Chapter Text
The vaguely worded threat from the Port Mafia remains heavy on Kunikida’s mind for the next few weeks. He catches himself becoming more paranoid about the remaining Armed Detective Agency members, fearing that whenever someone was a few seconds late or spent a little too long on a mission, they would not return.
There were some times over those weeks that Kunikida was half-tempted to approach the Port Mafia on his knees, begging for any inkling of an idea of who they thought would be the third member to leave the ADA. However, even though he is arguably more stressed than ever before, he manages to keep his dignity intact, suffering in silence while quietly observing his colleagues, looking for any trace of traitorous behaviour.
The only other detective that seemed to be struggling with Ranpo and Atsushi’s departure nearly as harshly as the blond was Dazai. The poor man looked more ragged each day since the young tiger had joined the Port Mafia, sacrificing his innocence in favour of protecting the man he loved. Atsushi’s sudden departure had taken a toll on the man more than Kunikida had ever expected, to the point where he showed up to work on time every day since the tiger’s change of loyalty, tasking himself with taking on the majority of Ranpo and Atsushi’s work.
Most times, Dazai was in the office -before- Kunikida.
That’s why it was such a shock when Dazai was not already working on one of the latest cases when Kunikida walked into the office that day.
Kunikida glances at his and Dazai’s desks and grimaces at the mountain of papers and unread files that seems only to get larger as each day passes. It is a stark reminder of the stress they’d been under since Atsushi and Ranpo’s departure. Not having Dazai to help out with the workload would be absolutely detrimental to his daily workload. He sits in his chair and picks up a file, sighing and rubbing his eyes.
“Dazai,” he mumbles as if he could just summon his wayward partner.
The office remains utterly silent, and Dazai still does not arrive as the minutes pass. He hadn’t called or left a note or anything to signify that he wouldn’t be coming in that day. There was most definitely something amiss.
Kunikida wracks his brain, trying to remember every detail of his last interactions with his partner the day prior, desperate to see if there would be any hint of a clue as to why Dazai had decided not to show up to work today after he had gotten so much better with his attendance.
He tries to remember anything he could have said to annoy Dazai, but his memory, filled with constant exhaustion nowadays, draws a blank. He stares at the files on his desk again, much more frustrated with himself. If Dazai were skimping out on work when the Armed Detective Agency was already short-staffed it was, Kunikida swears he’d have that suicidal maniac’s head.
The issue was, Kunikida knew Dazai. He didn’t like to do the paperwork, but if the Agency needed him, he would be there in an instant, picking up the slack of anyone. It was one of his more admirable traits. However, this also meant that Kunikida was infinitely more worried about the whereabouts of his partner.
“What am I missing here?” he asks himself.
He glances up, looking toward the door of the office. He knows he shouldn’t worry so much, but he can’t shake off the feeling of unease. After a few more minutes without a trace of his partner, Kunikida decides to call Dazai to see where he was.
Dazai usually answered his phone if Kunikida was calling, he wouldn’t always be the most helpful, but he would still answer his phone. Or, at the very least, allow it to go to voicemail, where he would listen to the message but not respond. This time, however, no such thing occurs. Dazai does not answer his phone or allow it to go to voice mail.
Instead, Kunikida listens to an annoying robotic voice tell him the number is no longer in service.
Had Dazai changed his number and forgotten to tell his partner? Or… he doesn’t even want to consider it, but a dark thought enters his mind, latching onto his brain and not letting go until he gives it some consideration. Had he….. succeeded in his biggest goal in life? Was he dead?
Kunikida closes his eyes, trying to ignore the terrifying thought that had crossed his mind for even a second. He immediately opens them again when visions of Dazai all broken and bloody fill his mind.
“This can't be right…” he says, his voice shaking as his brain is further infested with thoughts of his partner’s death.
He pulls out his phone and tries to call Dazai again. Once again, the same automated voice greets him, telling him that the number is not in service.
The blond man takes a deep breath, feeling his lungs stutter as he tries to take a full inhale. He is feeling a panic attack coming on. As the all-consuming fear digs its claws into Kunikida, there is only one thought that goes through his mind. He has to get out of the office. Now.
He runs down the hall and stares at the floor, his mind filled with questions and worries. It only takes a few seconds of trying to flee before he sees it. An open window, the curtains gently billowing in the breeze. Kunikida’s entire body freezes as he stares at the window in shock.
It was probably that someone else, an assistant more than likely, had opened the window, but in his panic-stricken state, there was only one possibility in Kunikida’s mind. His heart pounds faster as he walks toward the window, unsure if he’s ready to face the scene he might find when he looks outside.
“Dazai...?” he calls softly, his voice shaking as he stands in front of the window, staring at the ground far below, “Dazai... please... don't tell me…”
Thankfully upon looking out the window, there is no sign of a familiar trenchcoated man lying dead in the alleyway. Dazai had not jumped to his death from the ADA window. However, there was still no sign of him.
Kunikida’s staggered breathing only worsens. He is overjoyed to have not seen his partner's body, but that does not change the fact that Dazai is still missing. Conflicting thoughts go through him as he turns away from the window. One part of him wants to flee the building and track down that bastard, but the other wishes to return to the office and drown his sorrows and worries in mind-numbing paperwork.
As he turns to leave the window and walk back toward the office, he sees a familiar piece of paper on the floor. It was from the files that contained a list of potential suspects for the latest crime the agency had been assigned to work on. Dazai’s familiar handwriting litters the page, as does notes about each suspect ranging in helpfulness. Kunikida’s heart sinks into his stomach, and his mind fills with grim possibilities as he recognizes a name.
Atsushi.
