish choice your mother made..." she said, her voice edged with fury.

You felt the desperate need to gasp for air and to open your eyes to see furious Hina, but you didn't. Nothing was left, you were almost gonna faint. They were only mere seconds to manipulate your own memories.

She pulled your already messed up hair yelling for you to stop. There stood Dazai, looking at the scenery that played in front of him.

He gritted his teeth, jaw clenching and eyes darkening.

He couldn't take in seeing you like this anymore. He knew that what he was about to do was foolish, the Dazai from two months ago wouldn't dare to do something so risky for such a cliche thing called love.

But there he was, knowing that seeing you happy would be the only thing worth the foolish choice he was about to make.

He was right, he never wanted to commit double suicide with you.

He wanted to continue living with you on his side.

Pulling his gun from under his coat, he quickly shoots on Hina's perfect silhouette. Bullets started to shoot around Dazai, but he already ran away from their sights. As he hid, he looked back at where you were.

You finally gasped for air again, but you barely stood. The gun fell from your hand as you tried to walk away from Hina.

The sight of your swollen foot made Dazai cringe. He wanted to come and save you from all this. He wanted to brush your hair away from your bruised face. Your eyes ... they showed years of suffering and pain that you could no longer bear.

He then realized you were walking up to him. When both of your gazes met, your eyes watered as you mumbled the words...

Run.. please..

You finally knew the weight of these words, the meaning of them when your brother yelled them two years ago. You didn't need saving, you just didn't want Dazai to begin to feel what you have experienced.

"Not bad, mr. so-called Detective," with a smile, Hina declared. Both you and Dazai's gazes went back to where Hina stood.

There was no blood, nor sight of pain in her eyes. She stood up, and flicked the bullet from her body. Under the silky dress, there was a metallic substance covering her.

Dazai's eyes were still on her body. "You think I am foolish enough to come unprotected?" She said, laughing, knowing she is in complete control.

"Yes, my mind and power are strong, but I have to also keep my fragile body protected," she explained. Her hands ran through her ginger locks as she declared the next words.

"Shoot her,"

_____
Author's note: another chapter is coming today! Plus, thank you for those are voting as they read, it really helps a lot with getting my story out there so more people can read it :)