𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ￤O. Dazai

𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗘 | 𝟬𝟰 (updated)

CHAPTER FOUR

The man stared at her, making Y/n shift uncomfortably where she sat.

Noticing the girl's unease, he cleared his throat and looked away. His mind remained clouded, a slight daze lingering while water droplets dripped down his face. He was certain no one had been there when he jumped. And yet, here he was-still alive-with a girl beside him, equally drenched.

If he had to guess, the only explanation was that she had seen him and dove in after him. He might have been grateful, if he didn't jumped on purpose.

He turned to face her again and smiled, holding out a hand. "I'm Dazai," he said. "Osamu Dazai."

Y/n's eyes widened briefly before she quickly blinked and returned to her usual nonchalant expression.

Oh, it's him, she thought, reaching out to shake his hand.

"Y/n," she replied simply with a small smile. She didn't bother adding her family name. Even speaking it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Dazai raised an eyebrow but didn't let go of her hand, eyeing her as if waiting for more-perhaps expecting some kind of introduction or elaboration.

"Y/n!" a familiar voice suddenly cut through the moment.

Y/n immediately withdrew her hand and let it fall to her lap. She looked up to see Yuzuki sprinting toward her, tripping over his own feet thanks to his formal leather shoes sinking into the sand. She couldn't help but snicker.

She watched him silently as he struggled his way to her, only stopping once he reached a reasonable distance. He bent over, both hands on his knees, panting hard as if the air had been knocked out of his lungs.

"Zuki-" she started, intending to ask why he was there, but Yuzuki beat her to it. He snapped his head up and fixed his eyes on her with wild intensity. Y/n flinched and promptly shut her mouth.

"Where were you-why are you wet?!" he demanded, practically yelling.

Y/n sighed and pushed herself off the sand. "Why are you here?"

"You're not supposed to answer a question with a question!" Yuzuki groaned in frustration.

She rolled her eyes and was about to respond when he jumped in again.

"I called you and you didn't answer!" he said, waving his phone in front of her face. He flicked through the screen, showing her a long line of unread texts. "I texted you too, and nothing!"

Y/n opened her mouth to explain, only for him to step closer, half-hiding his face behind his phone, the exposed side of his face filled with exaggerated betrayal.

"You're ignoring me, aren't you?" he accused, while Y/n sweat-dropped, already imagining the dark aura forming around him.

"Z-Zuki-"

"-But, oh!" He threw his arms over his head. "You're probably thinking about how annoying I am, how I keep nagging!"

Yeah, no shit, Y/n thought bitterly. She raised a finger and forced a smile, clinging to the last sliver of patience she had left.

"Zuki-"

"-But I'm just doing my job! It's not like I care about any of you!" he declared, crossing his arms dramatically.

"Yuzu-"

"-Even if I want to burn every paper on my desk, I still do my work-damn that Kannata! Always dumping everything on me!" His hands flew up again as Y/n's brow twitched.

"Yuzuk-"

She dropped her hand and her well known closed-eye smile barely holding. An irk mark appeared on her forehead while Dazai watched quietly, sweat-dropping at the chaotic exchange.

Is this normal? he wondered.

"I just want a vacation! But no, more paperwork! Damn you, Kannata!" Yuzuki continued.

"Yuzuki-"

"I just want to-"

"LET ME SPEAK, DAMN IT!" Y/n snapped.

Both men flinched. She yanked out her phone from the pile of clothes and shoved it in Yuzuki's face.

"My phone was on silent mode because I had to go somewhere important!"

Yuzuki narrowed his eyes, adjusting his glasses multiple times as he leaned in to read the screen. The irk mark on Y/n's forehead grew.

This bastard... can't even see with his glasses on?!

"I see, I see," he said as he stood straight again, adjusting his glasses once more. He brought a fist to his lips and cleared his throat.

"I apologize for my unprofessionalism."

Y/n sighed and tossed her phone onto the pile of clothes she'd left on the sand. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, trying to warm herself and regain composure.

"What are you doing here?" she asked at last.

Yuzuki's expression turned serious. He tucked his hands into his pockets. "We have a mission for you. It's urgent, and since you weren't answering, I came to find you."

Y/n raised a brow. "How'd you find me?"

"Nazomi-san tracked your location in seconds," Yuzuki said with a shrug.

Y/n sighed, unsurprised. Nazomi was good at tracking-his ability made him practically unstoppable. Everyone in the organization had their use.

She turned to look at Dazai. Yuzuki followed her gaze. His eyes bounced between the two of them-both soaked to the bone-and suspicion crept into his expression.

Did they go night swimming? he wondered.

Y/n smiled at Dazai with an expression full of innocent charm, the same one she used during missions to avoid suspicion. She'd mastered it.

"I have to leave. Please get home safely, Dazai-san," she said, bowing politely. But the moment she turned, her smile vanished. Irritation flickered across her face. As effective as her act was, she still despised pretending to be some easy, helpless girl.

Her actions spoke otherwise. The pile of bodies she'd left behind could vouch for that.

She picked up her clothes, throwing her dress over her shoulder without bothering to wear it properly. Yuzuki nodded once at Dazai before walking alongside her.

"What's the mission?" Y/n asked in a whisper as they walked.

"There are a few people you need to deal with," Yuzuki replied, adjusting his glasses yet again.

Meanwhile, Dazai remained seated on the sand, watching their silhouettes fade into the distance.

"Y/n, huh?" he muttered, standing up slowly. A small smirk tugged at his lips as he kept his eyes fixed on her back. He slipped both hands into the pockets of his wet coat.