The rest of the names on the list of suspects were also members of the Port Mafia, but Kunikida couldn’t bring himself to care if he’d ever interacted with them. He was frozen at seeing the man he had thought so innocent at the top of a list of dangerous criminals. Of course, the blond had seen how the Port Mafia had changed the tiger, but seeing it in crime reports was a whole new level of pain.
Could seeing Atsushi’s name on the list of criminals be what pushed Dazai over the edge? Or worse still... Had Atsushi… done something to Dazai?
Kunikida is confident there is something else he is missing. Dazai wouldn’t have disappeared now, months after the young tiger switched sides. Would he?
The blond man is stunned by the sudden potential revelation. He didn’t want to believe it, but seeing the tiger’s name and having the possibility cross his mind was enough to send chills down his spine. Kunikda clenches his fist, the paper crumpling and dropping to the floor as a look of pure terror crosses his face.
“No….”
His eyes dart around, desperate for even the slightest sight of his partner, only finding a still and silent office.
Kunikida is filled with so many emotions all at once. Shock, pain, concern, fear but most of all, his mind is racing with betrayal. The possibility of what Atsushi may have done weighs heavy on his mind. But, considering the former ADA member committing such a heinous crime also brings another memory from a few weeks ago to the front of his mind.
After a battle between the two sides, Akutagawa, Atsushi, and Chuuya alluded that yet another detective in the Armed Detective Agency would leave the organization. Kunikida didn’t want to think that his trusted partner was the individual he had been painstakingly trying to suss out before it was too late. But once the thought had entered his mind, there was no getting rid of it.
It made no sense. He wouldn’t do that. Not after he had gone through so much pain trying to escape.
Dazai wouldn’t go back to the Port Mafia…. Would he?
Kunikida’s whole body tenses up with fear as this idea runs rampant through his head. The thought sends chills down his spine. But, deep down, he knows this possibility of Dazai’s departure cannot be ignored. Kunikida can feel his heart racing as he tries to hold back tears, still desperately looking for a sign of the dark-haired detective. He wants to be wrong. He so desperately does not want to believe this is happening.
As it were, there were two potential options in his anxiety-riddled mind. Dazai was either dead or had run off to rejoin the Port Mafia. At this point, the blond man was unsure which one he hoped was true. Of course, he wished there was a secret third option that meant his partner was both alive and loyal to the Armed Detective Agency, but it seemed that would not be the case.
The more time he spends in this office, the angrier and more emotional he becomes. He paces back and forth, thinking, hoping, and praying that there is a third option. A miracle, if you will, where Dazai was simply held up in some random emergency and was on his way back to the office that very second. But, as more minutes pass, and Dazai fails to show, Kunikida’s doubts slowly fade away as he accepts the fact that...
His partner was dead.
That’s it. Dazai had gotten his life’s fulfillment without so much as leaving any sign of his demise to his colleagues. The thought is bitter in Kunikida’s mouth, but he would choose to believe that Dazai was dead rather than… in 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 organization again.
He would have to check the man’s apartment to see if that’s ̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶o̶d̶y̶ where 𝘩𝘦 was.
Kunikida can feel himself becoming increasingly distraught with every passing moment that he didn’t know the fate of his partner. There are so many terrible feelings coursing through every vein in his body in a flood of fear, grief, betrayal, and confusion.
“You can’t be dead, Dazai,” he mumbles to himself as he summons the strength to exit the Armed Detective Agency office, beginning the potentially most abysmal walk of his life.
As he walks, the blond detective checks every alleyway, lamppost, body of water, and anything that seems like it has the capacity to assist a suicidal detective. Kunikida cannot help how he sighs in relief every time one of his searches does not return his partner's limp and cold body.
And before he knows it, he has arrived in front of Dazai’s apartment building with no clues of his partner’s whereabouts.
As Kunikida enters the bricked building and heads toward Dazai’s apartment, a million different thoughts invade his mind. A million different possibilities of what happened to Dazai play through his head as tears stream down his cheeks. He feels overwhelmed, but that doesn’t stop him from searching for answers. He had to find out what happened to his partner.
No matter what.
If Dazai was dead, where was his body? What happened to him if Dazai wasn’t dead? What role (if any) did the Port Mafia have in his disappearance?
Kunikida expects many things as he finally dares to barge through the door to Dazai’s apartment. He braces himself for the image of his partner’s body in every corner of the place. But no such thing happens.
Instead of being met with the harrowing sight of his Dazai’s suicidal fantasies finally being fulfilled, Kunikida enters a perfectly cleaned apartment. The place had no personality, and the furniture looked as if it had hardly been used. If he had not double-checked the apartment number several times before breaking the door off its hinges, Kunikida might have thought this flat was only for showing to potential renters.
As he investigates further, things just get more suspicious. There was not a single sign that anybody had ever lived here, which could not possibly be true, as the blond man had brought a severely intoxicated Dazai back to this place several times. All of the furniture in the home was also different from how Kunikida remembered.
Everything looks so…. artificial. There is no sign that anyone actually lived there. Kunikida’s eyes fall on the empty picture frames on the shelves. The bookshelves that used to be packed full of books now stood as blank wooden walls.
The more he looks around, the more suspicious he becomes. He stares at the locations where Dazai kept his paperwork, his pens, and his bandages. None of it was there. It was as if Dazai had erased every trace of himself from this apartment. Stranger still was that even though the walls were painted an entirely new colour, there was no lingering smell of fresh paint. There was undoubtedly something suspicious going on here.
With the drab emptiness of Dazai’s apartment, it was extremely hard to look for clues as to where the man had gone, given that every one of his personal belongings had seemed to be erased entirely from the home.
“What is going on here?” Kunikida mumbles as he carefully walks through the apartment again as if he’s walking on eggshells.
