Love your ex-partner even as a werewolf? | SOUKOKU WEREWOLF AU! ☆

Chapter 4: The Truth In the Shadows

The sun had barely risen when Atsushi Nakajima limped into the Armed Detective Agency office, holding a tissue to his nose. It was swollen and clearly broken, and he looked like he'd gone through another brawl.

Yosano looked up from her desk, her eyes narrowing as she examined him. “What happened to you this time, Atsushi?”

Atsushi tried to smile, though it came out more like a grimace. “I ran into Chuuya and Dazai last night.”

Yosano’s eyes gleamed dangerously. “And?”

Atsushi gulped, knowing he was in for it. “I... may have gotten distracted... and Akutagawa punched me in the face.”

Yosano’s gaze darkened. She slowly stood, reaching for her bone saw. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

“Wait, wait!” Atsushi yelped, stumbling back in panic. “I-it’s not that bad, right? I can still-”

But Yosano was already advancing with a twisted smile. “Oh, no, Atsushi. You know I can’t leave you half-fixed. This will only hurt for a second.”

Atsushi barely had time to scream before Dazai sauntered into the room, whistling a tune and completely ignoring the chaos unfolding. “Morning!” he called cheerfully, acting as if nothing unusual had happened.

Atsushi, clutching his now perfectly healed nose, turned on Dazai with a scowl. “Dazai-san! What the hell happened last night?”

Dazai blinked, tilting his head in that familiar way. “Hmm? What do you mean, Atsushi-kun?”

“You and Chuuya were running through the streets like lunatics! You don’t remember?”

Dazai scratched his head, looking genuinely perplexed. “Running? Me? Last night?”

Atsushi’s brow furrowed. “You really don’t remember anything? You looked... different. Scary, even.”

Dazai laughed it off, waving his hand dismissively. “Atsushi-kun, you really need to stop watching scary movies before bed. Maybe it was just a bad dream.”

Atsushi stared at him, his mouth slightly open. “It wasn’t a dream…”

But Dazai, clearly done with the conversation, turned and headed toward the door. “I’m going for a walk. Enjoy the day, everyone!” he sang, leaving Atsushi more confused than ever.

The cool air of the forest was a stark contrast to the bustling city, and Dazai strolled along, hands in his pockets, lost in thought. He wasn’t really sure why, but something about the previous night was nagging at him a sensation that he couldn’t quite place.

His thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly felt a familiar presence. Before he could react, a shadow lunged at him, and in a flash, Dazai was slammed into the ground with a grunt.

“What the hell is wrong with you, Dazai?!” Chuuya’s voice thundered as he stood over him, glaring down with fiery eyes.

Dazai blinked up at him, feigning innocence. “Chuuya! What a surprise. Is this how you greet people now? Very aggressive.”

“Shut up,” Chuuya growled, grabbing Dazai by the collar and yanking him to his feet. “You don’t get to act like everything’s fine. You freaked out last night, ran off like a maniac, and then disappeared. What the hell happened?”

Dazai tilted his head as though deep in thought. “Ah, you must be mistaken. I don’t recall anything like that. Maybe you’re just upset that I didn’t invite you to join in on the fun?”

“Stop screwing around!” Chuuya snapped, slamming him against a tree. “I’m serious, Dazai. You looked like you were about to lose your damn mind.”