Bungou Stray Dogs x OC ~ Alter Ego

Chapter 26

In addition to her own temerity in not immediately returning to the hotel after retrieving the Detectives' phone, it was partly because of Chuuya and the chase he had started that her leg was injured.

But, on the other hand, he had bandaged her wound, and wasn't even aware that their fugitive and Yui were one and the same. Was he forgiven for all that? She did not really know, if she was being honest.

Just as she did not know how Chuuya, kind and courteous as he had been to her as an ally in the car, would react if he learned that the runaway with an unknown ability was none other than herself.

Would the Mafia, with all its honor to defend and principles to uphold, be willing to break the contract just to get its hands on her power once and for all? She was certain that there was nothing to link her to the person her future associates were now hunting down, apart from this trivial wound, but she had to remain cautious.

She never knew what the dreaded Port Mafia was really capable of. She had some ideas, of course, but she did not know how far they would be willing to go just to get their hands on her ability.

It was partly for this reason that she had suggested the main clause, that of 'mutual and permanent disposition of the resources'.

Should the Mafia ever discover her ability, which even her adoptive family had no knowledge of, she could always rely on the contract to pass her ability off as a 'mutual resource', and thus prevent her from simply being handed over to the Mafia. This plan was of course a last resort, knowing that no matter how much she might be threatened, she would never be able to use this as she pleased.

Which left her with only one option: make sure the Mafia never knew she was gifted with supernatural power.

As for the wound, she could only hope that Chuuya Nakahara would hold his tongue, as he had promised. But, if by some chance Yui came to be suspected of being the wanted fugitive, would the young man keep this childish promise no matter what, if he thought this seemingly innocuous incident was important in the search for their mystery ability user?

Chuuya was first and foremost a subordinate of Mori, the man who had first contracted with the Uemuras. His primary loyalty was to Mori Ougai, not to Yui, whom he knew only superficially.

She could not rely on anyone; she had always thought. Just herself, someone she knew almost perfectly, down to the smallest detail. She knew what she did, she knew what she thought.

She didn't know what other people were really like.

It was ironic, when she thought about it. How she tried in every conceivable way to gain the trust of as many people around her as possible, but never managed to reciprocate, despite everything she might say.

She was more aware than anyone that smiles, words and that sort of thing could be extremely easy to embellish when you were used to concealing your true intentions.

She did not believe in anyone, for that matter.

Not in her adoptive parents, not in her servants, not in Aiko, not in Chuuya, not in Mori, not in the Mafia, not in the Agency despite the fragments of secrets she had entrusted to them.

Nor in him. Not anymore. Never again.

No matter how careful she was, she would never be able to prevent all the attempts to harm her that she had experienced, was experiencing and would experience in the future.

She was, despite all her resources and abilities, let loose in a universe where beings did not hesitate to tear each other apart to satisfy their own ideals.