When I wake the next morning, I'm utterly startled to find I'm still wrapped in the covers of Dazai's bed. I walk slowly around the apartment, searching for Dazai. But he's not here. That means he never came home last night. I have a terrible feeling about this... I hop out of bed and rush to the door, ready to leave. But with my hand hovering just barely above the metal knob, I pause. Something doesn't feel quite right. I feel like I'm forgetting something. Taking one last look around the apartment behind me, I realize what it is. The bed! I realize it's a complete wreck. How rude of me to leave it a mess like that. I immediately move back toward the bed and make it all nice and neat. 'There. That's better,' I think to myself with a small smile. As I'm making my way to the door, I notice a little metal glint in the corner of my eye and absent-mindedly place Dazai's gun on top of his bed. He must have forgotten it last night when I barged in on him sleeping. Then I re-enter my manic state of panic and rush out the front door, making a beeline straight to the agency. On the way there, I call Dazai so many times I lose count, but he doesn't answer any of them. Now I'm really starting to worry.
I barge into the main office of the agency ready to fight someone, but... there's no one there. I swear if an ant were to make it's way in here, I'd be able to hear it's tiny footsteps. That's how deadly silent it is in here. I poke my head systematically into each office one by one, hoping someone- anyone- is still here. Finally, I find Naomi and one of the other clerks in the back office.
"Where is everyone?" I ask, breaking the silence.
She looks up from her work momentarily as she answers, 'You didn't hear?"
"Um...no? Hear what?" I ask further, my eyebrows furrowing in concerned confusion.
"Everyone is at the hospital watching over the president. He was attacked yesterday, and he's not looking too good," Naomi explains as she continues to type on her computer.
My eyes grow wide as I pursue the story further. "And Dazai?"
"What about Dazai?" She asks. That question makes my heart drop to my stomach. So they haven't seen him in the past 24 hours? My predicament just seems to be getting worse and worse.
"Uh, I gotta go," I say without an explanation and rush right back out of the office. I have to get to the hospital ASAP and figure out what the hell is going on. I go out on my own without Creed ONE TIME and the whole world falls apart...
Once I get to the hospital I make a mad dash for the president's room. I'm about to barge in when a certain someone sticks his arm swiftly out in front of me, blocking me from entering. "Where do you think you're going?" Kunikida asks with his icy gaze narrowed in my direction.
"I'm here to see the president; same as you," I answer coldly, trying my best to push past him.
But Kunikida pushes further, in an accusing tone, "Oh yeah? And where were you when he needed us? Hm?" He pauses slightly before continuing, "I know. You were probably out conspiring with that mafia friend of yours. In fact, she's probably the one who orchestrated this whole damn thing!" At this point, the tears I had been holding back are starting to boil over. I don't know if it's because Kunikida is being so mean or because I think he's right. Not about Nekori working for the enemy, but about me not being there when the president needed me. Lately, it seems I'm never there when anyone needs me... My soul is so crushed I can't even come up with a response to Kunikida's quips like I usually do. Instead, I just turn around and run the other way, wiping my tears as I go. I have to get to the vet. Creed is the only one who can help calm me down right now, and quite frankly, it looks like he's the only one I have left.
As soon as I step over the threshold of the Yokohama's veterinarian clinic, I'm happily bombarded by my furry friend. Creed leaps into my arms. He practically tackles me in the process, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I wrap my arms tightly around Creed and shut my eyes, trying to soak up every ounce of this moment. For a few minutes, it feels like everything will be okay. But the glue that is Creed's presence can only hold my life together for so long. Eventually, I do have to release him and pay the doctor for her work. I don't know what I'd do without her at this point. After that, Creed and I set out to find Dazai. With my little duo back together, I know we'll be able to do it, but I'm honestly starting to become a little scared of what I'll find.
We start our quest back at Dazai's apartment since that's the last place I know I saw him. Creed helps me follow the trail of Dazai's faint scent left from the night before. We make our way slowly across the city of Yokohama. After twenty minutes of searching, Creed starts to get excited. He begins moving faster, and his tail is wagging excitedly behind him. We transition from a walk, to a trot, and all the way to a full on sprint as we get closer to our destination. Finally, we round the corner to a dead end ally between buildings. I wish I wasn't seeing what I am. We find Dazai lying on the ground in a dark crimson pool of blood- his blood. I rush to his side, shaking him gentle and yelling, "Dazai! Dazai! What happened? Who did this to you?"
Dazai weakly lifts his head up to answer me saying, "The-the Mafia... We're under attack..." He can barely finish his sentence before he runs out of breath and passes out cold. I know I don't have time to waste, but for a moment, I'm just frozen. His statement leaves me completely flabbergasted. I don't even know what to make of it, but it doesn't matter because I don't have time to think. I whip out my phone and get a hold of an ambulance ASAP. Under normal circumstances, I would have called Dr. Yosano, but she's probably busy helping the president right now. So a regular ambulance will have to do.
At the hospital, Creed and I wait in Dazai's room while they operate on him. We wait rather impatiently, might I add. I can't help but pace back and forth the whole time he's gone. When they finally wheel Dazai's sleeping figure back into the room, I have come to a very sad conclusion. I have to leave Creed again. It's the only way. I bend down to Creed's eye level and say, "My friend is still out there, and I need to find her. Do you think you can stay here and watch over Dazai for me, bud?"
Creed gives me a determined nod as he answers, 'I can do it. I promise I won't fail this time."
"Oh Creed," I say, "You didn't fail me. It's my fault for leaving you alone last night. You did great." Then I wrap my arms around him in a tight hug. He nuzzles his head into my neck and sighs in response. Released from my grasp, Creed moves to sit beside Dazai's bed and take up his watch position. I give one last glance over my shoulder before walking out.
I have to find Nekori before it's too late.
YOU ARE READING
Part of Your World {A Bungo Stray Dogs fanfic}
FanficAtsushi wasn't completely alone in that dreadful orphanage. He had a friend named Kagami. She was the only person he liked in that place. She made it a little bit less terrible and had this way of calming him down. This is the story of Kagami's jour...
