Bound by Obsession

Part 39

Back at the ADA, Dazai sat in the small office he had always occupied, but the familiar space felt different now. He could feel the stares of his colleagues, the unspoken concern behind their eyes, though none of them pressed him for answers. It wasn't that they didn't want to help—they simply didn't know how. He hadn't been the same since his return from Fyodor's mansion, and they all knew it.

The subtle tremors in Dazai's hands as he picked up a book from his desk didn't go unnoticed by Yosano, who sat across from him, her eyes sharp despite her usual calm demeanor.

"Dazai," she said gently, breaking the silence, "I know you've been through a lot, but if you want to talk about it, we're here."

Dazai didn't lift his gaze from the book. He turned a page without reading a word. "There's nothing to talk about, Yosano-sensei."

She sighed, leaning forward. "You're not fine, Dazai. We all see it. Fyodor did something to you, didn't he? We need to know what we're dealing with."

For a brief moment, Dazai's hand paused on the page. His mind flickered back to the week he spent with Fyodor, to the long nights where they would sit together in that quiet mansion, Fyodor's words wrapping around him like a spell. But no matter how close Fyodor got, he never once forced Dazai's hand. No chains. No overt control. Only words—and the truth they carried.

"He didn't hurt me," Dazai said quietly, though there was an undertone to his voice that even he couldn't quite hide.

Yosano leaned back in her chair, her sharp eyes narrowing. "Then why do you look like this? Why do you act like you're still not free?"

Dazai finally looked up, meeting her gaze. There was a hollowness in his eyes, a fracture in the unshakable confidence he was known for. "Because I'm not," he said, his voice softer than usual. "I don't think I ever will be."

Yosano's frown deepened, but before she could respond, the door creaked open, and Kunikida entered the room, his expression grim.

"We need to talk," he said, directing his gaze at Dazai. "Everyone's waiting for you in the meeting room."

Dazai stood without hesitation, almost mechanically, as if it were another motion that he was expected to perform. He followed Kunikida down the hall, where the rest of the ADA had gathered, waiting for him. The tension in the room was palpable, and as Dazai walked in, he could feel their concern pressing down on him from every angle.

Ranpo was the first to speak. "Dazai, we need to know the truth about what happened while you were with Fyodor."

Dazai leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "I've already told you everything you need to know."

"You haven't told us the full truth," Kunikida interjected, his voice firm but not unkind. "We've tracked every move, and the pieces don't add up. You said you felt numb after eating breakfast, that Fyodor controlled you somehow—but that doesn't explain everything. It's more than that, isn't it?"

Dazai's gaze dropped to the floor. He didn't want to answer. Fyodor's words echoed in his mind, that soft, reassuring voice that had never failed to make him feel understood. If they take you back, tell them what I want them to hear. Make them believe.

The silence stretched out, heavy and uncomfortable, until Dazai finally spoke. "I tried to escape. Over and over again. But every time, Fyodor found me. He told me... he told me it didn't matter what I did, that he would always be there. I felt like I was trapped."

"Dazai," Ranpo said, leaning forward with a sharp look, "you're still lying."

Dazai's chest tightened, and for a moment, he thought about telling them the real truth—about how Fyodor had never truly imprisoned him, had never used drugs or forced him to stay. But the thought of them knowing that he wanted to stay, that a part of him felt more at peace with Fyodor than he ever did here, was too much.

He chose the lie again.

"Fyodor manipulated me," Dazai said slowly, his voice just barely steady. "He made sure I couldn't leave."

Chuuya, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke up, his voice hard. "You don't look like someone who's been 'manipulated.' You look like someone who's still thinking about going back."

Dazai didn't respond to that. He couldn't. The truth was clawing at his throat, but he swallowed it back down, keeping his mask in place.

Kunikida sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We'll keep you under observation, Dazai. No more missions until we're sure you're stable. Yosano will help you recover."

Dazai nodded, not arguing. He was too tired to fight them. As they dismissed the meeting, he left the room with the same quietness he had entered, though the weight on his shoulders felt heavier than ever.

Elsewhere, Fyodor's Mansion

Back in his secluded mansion, Fyodor sat in his study, a glass of wine in hand, smiling to himself as he imagined the meeting unfolding at the ADA. He knew Dazai well enough to know that the seeds he had planted were already growing, slowly but surely.

"He'll break eventually," Fyodor murmured to himself, taking a sip of wine. "And when he does, he'll come back to me."