On his second pass through the apartment, looking for any sign of his partner living here, Kunikida finds a few interesting things—a single orange in the fridge's vegetable drawer and a slug writhing around in the sink.
His eyes narrow in confusion as he stares at the unusual objects. An orange in the fridge? A slug in the sink? Why? What did these things have to do with anything? Dazai loved being difficult, so Kunikida found it easy to believe that his partner had intentionally left those two items. But, the meaning of either of them escapes the frazzled detective’s mind.
As he stares at the orange, a thought crosses his mind. He removes the citrus from the fridge and looks at it closely. Sure enough, as he turns it over, he finds a folded note attached to the fruit's skin.
His eyes widen as he recognizes the handwriting immediately.
Dazai.
“Dazai…” he softly whispers, practically begging the universe for the paper in his hands not to be a suicide note.
Slowly, he unfolded the note, starting to tremble as his eyes read the words.
𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺! 𝘚𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 ~𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭~ 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 ~𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨~ 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱~ :)
The blond detective feels more tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He doesn’t want to believe it, but the truth is becoming harder to ignore. This was most definitely Dazai’s handwriting. The note even sounded like him. He could practically hear the man’s voice in his head.
“No… no… NO!”
He’s practically shouting, refusing to believe that the note in his hand served as some sort of message from Dazai about what he had done.
Kunikida manages to walk to the sink, looking at the other clue left behind, the wriggling slug. Before the detective can investigate the creature, it slips into the drain with a squelching sound. Never one to give up, the man reaches into the sink, feeling around for the slimy creature, eyes widening as he feels a rougher texture against his fingers. As he retracts his hand, Kunikida gasps.
It was another note from Dazai.
The colour drains from his cheeks as he reads the second note.
𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 ~𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴~ 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯?
Kunikida’s eyes dart wildly from the note to the slug in his hand to the note again. He slowly looks down and reads it a second time, his heart breaking in that instant. It all becomes a little too surreal.
“No…”
With every passing moment, any hope of finding Dazai alive was draining from him. His partner had left two suspicious clues alongside his suicide notes, the orange and slug. The two items had to mean something, but Kunikida didn’t have the mental fortitude to deduce what those hidden meanings might be at the moment.
Still, when he had yet to see physical proof of Dazai’s suicide, he was half-tempted to believe that his other horrifying thought might be true. If Dazai was alive, it meant he had purposely staged his suicide to rejoin the Port Mafia.
He closes his eyes in disbelief, his mind refusing to accept what was happening. However, he knew in his heart that one of those options was true. He just had to find the physical proof. Kunikida forces himself to take a deep breath, trying to think of what to do next. He can feel his mind racing with theories and questions. As much as that scared him, he knew he had to look at this from a criminal’s perspective. What would a criminal do next?
It does not take him long to realize what he must do. To think like a criminal, he must contact criminals. Specifically, he’d have to contact 𝘩𝘪𝘮. This was the only way he could know for sure what had become of Dazai. The detective clenches the paper notes tight in his fist as he fishes his phone out of his pocket.
Kunikida takes a deep sigh as he dials Atsushi’s phone number, forever grateful he had never changed it after joining the Port Mafia.
The tiger man picks up after only two rings.
“Kunikida,” the mafia-hardened boy responds, “This better be important.”
“Atsushi… “ Kunikida says, his eyes starting to water again as he is reminded of just how much the young tiger has changed since joining the Port Mafia. He pauses momentarily to take a deep breath and collect himself before speaking again.
“I need your help……. It’s about Dazai,” his voice cracks as he finishes speaking, in utter disbelief at what he was saying aloud.
Atsushi softly gasps on the other end of the line in a way that Kunikida cannot place the emotion of. The young mafioso quickly recovers, his voice becoming completely collected once more.
“What about him?” the tiger asks, sounding uninterested and much more like his new mentor, Chuuya, than usual.
Kunikida looks up at the wall, his eyes falling on the empty frames that sat on the shelf in Dazai’s apartment. He felt as if he was going to be sick.
“You don’t understand, Atsushi, he……. “The man pauses, clearing his throat as he tries to maintain a steady tone of voice. Despite his efforts, he can still hear himself cracking.
“Dazai…is…..gone…… “
“Y-you found h-him?” the other man stutters, slightly abandoning his cold tone of voice, “You found Dazai’s body?”
Kunikida shakes his head even though he knows that Atsushi won’t see him.
“Not his body, Atsushi…” his voice is quiet now, almost a whisper.
“… but” He swallows, “… I found his suicide notes…”
“Hasn’t he drafted like hundreds of those at this point?” Atsushi asks, sounding bored now, “Why did you call me about it? I have a busy schedule here in the Port Mafia, you know.”
Kunikida’s eye twitches as he hears Atsushi speaking with such a casual tone. He looks up at the ceiling, trying to figure out how he could word his next question so that it wouldn’t reveal his suspicions.
“Well… I… uh… I….”
What was a good in for something like this?
“...Do you know if Dazai has talked to Chuuya recently? About… anything?”
“Why do you ask?” Atsushi responds, sounding very suspicious.
The blond man gulps, trying to keep his nerves in check. One wrong move could expose his plan to enquire about the potential that his partner had staged his death to return to his roots in the Port Mafia.
“Well…” he sighs, “As I’m sure you know, Dazai hasn’t exactly been the most cooperative worker this past year… and there were… some rumours going around.”
For once, Kunikida is glad Atsushi left the Agency. The tiger man had no clue that Dazai had become helpful around the office after the tiger’s disappearance. He pauses again, wondering if he should just bite the bullet and ask.
“Did Dazai ever say anything to Chuuya about… leaving the agency?”
