To See You Again (Chuuya Nakahara x Reader x Dazai Osamu)

Chapter Seventeen

The journey to the Agency was a silent one and it was not until Dazai and Y/n were both seated at the President's desk, waiting for him to arrive, that either of them changed that fact.

"You seem to have grown rather close to him."

Dazai was always push buttons, pressing further into the stone surrounding Y/n. It irritated her to no end and she didn't deign him with a response. Her verdict now solidified, she knew he was not worth it.

Calmly, the President at last entered and took his seat. Placing the cup of hot tea he held in his hands onto his desk, he directed his attention to the people seated across from him.

"So, you've come to join us at last?"

The pleasant smile that graced his fine features did nothing to crack Y/n's harsh exterior.

"I guess I have."

"You don't seem very pleased at the notion."

"Maybe that's cause I got tricked into coming here by your scheming subordinate."

The President laughed.

"He can be rather troublesome, but he's good at his job. You seem to have taken a rather odd path in getting here. Presumed dead to appearing out of nowhere, years later, having defected from the Mafia, only to rejoin as an executive and leave once again?"

"I wasn't a very good executive, as it turns out."

The President and Dazai exchanged a look.

"Y/n, if this is going to work out you need to be honest with us."

"What if I don't want this to work?"

The room gained a taciturn air and Dazai knew what to do to fix that. It may be a slimy thing to do, and the only thing he had in the form of leverage with respect to Y/n, but it would work.

"I believe you made a promise." he said lightly.

Y/n, reading between the lines, glared at the man seated to her left.

"I didn't promise anyone anything."

"You don't have to say the words for it to be a promise."

"Fuck you." she responded after a moment's thought, her voice sharp, before turning to the President once more. 

"Why are you here?" he asked pleasantly.

"My... friend," the word was uncertain, foreign on her tongue, "decided it would be best for me if I left. This was the only place he thought I'd be safe."

"And this friend of yours, he wouldn't happen to be Mori."

"Never." Y/n shook her head, her features contorted with disgust.

"You seem to have some rather strong feelings against your former employer."

"Employer?" she repeated, "That man killed my father."

"The former Port Mafia boss, if I'm not mistaken."

Y/n didn't reply, her silence saying everything for her.

"Yet you continued to work for him years after the fact. Why?"

The real question the President was asking Y/n lingered just under the surface of his words.

"He imprisoned me."

Dazai was taken aback at her response. Out of all the potential causes for her disappearance, he had never thought to consider this one.

"Is that why you defected?" 

Turning to face him, Y/n's eyes were empty of any emotion.

"Yes. He wanted me dead."

"So why bring you back as an executive?" The President continued, drawing the attention in the room back to him.

"I don't know." Y/n answered honestly, "I was rather confused by it myself. Chuuya thought it was because he wanted the power I could give him. I think he was right."

"Is Chuuya your friend?"

Y/n nodded sharply. It was a hesitant movement, as if she wasn't quite sure of the answer. Her discomfort at the direction the President's line of questioning seemed to be taking was apparent and he quickly changed it.

"Dazai says you have an ability? He called it rot."

"It doesn't have a name anymore."

"What does it do?"

"Well," Y/n sighed, leaning forward in her chair, "I can make mold or fungus or anything really grow on whatever I touch."

"Would you mind giving us a demonstration?"

Y/n looked at Dazai who nodded at her encouragingly. Warily, she reached out a hand and grabbed the desk in front of her. Almost immediately, the finely polished wood became covered in moss. Bringing her hand back to her lap, she leaned back in her chair once more.

"Can you just grow it, or also take it away?" Dazai asked.

Y/n snapped her fingers and the moss retreated, as if it was being eaten by the wood of the desk itself.

"Impressive." the President nodded, "Can you really grow anything?"

"I think so. I'm honestly not really sure, I didn't know I could make anything other than mold or fungus until a few weeks ago."

"I see."

Gracefully, the President got to his feet, Dazai and Y/n following suit.

"Welcome to the Armed Detective Agency, Y/n. Your aid will be greatly appreciated."

He held out his hand and Y/n regarded it for a moment before taking it in her own. They shook hands once before letting go.

"There will be an entrance exam, but I am certain you will pass. Dazai will show you around for now. He will be working closely with you until we are certain of your allegiances."