Walking In Your Fleeting World || Dazai Osamu

Chapter-41: For now,

My reflection in your sight

-Neutral POV-

Nishikata Makoto believes he has a great life. He wakes up early in the morning with neither a happy nor sad state of mind, he gets ready and heads to the work he doesn't mind doing, and he earns a pretty good amount of money from it at the same time. The only problem he has in his life currently is his superior, Dazai Osamu.

It's not a secret that Dazai hates him, in fact, Nishikata feels a strong murderous intent stabbing at his heart like a dagger every time Dazai looks at him, talks to him, or even breathes the same air as him. That's why Nishikata tries his very best not to fall before Dazai, keeps his reports strictly limited to text messages only, and stays out of all sorts of trouble so Dazai doesn't have to meet him face to face. But his hard work doesn't always pay out, and today is one of those days.

Nishikata's dark gaze quietly observes the reflection of his anxious face in the glass door of the elevator, forcefully spreading his lips to fake a smile. He adjusts the knot of his tie, telling himself quietly that there's nothing to be nervous about when deep inside he knows there is. Today is supposed to be Dazai's day off, he's supposed to be using the day to move residences. Then why is he at the HQ at 10:30 am, calling Nishikata into the executive's office? There has got to be something fishy going on here! Is he going to get killed?

Nishikata tries to recall his steps, trying to find out if he had done anything wrong recently. Akutagawa Riki has been in Dazai's care for the past month, so whatever happened to her wasn't up to Nishikata whatsoever... that'd only mean this summoning doesn't involve Riki at all, instead it only involves him... right? But what could he have possibly done to invoke his wrath like that?

A few days ago, when he along with Ito was tasked to monitor a nine-year-old girl, he uttered countless unspeakable words about Dazai, there's no lie to that. But of course, before that, he checked every square centimeter of the car, making sure there was no listening device that Dazai could use to listen in. It's not that Nishikata did it worrying Dazai would rip out his tongue for badmouthing him, he just wanted to understand the merit behind following a kid around.

Although right now, Nishikata understands the merit very well. He's not stupid, he knew Riki was involved the moment a ship of an enemy organization came into the shore without the port mafia ever doing anything to bring it in. Even if Riki's name is omitted from the official reports and everyone claims something different, the fact that she was going around with a boat in the sea speaks volumes. And since Riki was involved, Dazai stayed away from violence as much as possible. That's why the kidnapping of the girl didn't look like a kidnap, even when she was being held hostage she felt as though she was hanging out with friends, and only her grandfather knew she was kidnapped, nobody else. After he aided the ship to enter the private harbor, the girl was returned to her parents without any harm done to her. Dazai cares about her enough to not do anything that'd distress her, that's why he took so many extra steps.

From just that, not only he confirmed Dazai's attitude toward her, but he also realized Dazai doesn't give a shit about him. At least not enough to plan something just to bully him. While Nishikata is happy about it, he's also a little bummed out. Even if it's just hate, Nishikata would love to matter to that person.

The elevator door suddenly opens, causing Nishikata to swallow his breath. He walks out of it, greeting his colleagues guarding the door briefly before heading toward the executive's office. When he nears the door, some mafiosos come out of it carrying a brown desk, the one Riki used in her time as Dazai's assistant. He steps away, clearing their path. Once they're completely out, Nishikata reveals himself at the door.