Atsushi laughs, a real good, hard laugh, even in the face of Dazai’s potential demise, “Is this about what me, Aku, and Chuuya told you about another Armed Detective Agency member leaving?” his tone is accusatory and cold.
Kunikida’s eyes widen, his heart dropping as Atsushi saw through his questions immediately.
“...Yes.”
“Why on earth would I tell you if it was Dazai?” the tiger man teases, “We are on opposite sides. Despite what your pathetic heart might tell you, I am 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 loyal to the Port Mafia.”
Anger completely consumes Kunikida. How dare the young mafioso speak to him with such blatant disregard as he was forced to come to terms with the fact that his best friend had either killed himself or betrayed the ADA. The blond man practically feels Atsushi’s laughter, his utter delight in crushing Kunikida’s heart into minuscule pieces.
As much as he is utterly crushed and wants nothing more than to curl in the fetal position, waiting for the ground to swallow him whole, Kunikida knows he must get answers. Despite what it might mean for his heart.
“Atsushi... did Dazai stage his suicide to leave the ADA and rejoin the Port Mafia?” He asks demandingly.
There is a heavy sigh on the other end of the line, and for a brief moment, Kunikida wonders if Atsushi will tell him what he knows.
“I don’t know…” the tiger responds cooly, “If he did, that would be Port Mafia business. I am not a traitor to my organization. Goodbye, Kunikida.”
The blond man is left with his phone beeping as the call disconnected and no more answers as to his partner's whereabouts. As it stood, there was an equal chance that Dazai was dead or that he had rejoined the Port Mafia.
What was he supposed to do with that information?
Both thoughts caused him to feel sick to his stomach. But… he still wanted to believe that there was a chance that Dazai was still alive. And if that were the case…. There was only one place to look for him.
The Port Mafia.
Kunikida had no desire to go to that side of Yokohama, but he would do nearly anything for his partner, to find answers. So, after checking the suspiciously clean apartment once more, slightly hoping he would find another clue, the detective leaves the apartment with his sights set on visiting the den of his greatest rivals.
As he gets nearer to the buildings that make up the Port Mafia headquarters, Kunikida brainstorms how he could potentially get the information he desires. And there was only one person in the Port Mafia that could possibly help him.
Chuuya.
So, as the blond detective finally reaches the entrance of the building, he sighs, preparing to demand whoever he ran into to take him to Chuuya immediately.
Unfortunately, he did not predict the first Port Mafia member he would run into would be Akutagawa, the man Atsushi had left the Armed Detective Agency for.
“What is your business here, Kunikida?” the demon-coated man demands, tendrils of Rashomon raising from his coat in a clear threat.
Kunikida’s eyes widen when he sees Rashomon wrapping around Akutagawa’s body, poised to strike him down at any point, “My-my business? ...I... Listen... I’m not here to fight.”
He quickly adjusts his glasses as he continues to speak, looking quite nervous, “I actually-...um...I wanted to speak to Chuuya. Do you know where he is?”
Akutagawa’s face only hardens, his eyebrows raising in anger, “He’s not here. He’s on a mission,” the man responds, sparing any details.
Kunikida cannot help but wonder if Chuuya allegedly being on a mission had any connection with the sudden disappearance of Dazai.
He pauses momentarily, wondering if he should just come out with his suspicions. What harm could it do? He had already voiced his doubts to Atsushi, after all.
“Look, I-I’ll cut straight to it. I was talking to Atsushi earlier, and I found that-” his voice starts to shake as he approaches the delicate subject, “I found suicide notes in Dazai’s apartment.”
The blond looks up at Akutagawa again for any reaction, trying to see if he has any suspicion that would confirm his hunch.
Akutagawa’s body posture tenses, but only for a moment. The tendrils of Rashomon tremble slightly as the man reacts to what Kunikida would assume is the first time he’d heard of his former mentor’s death.
“And you came to tell Chuuya about his suicide why?” the man questions.
From his outward appearance, it seemed as if Akutagawa was reacting to the news as if Dazai was actually dead. The question is, was he acting, or did the mafioso truly have no insight into whether or not Dazai was alive?
Kunikida is not sure what to think.
“Well…”
Should he mention his suspicions again?
“Okay, I guess it’s time for honesty. I think Dazai might be alive.”
Akutagawa’s eyes widen immediately, a small gasp coming from his lips that slowly turns into a coughing fit. Once the mafioso has recovered, he faces Kunikida with a glare that could cut through metal.
“What makes you think that?”
Kunikida flinches slightly at Akutagawa’s stare.
“W-well… it’s complicated…I…I talked to Atsushi and…well… “ he shouldn’t be saying this much.
“If Dazai is alive… I think he might have joined the Port Mafia again.”
All Kunikida gets in response is a raised eyebrow and Akutagawa’s body language stiffening again, “Because of the warning we gave you about another one of your members leaving in the near future?”
Damn. Another Port Mafia member seeing through his tricks. It almost felt rehearsed as if to taunt him.
“Yeah….” he mumbles, “The contents of his suicide notes were extremely suspicious and vague. And with the state of his apartment, I cannot help but wonder if it was more of a cover-up for disappearing than true suicide notes.”
Kunikida does his best to appear like he is begging with his eyes, “Please tell me I’m wrong…”
“You could be right,” Akutagawa says cooly, Rashomon finally fully slithering back into his coat, “Dazai might have staged his death to rejoin the Port Mafia. But he could also be dead at the bottom of a river somewhere.”
The mafioso merely shrugs, “Either way, it is not business that our organizations need to discuss. The Port Mafia does not care about where our traitors end up. It would be better for us if he were dead, actually.”
