Nikolai had always been captivated by birds. Their elegant wings, the way they soared effortlessly through the sky-it was a kind of beauty that never ceased to amaze him.
.
. . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
.
He often watched them from his window, imagining what i...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
FOUR
The next day at the agency, you found yourself seated at your desk, fingers clicking away at your computer keyboard. Most of the agency's members were out solving various cases, leaving you with a relatively quiet office. The usual hum of activity was replaced by the occasional shuffle of papers and distant chatter from the other rooms.
Dazai was sprawled lazily on the sofa beside you, his posture relaxed and carefree. He sighed dramatically, clearly bored with the lack of excitement. "I'm bored, Y/N," he complained, his voice tinged with a hint of frustration as he propped himself up on one elbow to glance at you.
You looked up from your screen, noting his discontent. "You're always bored, Dazai," you remarked with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood.
Dazai pouted, pretending to be deeply troubled. "Oh, you wound me! It's not just boredom; it's a deep, existential crisis. The lack of cases is making me question the very essence of my being!"
You couldn't help but chuckle at his over-the-top theatrics. "Well, if it helps, I'm pretty bored too. Kunikida hasn't given me a case to work on yet, so I'm just here, clicking away at random files."
Dazai perked up slightly at this. "Really? No case? That's a shame. I was hoping to have something exciting to distract me from my existential crisis."
Just then, Kunikida walked in, carrying a stack of papers. He glanced at you and Dazai with a knowing look. "Dazai, are you still sulking about being bored?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And Y/N, I see you're still waiting for a case."
Dazai immediately sat up, his face lighting up with an almost mischievous grin. "Kunikida! You're a lifesaver! Do you have anything that needs doing? Anything at all?"
Kunikida raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical of Dazai's sudden enthusiasm. "Actually, yes. We have a new case that's just come in. I was about to assign it to one of the others, but if you're so eager, Dazai, I suppose you could take it."
Dazai's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Perfect! And, of course, Y/N should be involved too. It'll be more fun with both of us!"
You looked up, a mix of anticipation and nervousness swirling within you. "What's the case about?"
Kunikida handed over a file, his expression becoming more serious. "It's a rather delicate matter. There have been a series of thefts in a high-profile art gallery. The thefts are highly sophisticated, and there's no clear pattern or suspect. We need to get to the bottom of it before the gallery suffers any more losses."
Dazai's grin widened as he took the file from Kunikida. "Sounds intriguing! I've always had a knack for art. Y/N, are you up for a bit of artful investigation?"
You nodded, feeling a rush of excitement at the prospect of finally diving into a case. "Absolutely. Let's get started."
With that, you and Dazai gathered your things and prepared to head out. As you walked toward the exit, Dazai's playful demeanor shifted slightly. "You know, Y/N," he said, casually swinging his arm around your shoulders, "I think this will be a great chance for us to get to know each other better. Besides, I'm sure you'll be brilliant at this."
