ᴡᴇᴀᴋᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴠᴇɴɢᴇᴀɴᴄᴇ | ᴅᴀᴢᴀɪ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ✔️

XXXVII: Is this the Future?

All those who died in the dream, was it real then?

"Interesting, playing with the rules of the universe, and you don't even realize it," he commented, gulping down the last bite of the cake.

"But, if you're saying I am from the future, there are things in this... past that don't make sense," you complained. He didn't say anything, waiting for you to explain.

"This place I work in, it was never an organization; it is a university here. And there's this person that I work for. I have asked people; the people who worked for her in my future. They said that they didn't know someone with the same name," you said, confused by all that was happening.

He relaxed his eyebrows, thinking. "Hmm... maybe then the 'future' detection wasn't correct. This is more complicated than I thought,"

After some silence between both of you, he finally said.

"Sleep on it, come tomorrow at the same time here and we will talk about it. I will tell Fukuzawa about it, who, you must know by another name?"

"The president... of the agency," you said before you gave it any thought, like it was some normal thing you knew.

"Waah, President?! He better enlist me with him when he creates that Agency!" He said excitedly, like you weren't talking about a terrifying power of nature which was his future.

。。。

"I'm home," you called, it was evening already, and you didn't know time had passed when you were chatting with Ranpo.

"Come inside, dinner's ready," your mother called.

Mom?

Your heart skipped a beat; with all that happened that day, you didn't realize you have yet to meet your mom.

If it wasn't a dream, and they all really died in the future, then you knew spending time with them at that moment had to be cherished. But you also knew you had to find ways to never make that future come true.

They were both already sitting at the table. Your mother, brother, and...

"Only three more days and father would finally come, we better create the best homecoming surprise for him," Hotaru said as you sat down.

Father, the father I have never seen. You thought as another memory flooded back to your mind.

Working with the jackals, your brother was only five when your father died, resulting in you having never seen your father yourself since your mother was pregnant with you.

You smiled, listening to your family's conversation. The kind of warmth that you never knew you needed. Jackals stole everything from you, but here, in this past, you were ready to make things right.

A doorbell interrupted your conversations. "I'll go get it," you brother volunteered as he stood. Both you and your mother didn't speak as to listen to the conversation.

"Yes... I didn't know... okay," though you couldn't hear who the other person was, you only heard the mummers of your brother.

"Yn, come," he called. Maybe it was Kenta? You thought, making your way to the door of the living room. "He said he wanted to talk to you," your brother told you.

You looked at Hotaru's face; his expression, like he wasn't comfortable speaking with the person who came.

You looked outside the door. And saw a boy slightly taller than you. He wore a white shirt along with black jeans, his small body was engulfed by the huge long black jacket he was wearing. His brown hair covered most of his face, and one of his eyes was bandaged.

You saw his other eye light up at the sight of you. "Do I... know you?" You asked. His shoulders slightly lumped, disappointed that you couldn't recognize him.

"She doesn't know you. I suggest you go back where you came from," your brother told him, proceeding to close the door, and you started walking back to the dining room.

"Wait, please!" He called, placing his shoe before the door had closed. You retreated, going back to the door where the boy was. Hotaru sighed next to you, not so comfortable about letting the boy have his way.

He then smiled, reaching inside his jacket, and handed it to you, a long loaf of bread. You examined it closely, not understanding what he wanted you to notice.

"Perhaps... we can feed it to the fish? And ask questions... to get to know each other," He suggested, smiling.

Your eyes widened, now fully remembering your so-called future.

"The target, it was you," you muttered, your arms falling next to your sides. He pulled on the bandage covering his other eye, showing his loving gaze to you. "Osamu," you finally said, the loaf of bread falling from your grip.

You pulled your heavy steps toward him, like everything in this universe refused to let you reunite with him, but in the end, you did.

You rested your chin on his shoulder, but the ruffle of his clothes made you look at him once again.

He was taller, his familiar beige jacket; he was older. "You remembered me, the curse of living in your own memory can be nullified by me now,"

You looked back to the front door of the house where both of your mother and brother stood. They were smiling. You broke from Dazai's hug, and he lets you go.

He knew you needed some time to realize that all what you have gone through that day was just a fabricated memory you unconsciously created to escape the real harsh truth; that you were dying.

He himself was a memory as well, just not one you placed in this fabricated reality. Though he still tried to nullify your skill and cross into many memories to get to this one.

"Mom? Hotaru? This... this isn't real?" You said, voice breaking, not accepting the truth. "I'm sorry sweetie," your mother apologized, brushing her thumb across your cheek. Now that you knew they were just a memory, you couldn't feel her touch anymore, making you break into tears.

"Go, Yn, you still have the choice to live," Hotaru said, directing your attention back to him. "I also trust him to take good care of you. You heard that?" He said, calling out to Dazai, who chuckled back. "Just know that we love you greatly and we will always be there for you," your mother reminded you.

You all hugged together, though you couldn't feel their touch, you were happy to be close to them one more time.

You walked back to Dazai, who reached out his hand for you to hold. It was glowing; he was ready to nullify your skill to get you out of there. "Let's go, Yn, let's go back home,"

Before you took in his hand, you looked back one last time at them, they waved at you, and you smiled. You looked back at Dazai and took in his hand.