𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐨𝐬 // 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐤𝐨𝐤𝐮

Chapter 4 • Comfort

tw // mentions of abuse

The two exited the office, once again, a veil of silence draping over the two.

Atsushi's mind raced with thoughts of where they were going, knowing that he had to trust Akutagawa, but was still cautious.

Akutagawa on the other hand, was trying to clear his mind, still mentally and physically fatigued from the past few events.

Only the shuffling of their feet on the dusty roads occupied the soundless trip as they walked further and further away from the ADA's office.

They kept walking silently until they reached a hill.

A hill that led to.. a graveyard?

Suddenly the gears in Atsushi's head started to click together. He recognized the graveyard from the numerous times Dazai-san would visit it.

But why would Akutagawa go here?

Atsushi wanted to ask the raven-haired man why they were there, but kept silent, seeing the tiredness in Akutagawa's eyes.

They continued to walk up the hill to the exact location that Atsushi would find Dazai.

They stopped in front of the very same headstone that Dazai would lean against and talk to.

Oda Sakunosuke were the words engraved onto the smooth gray surface of the headstone.

After what felt like forever, the weretiger finally decided to ask.

"Akutagawa, why exactly are we here?" He asked with caution, hoping not to disturb the serene aura around the other.

"This.. this is the grave of a Port Mafia member. He was one of Dazai-san's closest friends." Akutagawa replied silently.

'Ah so that's why Dazai-san is always here.'

"Were you two close?" Atsushi continued to question.

"He was kind of like the father I never had. I always thought so highly of Dazai-san and only cared about what he thought, but Oda-san was there to take care of me." Akutagawa said flatly, remembering how the man would always be there for him.

"..Father you never had?" Atsushi asked, noticing that specific part of Akutagawa's speech, as he never knew his father as well.

'Can you trust him with all of this personal information? What if he uses it against you?' A voice in Akutagawa's head said, just as he was about to reply.

'He wouldn't do that. He's different.' Akutagawa told his inner thoughts, trusting his once enemy.

He sat down on the soft grass in front of the headstone and started the short story of his life.

"I- I grew up in the slums alongside my sister, Gin. We never really had any parental figures. It was a danger to be a gifted where we used to live. The Port Mafia found us and took us in. There, we were taken care of, and Oda-san always looked out for me during my missions as a new member." Akutagawa replied after a short hesitation.

Silence from Atsushi.

"Oi, Jinko. Aren't you going to say something?" He said lowly, starting to feel the regret bubbling inside him.

"H-how did he die?" Atsushi asked after the silence, placing his hands in his pants' pockets, and soon following Akutagawa's lead and sitting down.

"He went on a solo mission. For revenge. This group killed a few kids who he cared about a lot. The boss of the group died as well. I learned from Mori-sensei that Oda-san never wanted to kill. But he did it for those children." Akutagawa said, speaking quite fondly of his former subordinate.