Bound by Obsession

Part 10

Dazai's POV

I woke up before the sun had even peeked over the horizon, feeling surprisingly clear-headed after everything that had happened. Fyodor, Chuuya, the tangled mess of emotions I'd been forced to face—it all seemed far away in the quiet stillness of my room. I hadn't planned to wake up this early, but maybe my subconscious knew it was time to face a different kind of confrontation.

Dorm inspection day.

I stretched and glanced around my dorm. It was a wreck, as usual. Papers and books were scattered haphazardly, trinkets from various past cases and missions cluttered the shelves, and empty cups and instant noodle wrappers were strewn across the small kitchenette counter. If Yosano saw this, I'd never hear the end of it.

"Guess it's time to clean up," I muttered to myself, already rolling up my sleeves.

It didn't take long to put everything back into place. I started with the books, organizing them neatly on the shelves by category—mystery novels, philosophy texts, and the occasional detective fiction. Next, I gathered all the papers, shoving them into a drawer that I'd label "organized chaos" in my mind. They'd be lost forever, but at least they were out of sight.

I wiped down the counter, tossed out the trash, and stood back to admire my work. My dorm now looked pristine, almost like I'd just moved in. Not a single piece out of place. The mini-kitchen was spotless, the shelves lined neatly with spices, bottles, and cans. And of course, the prize of the collection—crab. Lots of it. A little indulgence I always kept stocked, though no one ever really asked me why.

I glanced over at the guitar propped up against the wall, its polished surface reflecting the morning light. I rarely played it in front of anyone, but it had always been my escape—something I did during my free time, when my mind wandered too far into places I didn't want to go.

The finishing touch was tucking away the insomnia tablets in the drawer beside my bed. Of course, I never actually expected anyone to notice those, but just in case...

Satisfied, I threw myself onto the bed, lazily watching the clock tick closer to the inevitable knock on the door.

Yosano's knock came right on time. I'd expected nothing less. I rose from the bed, sauntering over to the door, my usual smile plastered on my face. Time to put on the show.

"Dazai, you're actually awake?" Yosano's voice held mild surprise as she stepped inside, clipboard in hand, followed by Atsushi and Kunikida. Their eyes immediately scanned the room, expecting the usual disaster.

"Well, well," Yosano said, arching a brow. "You've actually cleaned up?"

I shrugged, leaning casually against the wall. "What can I say, Yosano-sensei? I like to surprise you from time to time. Keeps things interesting."

Kunikida's eyes narrowed, scanning the neat room. "This doesn't even look like your dorm, Dazai. It's almost too clean. What did you do?"

"Nothing, nothing," I waved him off. "Just tidied up. A man needs some order in his life, after all."

Yosano moved towards the kitchenette, and I watched her expression change as she opened the cupboards. She blinked, staring at the collection of alcohol bottles neatly arranged on the top shelf and the variety of food—mostly crab—below. Her gaze lingered on the bottles of whiskey, wine, and sake.

"Dazai," she said slowly, "why do you have this much alcohol?"

I tilted my head, feigning innocence. "Oh, that? I just drink on the weekends. You know, to unwind. And the crab... well, I've always been fond of it."

"Crab?" Atsushi echoed, wide-eyed. "You really like crab, Dazai-san?"

I nodded, grinning. "It's my favorite. Didn't you know?"

The rest of the ADA stared at me as if I'd just confessed to a dark secret. I chuckled to myself, amused at their shock. It wasn't like I was hiding it—no one had bothered to ask before.

Yosano moved to the small cabinet beside my bed, her sharp eyes scanning everything. She stopped when she pulled out the bottle of insomnia tablets. She turned to me, one eyebrow raised.

"Insomnia, Dazai? You?"

I sighed, scratching the back of my head. "Well, sleep doesn't always come easily to someone like me. These just help when the thoughts get too loud, you know?"

There was a flicker of concern in her gaze, but Yosano quickly masked it. "Just don't overdo it."

"Wouldn't dream of it," I replied with a grin.

Just as I thought the inspection was over, Kunikida's eyes fell on the guitar resting by the window. "Since when do you play guitar?"

"Ah, that's just a little hobby of mine," I said, walking over to it. "Something to keep the mind busy when I'm not working." I picked it up, plucking a few soft notes. The sound echoed in the quiet room, light and melancholic.

Yosano crossed her arms, watching me carefully. "You're full of surprises today, Dazai."

I smiled, continuing to play a few more chords, letting the soft melody drift through the room. "A man's got to keep some secrets, right?"

Atsushi looked mesmerized, his wide eyes following the movement of my fingers over the strings. "You're really good, Dazai-san."

I chuckled, setting the guitar down. "Just something I picked up along the way."

The inspection wrapped up quickly after that. Yosano marked something down on her clipboard, giving me one last scrutinizing look before heading for the door. The others followed her out, all still surprised at the state of my room and the unexpected revelations of the day.

As the door closed behind them, I let out a long breath, my eyes drifting back to the guitar, then to the clean, orderly space I'd created. It was strange, this feeling of openness, of letting them in just a little more than usual.

But, as always, I kept the rest of me tucked away, the parts of myself that only I could see—the parts that neither the ADA, nor Chuuya, nor even Fyodor could ever truly understand.

For now, the mask stayed firmly in place.