𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔈𝔫𝔡𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔚𝔞𝔩𝔱𝔷

𝓝𝓮𝔀

     "For last year's words belong to last year's language

And next year's words await another voice.

And to make an end is to make a beginning."

(Little Gidding)"
― T.S. Eliot

She groaned and rubbed her eyes groggily as the phone rang with the song 'Shinunoga E-wa', indicating someone was calling her. Furina yawned and sat up before reaching out for her phone and opened it, the caller ID was 'Mackerel - ADA's fish #1'. She named every member at the Armed Detective Agency a type of fish for easy calling and remembering. 

Furina stared at the screen for a beat longer. "Mackerel? What's gotten into Dazai this early?" With a sigh, she answered the call, "Mackerel. What's the emergency this time?"

A groan filtered through the phone. "Furina-chan, it's actually quite serious this time. We have an emergency. Get over here ASAP."

"What do you want? Get over with it." She rolled her eyes and snorted, he was always coming up with something...not so serious. 

"I'm going to die!" He whined.

Furina's playful facade faltered for a split second. Dazai's theatrics were legendary, but a genuine whine for help was rare. Intrigued despite herself, she pressed, "Die? What are you talking about, Mackerel? Did you finally trip and fall into a river?"

A choked sound came through the phone. "No, I'm stuck in a barrel! My suicidal attempt had failed!"

She literally face-palmed before yawning and murmuring. "Ah yes...of course."

Frustration laced with amusement colored Furina's voice. "Seriously, Mackerel? You couldn't even drown yourself properly? Look, just hold on. I'm on my way to get you out of your little barrel-shaped predicament. Then, we can deal with whatever actual emergency you've gotten yourself into this time."

Before Dazai could launch into another dramatic complaint, Furina hung up. A sigh escaped her lips as she scrambled out of bed. Dazai's suicide attempts were a constant source of amusement and exasperation. Still, the urgency in his voice earlier couldn't be ignored.

●

She stared as Atsushi knocked Dazai's barrel over and hailed him out of that. Apparently, he tried something called the barrel suicide, which in theory should snapped his body in two, but it failed and he got stuck. Dazai kept complaining that this was not a suicide method, but rather a torture one to be exact. 

Frustrated by Dazai's theatrics, Furina crossed her arms and addressed the wide-eyed Atsushi. "So, this is the 'emergency' Dazai called about?"

Atsushi, still bewildered by the whole barrel situation, stammered, "Uh, y-yes? He said it was a serious situation."

Dazai, meanwhile, dusted himself off dramatically and shot Furina a mock-hurt glare. "Furina-chan, how can you be so heartless? I nearly met my demise in a most undignified barrel!"

Furina rolled her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. You couldn't drown yourself in a bathtub, let alone a barrel. Now get out of here before someone calls animal control on you."

After quite some time, they managed to haul Dazai out, the brunette stretched his aching body before sitting down on the barrel, Atsushi followed suit while she stood and watched them, arm folded. 

"Ah, without you. I would have snapped in half." Dazai groaned and leaned back. She snorted.

"Why didn't you ask your coworkers for help?" Questioned Atsushi curiously.

Dazai, ever the showman, chuckled and threw an arm around Atsushi's shoulders, nearly sending the new recruit tumbling over. "My dear Atsushi-kun," he drawled, "sometimes, the greatest emergencies require the most dramatic entrances."

Furina scoffed. "Dramatic entrances, or a way to avoid admitting you can't even commit suicide properly?"

Turning to Atsushi, she snorted, stifling back a laugh. "Don't worry, we don't usually go on rescuing him from his suicide attempts, apparently, if my guess is correct, then the other said 'Congratulations'."

Atsushi's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Congratulations on what?"

"On dying, of course!" She chuckled and twirled a lock of her hair around her finger. "On reaching Death's door!"

A mischievous glint ignited in her eyes. In a heartbeat, she transformed. Demeanor shed, seriousness cast aside, she donned a mask of wide-eyed innocence and a saccharine voice. All to see a blush creep across Dazai's face.

"Am I correct, Da~zai~san~?~~" She mused and blinked innocently at the brunette, her voice dripping with faux innocence.

Dazai, caught off guard by Furina's sudden shift in personality, choked on a non-existent cough. His cheeks, usually devoid of any color, seemed to gain a faint, rosy hue. "F-Furina-chan! S-such...bold accusations!" he stammered, his usual theatrics replaced by a flustered stutter.

Atsushi, ever the innocent one, simply stared at the exchange, wide-eyed. Was this some secret code they all shared at the agency? Did congratulating someone on death mean something entirely different? He opened his mouth to ask, but Furina cut him off with a playful smirk.

"Just teasing, Dazai," she purred, leaning closer and batting her eyelashes. "Though, next time you attempt a 'dramatic entrance,' maybe try a method that doesn't involve getting stuck in a barrel. It might be a little less...undignified for a supposed suicide attempt, wouldn't you say?"

Dazai puffed out his chest, a hint of his usual smugness returning. "But Furina-chan, where's the thrill in a regular suicide? A little struggle adds to the experience, wouldn't you agree?"

Furina's playful smile faltered slightly. A flicker of something, perhaps concern, crossed her eyes for a brief moment before she masked it with a sigh. "Whatever, Dazai. Just promise me you won't pull anything like this again. The agency has enough chaos to deal with, we don't need your suicidal antics adding to the pile."

Dazai raised a hand, a mock-serious expression on his face. "Scout's honor, Furina-chan! No more...barrel incidents. Though, I can't guarantee I won't find another, more 'dramatic' way to go out someday."

Furina rolled her eyes, a small smile playing on her lips despite herself. "Just don't make us clean up the mess, alright?"

With that, she turned and began to walk away. As she did, she tossed a glance over her shoulder at Atsushi. "You coming? Or are you planning on joining Dazai in his next 'suicide attempt'?"

●

She had said goodbye to them earlier.

"Oh wait! I forgot that I have to go and buy those SUPER delicious macaroons at my favorite shop or else they'll go out You two go ahead without me~"

"E-eh?! B-but-"

"Sure thing Fu-Fu~! See you later~"

She chuckled and shook her head, humming to herself while making her way towards the tea shop.

"I hope I won't miss anything fun...You're starting new today Atsushi-kun, don't let your past burden you."

She blinked and looked up at the sky, a sad chuckle escaped her lips.

"Unlike me."