One Of Us

I'm Packing Up My Crayons And Leaving

Chuuya Nakahara

I feel like I'm obligated to take away some of the attention from the two walking disasters who literally can't function without the other at this point (you know exactly who I'm talking about) and shine a little light on the aftermath of myself and Yuma having returned Dazai's precious little assassin. You see, no one has found out it was us, and Yuma and I got really lucky because we've been out on the case to find the traitor.

Only problem is, we are said traitors.

So ever since we've been on the case, Yuma and I have been working to pin it on the guys who tortured Rei. I've framed people before and it's never been hard, but this time is different. Because this time, the person we have to trick is no moron, rather, the person is Mori.

Yuma and I have been running around tirelessly to put this whole thing together, and if people were really paying attention to just exactly how we were 'searching for the traitor,' we would look very suspicious. But let me tell you something about the Port Mafia (Mori, myself, and Yuma excluded), if idiots could fly, this place would be an airport.

"Chuu," Yuma sounds utterly exhausted as we climb the stairs to the executive sleeping quarters on one of the top floors. We haven't been using the elevators lately, incase we need to make a quick escape if anyone figures us out. I look over my shoulder to her. Yuma's swaying and it looks as if she might fall over. I stop and let her catch up to me before setting my hand at her back to help guide her up the last couple steps. When we reach the top, she drops her head to my shoulder. "Is it too late to go to Rei and Dazai?" She whispers into my ear, making my breath hitch but my heart sink.

"Yuma... it's late. Maybe we should discuss this-"

"No." She lifts her head and I'm forced to stare her in the eye, "no. I want to discuss this now." Her voice drops to a whisper again, "Chuuya, I'm scared of what they'll do to us if they figure out what really happened with Rei."

I hug her close, "I won't let anything happen to you, Yuma. You have to trust me on that."

"I know... I know... but you know how powerful they are — how powerful Mori is. You saw what they did to Rei. I don't want to go through that... I don't want you to go through that either. I won't survive something like that. She shouldn't have survived-"

"Yuma, Sayuri is a very strong person, but you have to understand that she only survived that because she's already been shattered to pieces. I don't know if she's beyond repair at this point, but I know that idiot Dazai won't let her fall apart if he can help it." Now I'm whispering, "I've seen the way he looks at her... I've never seen him go so... so soft for a girl. Or anyone, for that matter."

"You're one to talk," she retorts, obviously finding enough energy to tease me.

I pull out of the hug and cross my arms, "Oh? Soft? How so?"

She smirks as if I have just challenged her, but it quickly fades as she reverts back to the original subject matter we were discussing. I stop her before she can say something more and guide her towards my sleeping quarters. I scan my keycard and shove open my door (Dazai always said it weighed more than me, and I'm so exhausted right now I can see why he would say that).

I motion Yuma inside and let the door swing closed behind us. She sits down on my desk chair in the corner. Rei and Yuma used to sit on the floor together while I sat on that desk chair while we talked strategy for an upcoming mission, or just... sat like that to catch up with each other, because I was mostly sent on missions with my idiot ex-partner.

"I think we need to leave the mafia." Yuma says finally. "But.. We'd need help getting out of here though..."

"Darling, my idea of 'help' is a sniper on the roof or blowing the place to bits... Or we could send them all into space... that would be wildly entertaining."

She shoots me a look, but then an endearing sparkle jumps into her eyes.

"You've got an idea." I say hesitantly, "I think it might just get us killed, but let's hear it." I wave my hand at her before pulling off my gloves.

"I have an idea," she confirms with a nod of her head, "But you're going to have to talk to someone... Do you think your non-existent people skills can handle that?"

I roll my eyes, "My people skills are just fine-"

"You're going to have to call Dazai-"

"It's my tolerance for that idiot that needs work," I finish in a deadpan.

Yuma rolls her eyes, but I can see she's trying not to laugh. "Okay well, what are you waiting for? Call him and tell him that we're leaving the mafia. I'm going to go start packing. We should leave tonight."

I purse my lips, "Yuma, wait. I don't want to leave indefinitely..."

She pauses in front of the doorway, reaching for the handle. "What do you mean? Chuu, they'll kill us-"

"Not if we can prove to Mori that Rei was better off without the mafia. I... I just don't know how we'll do that yet. But let's just make it look like we're going out to investigate a lead. That way we can come back here if we need to..."

Yuma sighs, but then nods, "Okay. But for now, pack your things."

I nod.

She smirks, "don't forget your crayons."

"Yuma that was one time!"

Yuma laughs as she walks out the door, leaving me to call Dazai.

With a sigh, I wrestle my phone out of my inside vest pocket and press the call button to his contact (it seem's I've forgotten to take him out of the 'Favorites' section... Well, he was only there in the first place incase of emergency...) and put the phone on speaker, bracing myself to hear that idiot's voice again.

"Chuuuuuuuyaaaaaaaaaaa!" Comes the voice as the call is answered.

I groan, "Hello, Dazai."

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure. Or should I say to whom? But I already know that answer... I'd assume you and Yuma are ready to take a... vacation from the mafia, hmm?"

"How did you-?!"

"Oh c'mon Chuuya, you've known me for years. And besides, you wouldn't willingly call me in the middle of the night."

"Okay well... Yuma and I need your help-"

Suddenly I head a female voice in the background. The voice is groggy, "Dazai, what in the seven hells are you doing awake? It's eleven o'clock at night! Go to sleep! You're still recovering from that bullet wound." That's Rei's voice... Now I'm very confused.

Dazai clears his throat, "Excuse me for a moment, Chuuya," He says quickly. It sounds like he turns his head away from the phone. "Well what are you doing out of bed, Sayuri? Hm? Hm? You're still recovering from the- oh! Careful- Here-" I hear the rustling of fabric and then Dazai's talking to me again, "What was that, Chuuya?"

"What- Oh, um... Yuma and I need a place to go-"

"The Detective Agency is always open to you guys. I'll let the president know. See you soon, right? At my apartment?"

"Dazai-" It's Rei again, "-What- Who's coming?"

When he responds, his voice is so gentle it almost makes me uncomfortable, "Chuuya and Yuma." Then I hear Dazai chuckle, "Oh you're adorable Rei. Now go back to sleep. Oh- ugh, Rei, enough with the paperwork." Dazai sighs, "The spare key is under the mat, Chuuya. I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah okay, but what is Rei-" And he hangs up, "-doing in your apartment..." I finish in a murmur as I stare down at the blank phone screen. I'm shocked Dazai was so willing to help us.

It takes me about ten minutes to pack up enough clothes for the week – though I'm guessing we'll be gone longer – and I wait outside my door for Yuma. 

And together, we walk through the halls of the Port Mafia, and right through the large double doors made of glass in the main lobby. 

For some odd reason, though, us leaving doesn't feel anywhere close to a goodbye.