the beauty of water | o. dazai ✔

chapter thirteen.

(Y/n) let out a shaky breath, rubbing her hands together as her fingers started to turn pale once again.

"I have a bad feeling about Miss Sasaki."

The two men stared at her for a moment, their concern turning to confusion soon after. Dazai and Kunikida shared a look, (Y/n) beginning to grow nervous by their lack of a response.

She asked, "What? Did you guys get chills around her too?"

"No, at least I didn't," Kunikida responded, letting out a sigh and pushing his glasses further up his nose. "(Y/n), are you sure you're feeling alright? You've grown rather pale since we sat down with Dazai and Miss Sasaki. Are you getting sick?"

"No! It's not that," (Y/n) started to raise her voice, the nearby waitress turning towards them. (Y/n) quieted her tone, continuing, "It's not that at all. Something about Miss Sasaki makes me feel so uneasy, but I just can't place it."

Dazai listened, staying silent as Kunikida responded, "Is there anything that led to you feeling this way? You can't just say stuff like that without any proof."

"I knew you would say that," (Y/n) stated, clenching her hands together as her fingers started to turn back to their normal color. "Wasn't it somewhat convenient for Miss Sasaki to have called out for help right when we got there? Or at least in hearing distance? Everything about this case has been convenient or too easy. Something surrounding her just doesn't feel right."

"Are you listening to yourself, (Y/n)?" Kunikida's tone sharpened, (Y/n) almost taking a step back from the pure force. "You sound delusional, almost like you're trying to get her in trouble. Is that what you're doing? Because she just happens to get more attention than you for once?"

(Y/n) stared at him, blinking a couple times as her jaw started to drop. She thought, What did he just say to me? Is he trying to say I'm jealous of Sasaki's attention? She's a victim to a horrible crime—or maybe not even that. The absolute last thing I am is jealous! Is Kunikida also trying to insinuate that I try to get attention? How dare he—

"Now, now, Kunikida," Dazai finally stepped in, pulling his arms out of his pockets and putting his hands up. "(Y/n) has every right to be suspicious, that's what we're here for. But I don't think that trying to say that she's trying to get attention is necessary. I don't think she's every tried to get attention, at least not while I'm around."

(Y/n) turned to him, Dazai giving her a small smile. (Y/n) returned the smile, as if to say a silent "thank you".

Kunikida looked between the two groaning as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Will you two stop that already?! All your interactions have been nothing but flirtatious and tense, it's like you guys don't even care that we're dealing with a bomb!"

"Kunikida—" Dazai started, only to get cut off by Kunikida.

"(Y/n), I don't know what you're trying to get at, but if you don't start acting like a professional, then I don't see the point in you working this case anymore," Kunikida stated, pointing his finger at her.

(Y/n)'s blood began to boil, not only from the obvious insults Kunikida was throwing at her, but also from the fact that he wasn't truly listening to her. She wanted to say, "You're the one who asked me to assist you on this case to test Dazai because I have a sixth sense for people who have bad intentions! So why don't you listen to me when I'm telling you about one that's a couple feet away?!" But she didn't say that. She wanted to, but she couldn't force herself to throw that right into his face.

But she did say, "I'm trying to be professional, but it's very hard to when you won't listen to me. I got literal chills when sitting next to Miss Sasaki, my hands and toes went numb and something in my mind kept screaming for me to just run. I know that's not much, but I'd rather let you know than something happen later and then tell you I knew something bad was going to happen."