Akutagawa seems to slightly choke on the last words. Not so long ago, he was nearly labelled as a traitor and executed for being in a relationship with Atsushi, so this subject might be touchy for him. Had the tiger not abandoned the Armed Detective Agency to be with him, he would’ve had three bullet holes in him already.
Kunikida sighs loudly. He should’ve expected that Akutagawa wouldn’t willingly divulge any vital information like that.
“I understand this is none of my business, but… Please, you have to help me. I….I have to know if he is still alive,” he sounds like he is nearly on the verge of tears.
Unfortunately, his waterworks do nothing for Akutagawa. The hardened mafioso stands still and emotionless as ever.
“I cannot tell you if he is alive,” he responds frostily, “I suggest that you leave the Port Mafia Headquarters and search for his corpse elsewhere.”
Kunikida doesn’t give up easily, though his heart is breaking slowly but surely with every rejection he receives.
“Please… I can’t find him anywhere else…”
He is hoping to persuade Akutagawa to reveal more information, but he’s already expecting the man’s refusal.
Sure enough, the black-cloaked man turns on his heels, beginning to walk away from the begging detective. When he’s a few steps away, he turns back with a devilish grin.
“If you are still here in five minutes, I will be forced to have you struck down.”
Kunikida’s heart sinks as he watches Akutagawa walk away.
“…Please don’t do this,” he calls.
His voice is so pain-filled he is half convinced his words are choking him to death, “Please tell me if he’s alive. I don’t care if he’s in the Port Mafia again. I just need to know if he’s safe!”
Akutagawa doesn’t respond, doesn’t even stop for a moment when he hears the blond man’s agonizing begging.
With no other leads, Kunikida is forced to leave the Port Mafia headquarters and return to the Armed Detective Agency, where he is not looking forward to explaining to his remaining colleagues that there is a significant chance that Dazai is dead or a traitor.
~~~
Several weeks pass without a single new clue about Dazai’s whereabouts. Every member of the Armed Detective Agency was deeply affected by Dazi’s disappearance, but none more than Kunikida. The blond man had hardly slept, constantly worrying about whether he would find Dazai’s body or receive a call that he’d been found.
Eventually, nearly a month after Dazai’s disappearance, Fukuzawa left the Agency for a pre-planned vacation to visit Ranpo and Poe in New York. As a result, Kunikida was left as acting president in case anything happened.
Most times, Kunikida’s duties as acting president only consisted of extra tedious paperwork. But fate would not allow him to have peace for long. A day or two after Fukuzawa’s departure for his two-week getaway, the blond detective receives a peculiar text message from Atsushi.
𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘋𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰 𝘒𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘥𝘢, 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶.
~ 𝘈𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪 𝘕𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘫𝘪𝘮𝘢, 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘌𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦
Two things about the message seem alarming to him immediately. Firstly, Atsushi was an executive now???? And Kunikida could not remember hearing anything about the Port Mafia’s current leader, Mori, stepping down or… being killed; that seems to be how leadership changed within the organization.
Though he is extremely confused by the text, he is also highly intrigued. He stares at his phone for a moment before he sends a reply.
𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢’𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺?
He holds his breath as he sends the message, hoping to receive a reply soon.
Sure enough, a response comes within a minute.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘴𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮'𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳. 𝘏𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘺. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢𝘮 𝘐 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢
Kunikida can’t help but think of how much Atsushi had changed over the past few months. He really had become a strong member of the Port Mafia. Clearly, the organization saw that, too, as they promoted him to an executive position.
He is relieved at the response he received. His worries about visiting the Port Mafia’s headquarters were unfounded, as he won’t be in any danger.
𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸.
Kunikida puts away his phone before checking his appearance in a mirror, running a hand through his hair quickly, wondering if he should change out of his detective uniform for this meeting. He decides against the idea, wanting to appear professional. He heads toward the exit of the Agency.
As he begins the relatively long walk to the Port Mafia headquarters, he can’t help but wonder who the new leader might have been. He wasn’t exactly sure how succession worked in the criminal organization, but Kunikida was confident whoever he met would have previously been an executive.
From what he knew, there were only a handful of other executives besides Chuuya, including one that apparently never left the building or attended meetings. It was a very curious situation that he was glad he was about to get answers for.
The walk to the Port Mafia’s headquarters feels shorter now that Kunikida has a purpose; to meet the new leader of the Port Mafia and hopefully find out about the whereabouts of his supposed ‘dead’ partner, Dazai.
As he arrives, Kunikida feels the dread settling on his back. There was no getting out of a meeting like this. If he had any hopes of learning more about where his former partner had gone and whether or not he was even still alive, he had to go through with this meeting.
Upon stepping into the building, two mafia individuals Kunikida doesn’t recognize escort him through the headquarters, ensuring the detective keeps a brisk pace and cannot stop for too long. They eventually come to a stop in front of an ornately carved dark mahogany door with golden inlays.
“Enter,” one of the goons says simply as they throw the doors open.
Kunikida feels his heart pounding in his ears as he steps into the room. He pauses momentarily as he realizes he cannot see anyone waiting for him. A water pitcher sits on the long table, but there is no evidence that anyone has been in the room recently.
He clears his throat, “Hello?”
When he gets no immediate response, he speaks again.
“I’m Doppo Kunikida of the Armed Detective Agency. I’m here to meet the new leader of the Port Mafia as discussed via text earlier…”
Kunikida hears a dark laugh that almost sounds familiar to him. And then, like it had been rehearsed for hours on end, three figures emerge from the shadows. Atsushi and Akutagawa dressed more elegantly than usual, are the first two that catch the detective’s attention.
Ah. That made sense.
Atsushi 𝘢𝘯𝘥 Akutgawa must have been promoted to executives.
