Your Worst (Soukoku)

Chapter 1

Present Day

"Walk that way."

"Are you sure we'd find anyone reliable?"

"The time has come, and we'd have to take any chance we can get."

Nakahara mumbled something inaudible, while trying to figure out which way the god was referring to. Arahabaki sighed watching the boy struggle.

"Surely, you're smarter than this, Chuuya."

"Then how about you do this yourself?"

It was odd talking to yourself. Luckily, Nakahara was in the middle of no where or else people would've thought he was insane. Afterall, a regular converestation between him and the god was just him responding to silence. "If you insist."

Nakahara stood still in silence for about two seconds. He then begins to move again. He wore a bored expression while stretching out his arms and legs. The boy surveyed his surroundings with a pair of bright red eyes,

"Ah, it's been a while."

⎯⎯ ୨ + ୧ ⎯⎯

It has been two hour since Dazai entered the forest. The afternoon sun was burning him alive, and it didn't help that he was still wearing his mafia clothing. Regardless, he continued walking. Not because the trees provided shade or that the sun eventually died down or that a wild animal was right behind him, but rather he's already been through hell and back. What was a bit of sun gonna do to him?

After all, there was a more concerning issue at hand. Someone was stalking him. Ever since half an hour ago, Dazai had felt an unsettling gaze on him. He didn't know what it was or what they wanted. In the best case scenario, its some wild animal. Worst case? The Port Mafia.

It felt weird though. He's had no run-ins with the mafia for a week now, and has been keeping an extremely low profile. Even so, it was too risky to rule out the possibility. In such a scenario, all Dazai's got to do is run. His gun is almost out of ammo and supplies have been as low as ever. He wasn't a fighter to begin with, so his current condition did not help in the slightest.

Since no one was attacking now, he decided to play dumb a tad longer.

After another hour of this, Dazai was able to determine something crucial: there was only one person. Maybe this will play out in his favor after all. He came across a clearing with some broken tents. It seemed like it used to be a camp, though the soil was tampered with as if a dog dug around in it. Additionally, a realitively fresh scent of blood lingered in the air. What a messy graveyard. Dazai thought.

Before arriving at the used-to-be camp, he was going to settle down at the next forest clearing, but this area was not the most ideal place to rest. The blood only reminded him of his past.

So, the brunette moved forward, deciding to rest at the next clearing instead. The soil here was also clearly meddled with by humans as well, but it wasn't like this was some private forest. With a deep sigh, the boy slid down against a tree trunk and closed his eyes.

"You really don't give up easy huh?" Dazai says loudly.

No answer. But the gaze was still there.

"I know you're watching me," he continues to call out in a mocking tone, "and I'm watching you too."

"How amusing."

The voice finally shows himself. He appeared to be a short boy, seemingly only around 20. He had medium length ginger hair and a pair of crimson eyes, much brighter than Dazai's dark red ones. He had on pretty basic clothing: a shirt, black coat over a grey hoodie, black pants, and brown shoes. On his right wrist was a blue bracelet, though Dazai could not care enough to examine any further than that.

Oh my, what a pleasure to have a run in with you... Dazai thought, grinning to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh. Nothing."

Feeling unsatisfied with that answer, the ginger boy continued to question Dazai. "Well then, what's your name?"

"You tell me first, perhaps then I'll follow."

"I guess two can play this game."

So, the two boys stood there in silence while they awkwardly glanced at each other. Someone had to give in soon. Dazai wasn't one to back down in situations like these, but him standing here was allowing more time for the mafia to catch onto him. Thus, he stopped fooling around.

"Well, I'm getting quite bored of this little game we are having," Dazai yawns as he slowly begins to approach the other as if the ginger was a wild animal of some sort.

"so lets cut to the chase, Arahabaki."

For clarification:

End events of Prologue I happens in present time, and events of Prologue II happens 4 years prior. Both Dazai and Chuuya are 20 in present time. Odasaku died when Dazai was a bit before this, which differs from the original timeline (for narritive purposes).