You Deserve Better (Osamu Dazai x Reader)

Chapter 23: Fortune is Unpredictable and Mutable - Part 2

(Season 1, Episode 1)

-Later That Night at a Warehouse-

Regardless of my efforts, Osamu remained tight-lipped about his plans. Whenever I inquired, he would simply lean in and whisper, 'it's a surprise,' into my ear.

The sounds of passing ships filled the air as we each perched on separate crates within the warehouse. Atsushi was terrified, clutching his knees tightly. Osamu remained engrossed in his book about suicide, while I took a position on a crate behind him, vigilantly scanning our surroundings.

"Dazai." Atsushi broke the silence as he nervously rocked back-and-forth. "Sorry to interrupt, but what are you reading?"

"A good book," he answered.

"I'm surprised you can read when it's this dark," the white-haired boy pointed out.

"You do have a point now that I think about it," I realized.

"I have excellent nighttime vision; besides I've read it before. I know everything that happens in this book."

"That's funny, then why are you reading it again?" Atsushi awkwardly smiled.

"A good book is always good."

That book should be burned.

"Do you really think the tiger will track me down and come here?" The boy pulled his knees closer to his chest.

"I know it will." Osamu nonchalantly answered, not even looking up from his book. "But don't worry, when it shows up, it'll be no match for me. I may not look tough, but I'm with the Agency for good reason."

"I'd like to see you fight against a tiger by yourself," I giggled. "Besides, why did you even want me to come with you if you can 'handle it all by yourself'?"

The brunette caught my eyes with his own before letting out a soft chuckle. "You'll see."

"I admire your confidence, in fact I'm kinda jealous," Atsushi frowned. "They called me a good for nothing at the orphanage as far back as I can remember. And now... I don't even know where I'll sleep tonight or how I'll get through tomorrow. No one would mind if I died in a ditch somewhere and just disappeared forever. Yeah, maybe I would be better off getting eaten by a tiger."

A silence, awkward and heavy, settled over the room. Comforting people was never one of my strong suits.

Osamu gazed out the window into the night sky. "Well then, I think it'll be soon."

As the clouds dispersed, the moon's bright light was unveiled. From the rear of the warehouse, a resounding clang echoed.

In a sudden bout of fear, Atsushi tumbled off his crate. "I just heard something back there!"

"Yes, me too," said the brunette sarcastically.

The boy's breathing got heavier. "It's probably the tiger, Dazai!" 

Standing up on top of the crate, I quickly scanned the room with my eyes, not finding anything. "There's no one over there. The wind must've knocked something down."

"It's the man-eater, he tracked me down to eat me!"

Osamu closed his book with a heavy sigh. "Calm down, Atsushi. Tigers don't suddenly appear out of nowhere."

"How do you know that for sure?!"

"Cause something's not right with your story," he started. "Just because their finances went south, why would an orphanage banish a poor, helpless child. It's not in a provincial farming village from a bygone era. Banishing one or two mouths to feed would barely put a dent in their reserves. It'd make more sense to downsize by transferring half of the kids to a different orphanage."