But Kunikida’s heart drops in his chest as his eyes meet the man standing between Atsushi and Akutagawa.
Dazai.
He was dressed much differently than Kunikida had ever seen him, in a dark three-piece suit accented with another long coat draped over his shoulders, and his eyes gleamed with a certain ruthlessness that was uncharacteristic of the man he knew, but none of that mattered. It was still the same Dazai. The man that Kunikida had worked beside for several years. The man whose suspiciously clean apartment he had broken down in and whose suicide notes he had read.
Kunikida is initially relieved at finding Dazai alive. But that was quickly replaced by horror, shock, and surprise, emotions that were very plain on his face when he saw the man standing before him. He looks around, trying to understand what he was seeing. Did this mean that Dazai was the new boss of the Port Mafia?
Before he can speak, Dazai, Atsushi, and Akutagawa pull out chairs and sit, their eyes inviting Kunikida also to take a seat. It is only when the detective is sat that Dazai finally speaks.
“What’s it been? A month?” He still has the same humour despite having tried to convince Kunikida for the past month that he had killed himself.
The detective briefly hesitates at that question.
“Why did you fake your death?” he asks, more desperate than enraged, but that rage does not stay hidden for long, “You had me scared for a month!”
Dazai does not look sympathetic in the slightest. Instead, it seemed as if he 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 that his little trick had deceived his partner into thinking he had finally ended his life. His lips twist in an uncharacteristically evil smirk, and he leans his elbows on the table, covering his left hand with his right and resting his chin on his hands.
“I will answer your questions in time,” he says, sounding just barely like the Dazai Kunikida knew, “You came here to meet the new leader of the Port Mafia….Tell me… who do you think it is?”
Kunikida glances at the other two mafia members, completely taken aback by how ominous Atsushi and Akutagawa are in their silence. Then, when he looks back at Dazai, he feels a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he comes to a grim realization.
This meeting is a test.
The detective sighs heavily and rubs his eyes, trying to play along, despite being infuriated with Dazai, “Well… considering you’re the one sitting in the middle, I can only guess that the new Port Mafia leader is you.”
Dazai laughs loudly as if Kunikida’s words were the funniest he had heard. He grips his sides as his laughter quickly turns near maniacal. It sends shivers down the blond detective’s skin. He had never seen his partner this…. Monstrous.
“You’re funny, Kunikida,” Dazai says as he wipes a tear from his eye, “Former Port Mafia traitors don’t just 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 the organization's leader.”
The man’s voice drops to a mumble for a moment, “Though technically, I was the one to kill the bastard, so it should’ve been me.”
Kunikida can only assume that Dazai is not so subtly implying that he had killed the previous Port Mafia leader, Mori.
A chill runs down his spine as he realizes that the man sitting in front of him isn’t the same Dazai he had known just a few months ago. Kunikida’s heart races, and his hands tremble as his worst fears come true.
“I have never been more confused and terrified in my life, Dazai. I… I had no idea…” he trails off, voice betraying just how fearful he is, “You killed him? You killed Mori?”
“You had no idea I was capable of such cruelty?” the man practically teases his former partner, “That’s not true, Kunikida. You knew they called me the Demon Prodigy…. That wasn’t for being kind-hearted, you know.”
Dazai practically stares through his former colleague, “Yes, I did kill Mori,” he states it as if it’s a minor inconvenience, “And I think you know how as well, don’t you?”
Kunikida wracks his mind for what the devious copycat of his beloved workmate must want him to think about. For a month, the blond detective had thought that Dazai was dead, had killed himself. He’d even found his puzzling suicide notes.
The notes.
As he recalls the content of the two notes, a lot more terrifying things begin to fall into place for him.
𝘈 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘺! 𝘚𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 ~𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭~ 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘳𝘢 ~𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨~ 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱~ :)
𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 ~𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴~ 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯?
They had never been about Dazai.
Kunikida has difficulty forming words as the realization of what those notes really meant finally dawns on him.
“You… Those…”
The anger boiling inside him from the moment he realized that Dazai had truly faked his suicide to rejoin the Port Mafia finally erupts out of him.
“You wrote those for me?! To make me think you were gone?!” Kunikida shouts, shock, horror, and disgust creeping up his throat, “Wh-why would you even do this, Dazai!? You know that you broke my heart a month ago with those stupid notes!”
Dazai does not show a single shred of remorse, instead smirking to himself as if he were glad to get some confirmation that his trickery had worked.
“I did what was necessary to fulfill my objective. Why are you even sad that I poisoned the bastard, considering he got his position by slitting the previous leader’s throat? I hardly think what I did was so awful.”
The man then grins evilly at his former partner, “Besides, after losing Ranpo to America and our darling Atsushi becoming a star mafioso,” he grins at the tiger beside him, “Aren’t you used to losing people now?”
Kunikida's eyes go wide in fury as Dazai mentions Ranpo. His heart skips a beat before he responds, his voice low and dangerous as he tries his very best not to lash out at his former partner.
“Don't. You. Dare. Ever. Mention. His. Name. Again,” he says, his jaw clenched and his hands trembling as he accents each word. His eyes are filled with rage, “Fukuzawa is in America now, with Ranpo. Do you know how utterly devastated he was when he learned you were dead??? Now I have to tell him that you faked it all to become the new head of the Port Mafia?!?”
Dazai allows Kunikida to yell at him, mostly unresponsive as he waits for the detective to finish his ranting before he speaks again.
“You’re wrong there. I didn’t kill Mori to become the head of the Port Mafia. As I said, former traitors don’t just become the heads of the organization. I am merely one of the executives.”
