𝗦𝗢𝗨𝗞𝗢𝗞𝗨 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗦

It's Not Like He Ever...

When Mori had called him over for a meeting with the other executives and Dazai wasn't there, he'd already known something happened.

Did he really, though?

Maybe his memories of what he had thought in that moment, changed overtime simply because he had found out what had really happened.

"Where's Dazai?"

"That's actually what we're here to talk about today."

The tone Mori used when he said that made Chuuya freeze in his seat. Thoughts washed over his mind like waves, what could've happened? Did he get hurt? Did he get captured by the enemy? What happened? What's wrong?

"Dazai Osamu has defected from the Port Mafia."

Even through all the possibilities that his brain had made up, this one was something he thought was beyond the realm of possibility. Afterall, "Excuse me?" who could ever expect the person that brought them both into darkness, vowed to be by eachothers side no matter what— Who could've expected their partner to leave without even consoling the other? Without saying goodbye?

...People said the first stage was denial.

"But that's impossible! He wouldn't have just—" He wouldn't have just left without a word.

"Ah yes, but it isn't. He had left approximately two days ago or so, able to prolong his time by avoiding all cameras and bases situated around Yokohoma— Mostly because he knew where all of them were, considering he was the one that told everyone where they were."

He saw the way Mori sighed, dissapointed. As if it was disappointing Dazai left, and not...

"What's our next course of action, Boss?" Kouyou had questioned, a deep frown on her face.

"If you do see him, or find out where he is— Do not pass up the oppurtunity to..." Mori paused, then smiled. "Kill him."

"Is that your way of saying to go looking for him?" Ace asked.

"I'm afraid not. It would be quite fruitless, trying to search for his whereabouts." He turned to look straight at Chuuya, expectant. "You should know this better than all of us, Chuuya-kun."

At that moment, Chuuya just wanted to destroy everything around him.

Don't remind me of that.

———

Today would be a full two months after Dazai's defection. Chuuya, of course, held a wine glass in his hand. He'd downed maybe a bottle's worth by now, and smoked a total of ten cigarettes. The burning feeling of the wine going down his throat would be enough to soothe that ache in his chest, right?

It did before.

Getting betrayed would never get any better.

He'd been given a week of leave— more like suspension, really. Mori was probably investigating his character just in case he had helped Dazai escape, considering he was Dazai's—

...

He opens another bottle, setting aside the previous one. He downs it immediately, curling in on himself on his couch. He shouldn't have expected much from somebody like Dazai. After all, he always talked about how he hated Chuuya, always said something just about wishing to be never see his face again.

Dazai was depressed, everybody could tell.

He couldn't just expect a suicidal person like him to suddenly start making his life better for Chuuya. He couldn't just have expected Dazai to change for him. To start trusting him outside of the battlefield like that.