Ǧ̶̥a̵͜͝m̶̨̎è̵̪ ̶͙͘Ŏ̵̼n̴͙̑

B̴̭̄ì̸̼ṛ̵͐t̵̲̔h̷͇̋d̷͖̆a̵̘̍y̵̭̕:̷͖͊ ̴̜̅D̷̺̉a̶̹͌z̴̠͂a̴͕͝i̵̥͋

    The air in the Armed Detective Agency crackled with an unusual tension. Not the usual "Dazai's about to jump off something" tension, mind you. This was... anticipation. Today wasn't just another day. Today was Dazai's birthday. 

"Alright, everyone, listen up!" Kunikida slammed his hands on the table, momentarily silencing the murmurs. "Operation: Surprise Dazai is a go. Remember, absolute secrecy. One wrong move, and it's double the paperwork for everyone."

Suddenly, the door opened and Silver Wolf walked in, humming to herself. She halted and stared at them, blinking blankly. "What's going on?"

A collective breath caught in the room. Kenji, ever the blurter, blurted out, "Surprise party for Dazai-san!" before clapping his hands over his mouth with a horrified gasp.

Silver Wolf's eyes widened, then narrowed suspiciously. "A surprise party? For Dazai?" Her voice held a hint of amusement, but mostly disbelief. "Kunikida? Really? That's kinda hard to imagine, considering you choked him like, two days ago?"

Kunikida's face flushed a bright crimson, a sight that elicited a snort of laughter from Atsushi. "That was a misunderstanding!" he sputtered, his composure momentarily shattered.

Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "A misunderstanding that involved a perfectly good mackerel and a near-strangulation? Sounds more like Tuesday at the Agency to me."

Ranpo, ever the strategist, cut through the tension with a sigh. "Look, Wolf," he said, his voice dripping with molasses,"we all know Dazai's a pain. But even a suicidal maniac deserves a birthday party, wouldn't you agree?"

Silver Wolf scoffed. "Deserve? Maybe. But survive one thrown by this lot? That's another story entirely." Her gaze swept over the room, taking in the haphazardly stacked decorations Atsushi had no doubt procured (a lopsided banner that read "Happy Birthday, Worst Detective Ever!" and a collection of deflated balloons) and the cake that looked suspiciously like it had encountered a particularly enthusiastic sugar rush.

Birthday.

She didn't know when she was born, but June 7th served as a placeholder, a commemoration of the day she first booted up in the digital world. Twelve days ago, she'd celebrated it alone, surrounded by her digital companions and the ever-present Critters. A flicker of something akin to envy crossed Silver Wolf's eyes, a fleeting emotion quickly masked by her usual amusement. "Alright, alright," she conceded with a sigh. "I get it. Even a bandaged nuisance like Dazai deserves a day that isn't entirely focused on his own demise."

Kunikida, visibly relieved, pressed on with the plan. "Excellent. Now, as I was saying, the fabricated case will lead Dazai on a merry chase through the-"

"Hold on," Silver Wolf interrupted, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "This little distraction. You want it to be believable, right? Convincing enough to stall Dazai for a while?"

Kunikida stiffened. "Of course. We need ample time to prepare."

Silver Wolf's smirk widened. "Then forget the fabricated case. I have a much better idea." Her gaze drifted towards Atsushi, who was fidgeting nervously in his corner. "And Atsushi here gets to play the starring role."

Atsushi's eyes widened in horror. "M-me? But I'm not good at lying!"

Silver Wolf chuckled, a sound like wind chimes tinkling in a summer breeze. "Don't worry, it won't involve lying. Just a little... misunderstanding." She leaned in conspiratorially, whispering her plan into Atsushi's ear. Her voice was barely audible, but a slow grin spread across Atsushi's face, replacing his earlier fear with a spark of mischievous excitement.