Kunikida’s eyes go wide as he processes the information. He’d spent the past few minutes convinced that his former partner had killed Mori in vengeance for the mistreatment he had endured while in the mafia and ascended to his position out of spite. But if that weren’t the case, what motivation did Dazai have to kill the former leader and accept a position as an executive? This whole situation was becoming a hell of a lot more confusing.
“If you’re just an executive now, who is the main leader of the Port Mafia then?” he asks in hopes that his former partner will not be as vague as he was before.
But before the man could respond, the other two executives beside him, Atsushi and Akutagawa, let out soft scoffs as if they were in disbelief that Kunikida didn’t know who the new Port Mafia boss was.
“Oh, come on, Kunikida,” Dazai teases, “You can’t possibly be that oblivious, can you?”
His eyes glint with mischief as he waits to see if his former partner honestly had no idea who in the Port Mafia he would kill for.
Kunikida has to bite back his irritation at Dazai’s taunting. Now that he knew Dazai was alive, the little games and taunts weren’t funny anymore. He takes a deep breath, his cheeks burning with frustration. He was not in a mood to play games with Dazai.
“Enlighten me then if you know better than I do,” he says as sternly as he can manage.
“I don’t think I will,” the man responds cheekily, “I want you to tell me who you think I would kill someone like Mori for without blinking.”
This wasn’t funny at all. Kunikida’s anger continues to boil inside him. He knew the answer, of course, but he hadn’t wanted to admit it was a possibility until his former partner nearly forced him. There was only one person who Dazai would slay anyone for without question.
“You would kill for…” he pauses. It was as if his words were like bile that wouldn’t come up, “Chuuya.”
The blond detective hisses the name, barely holding back his rage as the name leaves his mouth.
In response, Dazai just laughs darkly, “But we 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 each other,” he teases, “Why would I ever kill someone for that asshole?”
Kunikida knew the man well enough by now. It is evident that Dazai was mocking him for not figuring out earlier that he had enacted his whole fake suicide and murdering Mori plan for Chuuya. The detective was absolutely in disbelief that the man in front of him now was the same person he used to know.
Dazai did all of this for Chuuya’s sake? It was as if Dazai… was in love with Chuuya.
“I… don’t understand… “ he says quietly, shaking his head. His heart was beating rapidly, and his hands trembled due to his anger.
All this time… The truth had been right in front of him. Dazai had been capable of manipulating Kunikida into thinking he had killed himself for a month. What’s to say the man couldn’t convince him that he hated someone he was utterly devoted to? It really was a sick game.
It sickens the detective to consider everything he had ever known about his former partner could have been a lie to make him let his guard down.
“I think you do understand, Kunikida,” Dazai responds, leaning on the table again, “You just don’t want to admit that I fooled you.”
Tears were starting to well up in the detective’s eyes at this point. It hurt him to see the man he had come to care about in front of him now, even if he knew Dazai could be manipulative. It was like he had been lied to from the very start, and everything he knew was just a facade.
“I… you… You really did trick me,” he says, his voice cracking slightly.
“But do you understand why I had to deceive you?” Dazai seems genuinely intrigued to see if Kunikida knew.
Given that the man had, as he claimed, killed Mori without question on Chuuya’s request, it had to do with their confusing relationship. Until a few moments ago, the detective would have assumed that the two of them hated one another, but now, it seemed it might be quite the opposite. He had, of course, heard the rumours that Double Black had an explosive romantic relationship while they were both in the Port Mafia, but it had seemed as if it was toxic to both of them. It had never mattered to Kunikida if Dazai had at one point dated Chuuya, as it had clearly ended when he left the mafia.
Was that all a lie too?
Kunikida’s brain was still trying to process everything. He’d been overloaded with several bombshells over the past few minutes. What if their romantic relationship wasn’t just a rumour? What if Dazai really was in love with Chuuya? It had always been the elephant in the room, something that Kunikida was hesitant to address.
“Was it because… You love Chuuya?” he finally asks, his voice quiet and shaky. The realization hit him like a brick in the chest. It seemed so obvious in hindsight.
For what feels like the millionth time since the blond detective had been coaxed into the Port Mafia meeting room under the guise of meeting the new leader, Dazai laughs.
“Yes, my love for the bastard did have to do with my deception, but why?”
Only as Kunikida’s eyes drift away from his former partner, seeing Atsushi's cold-faced stare, does he understand. The tiger man left the Armed Detective Agency because Akutagawa was in danger of being killed as a result of the Port Mafia’s rules to execute any member that fell in love with a member of a rival organization.
Even though the demon-coated man was one of the most powerful ability users in the Port Mafia, it didn’t matter. He still would’ve been executed if not for Chuuya’s insistence that Mori requested Atsushi's transfer. There was no question in his mind that the gravity manipulator would have also been at risk if anyone had caught wind of his relationship with Dazai.
All at once, the detective recalls a suspicious event that occurred the morning Atsushi left the Armed Detective Agency.
𝘈𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, “𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘬𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦….” 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧𝘧, “𝘐 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 -𝘣𝘶𝘵- 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘶𝘺𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘪 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴.”
Kunikida feels stupid for not realizing sooner that there was a deeper reason for Chuuya’s reactions and the inherent protectiveness of Atsushi and Akutagawa.
As his eyes widen in realization, some of Dazai’s actions finally make sense to him. He took in the information like it was a bomb about to be detonated. It was all overwhelming, and he felt like he was being torn apart from the inside out, feeling more and more rage boiling inside him each second.
“You… You… !” He says as loudly as he can afford. He wanted to scream at his former partner until his voice went hoarse. Instead, he clenches his fists until they turn white.
