the beauty of water | o. dazai ✔

chapter eighteen.

"Yes, that was very impressive." (Y/n)'s muscles tightened, her nerves spiking as she felt pins and needles all over her body. "You've grown into an incredible young woman in the past year, (L/n)."

No... It can't be... (Y/n) turned around, clenching her fists as she faced someone she wished for many nights she'd never see again. Zack Fujinuma.

There he stood, looking as if he hadn't aged a day. He still has slicked back black hair, shining slightly under the sunlight due to a pile of gel sitting on his hair. He had dark, deep blue eyes, eyes that seemed to be able to pierce through anyone's consciousness—that's why he had racked up such a good reputation as a detective. That was until the incident that occurred with (Y/n)...

"How are you here?" she asked, wheezing out the words as her lungs failed to work—her body having pins and needles all over as her toes and fingers began to grow numb and cold. "I thought—"

"I did too." Fujinuma cut her off, putting his hands in his jacket pockets as he looked down at her, the two bomb squad members standing at attention as he was there. "But low and behold, I was assigned to supervise the bomb squad. When I heard that a member of the Armed Detective Agency would be here to assist with the bomb, I never figured that it would be you. I thought you were dead, (L/n)."

"I guess we were both wrong." (Y/n) clenched her fists, her fingers growing pale from her body's very physical reaction to his presence.

It was as if all the water, all the blood and nerves throughout her body, had completely frozen over. Like a warning from a force that was quietly whispering for her to run—to run away and go back to the agency. To run into the office and grab someone, anyone that would help her. Either it being a close friend and someone who helped her every step of the way like Ranpo or Fukuzawa, or someone she had grown fond of but did not know for as long like Dazai.

Fujinuma let out a sigh, pulling one of his hands out of his pocket and holding it out to her as if he wanted to shake her hand. "We should try and catch up, (L/n). A year is a long time to be out of touch with someone. I'd really like to talk to you."

(Y/n) gave him a hard stare, her eyes not flickering down to his hand for a moment as she was fixed on his face—like she would die if she didn't keep her eyes on him.

Fujinuma put down his hand, pushing back his coat to reveal his gun holster on his belt. He then repeated in a more threatening, stern tone, "We should try and catch up, (L/n). There are a lot of things I want to talk with you about."

(Y/n) furrowed her brows, looking down at the gun and back up at him. She shook her head, sticking her hands in her pockets as she told him, "No, I really don't want to."

She turned to leave, Fujinuma reaching to grab her jacket just as her phone began to rang. She pulled it out, finding that Dazai was calling her—possibly to try and figure out why she had been trying to call him earlier.

Good. Ranpo and Fukuzawa told Dazai and Kunikida what happened a year ago, so that means that I can tell them that Fujinuma is here, she thought as a wave of relief washed over her body. Just having Dazai on the phone would be okay, then if something happens he'd be able to hear what occurred.

She was about to answer, but stopped when she heard the click of a gun at the back of her head. Fujinuma promptly followed this action by saying, "I wouldn't answer that if I were you."

"What are you doing, Fujinuma?" (Y/n) asked in a harsh tone, putting her hands up, holding her phone in one of her hands. "You know this isn't a good idea, there are two witnesses to you threatening me."

"Taking care of a couple bomb squad members is easy compared to taking out a detective with a special ability," Fujinuma sneered, taking her phone out of her hand and letting it ring and go to voicemail. "I don't care what happens to them—you're the one I'm after, (L/n)."