After a few more seconds, as he tried to calm himself before he screamed at Dazai, his voice was calmer, though the anger was still palpable, “You… You… used me to protect your own skin, and you killed a man for another man you love,“ He spits out the words, his eyes tearing up despite not wanting to cry.
Dazai cocks his head to the side, a sly smirk on his face as he continues to rest on his hands as if he is bored, “You’re crying because I killed Mori?” he teases, “You’re probably the only one.”
Beside him, Atsushi and Akutagawa look just as… evil. The tiger man, who had been glaring at Kunikda for the better part of the meeting, finally clears his throat.
“You would’ve kicked Dazai out too, wouldn’t you?” it was the most emotion he’d heard in the man’s voice since he joined the Port Mafia, “If you found out about him and Chuuya…Because it’s the rules, like you nearly kicked me out.”
Kunikida’s eyes immediately shoot to Atsushi, his anger still burning hot, but not because of the young tiger.
“I… I… “
His voice trails off. He sighs, trying to get a grip on his feelings and words. Why was he so emotionally distraught? Why did he still care so much about Dazai despite everything? The emotions were conflicting within him, and he didn’t know what to do.
“I would… have considered it…”
“And would you have reported Chuuya to the Port Mafia, knowing he would be executed as a traitor?” Akutagawa asks.
Kunikida is shocked by the bluntness of the question. Akutagawa had a point, though, and he couldn’t deny it. He would have followed the rules and reported Chuuya to the Port Mafia because it was right. The detective would always be loyal first and foremost to the Agency, choosing the institution even above the well-being of his longtime partner.
“Yes… Probably…” he says quietly, almost ashamed of himself.
“That’s harsh,” a new and familiar voice says from the door Kunikida had entered through.
Chuuya.
The Port Mafia ̶e̶x̶e̶c̶u̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ boss strides through the room confidently, ignoring the blond detective, Atsushi, and Akutagawa in favour of the real treasure, Dazai.
Once he is beside the man, he effortlessly plucks the executive’s right hand away, causing Dazai to lose balance. Before his head crashes into the table, one of the new boss’ gloved hands cups Dazai’s cheek while the other lifts his left hand to his lips.
On Dazai’s ring finger was a deep black band, a dark ruby surrounded by an intricate twist of dark metal. Kunikida realizes that Dazai’s hand positioning had purposely obscured the ring the whole time.
Kunikida’s heart stops as he stares at the ring; he had been too distracted by the chaos of the past few minutes to see how it was hidden in plain sight. He looks at the hand cupping Dazai’s face, noticing how effortlessly his former partner melted into the touch. Then his gaze drifts upwards towards Chuuya’s face. He had always known that Dazai was in love with Chuuya, but seeing it like this in person… it made the concept much more real. Kunikida’s mouth forms a small ‘o’ as he blinks in disbelief.
Chuuya looks proud of himself, his lips ghosting ever so slightly over the ring as he stares daggers into Kunikida.
“You’d really have sentenced me to death?” the man teases, unblinking at the blond man.
“… Yes. I would have turned you in without a second thought.”
His voice is strained with disbelief and surprise, his heart is racing, and his entire body is trembling. The poor man has so many emotions swirling inside him, and his brain is still working to process everything that has happened and the realization of everything he has missed.
Quickly and elegantly, Dazai slides out of his seat, Chuuya sitting down and his executive lover standing behind him like a personal bodyguard with his ringed hand draping lazily over the other man’s shoulder. Both of their expressions were cold and unreadable, but it was evident they were relaxed by being beside each other. It was the first time Kunikida had truly understood that all of Yokohama being petrified of Double Black was not an overreaction. If they wanted to, they could easily strike him down.
“What about now?” Chuuya asks, gently rubbing Dazai’s fingers between his own, “Do you still wish me dead for causing Dazai to defect from your Detective Agency?”
It felt strange to Kunikida, as if he was in a dream he couldn’t wake up from. He was too stunned to move, and all he could do was stare at the couple in front of him, his head still hurting from everything that had happened.
“Now? …No.”
As he stares at the two men standing before him, Kunikida truly realizes he’s lost his former partner. Chuuya and Dazai are together and have likely been for a while—potentially the whole time the detective had known Dazai.
“How long have you two been together?” He asks quietly. He needs to know.
There was more he wanted to ask, but the words escaped him, and all he could hear were his heart beating loudly in his ears.
“Seven years,” Chuuya says simply, eyes sparkling with mischief.
They had been together since they were 15, when they first met. Dazai’s love-filled expression confirms it. Did that mean the entire leaving Chuuya behind in the Port Mafia thing was another act of deception?
Had any memory of Dazai in the Armed Detective Agency been real? Were Kunikida’s years of memories with his partner a lie?
The news utterly devastated him. It felt like everything had been an act up to this point, and it was like his friend was dying before him. The person he had once known as Dazai was slowly disappearing, replaced by the Demon Prodigy, the shining star of the Port Mafia whose only genuine emotions and memories belonged to Chuuya.
The blond man takes a deep breath, his voice soft and cracking as he speaks. “I… you… you’ve been playing me from the very beginning.”
Dazai just laughs, the noise sounding horrific and demented. It seemed as if the man was deriving a lot of pleasure from fundamentally destroying Kunikida.
“I have been. It was just so fun,” he smirks, slowly locking his fingers with Chuuya’s, a symbol that Double Black was united, but the gravity manipulator would always hold the upper hand, as he was the only one able to command Dazai without pushback.
“Just how many events of the last few years do you think we orchestrated?” Chuuya asks.
The dangerous expression in both men’s eyes betrayed the fact that there was a lot more to the story than Dazai killing Mori for Chuuya so they could be together again after years of pretending to be a loyal member of the Armed Detective Agency.
Kunikida’s eyes widen. Even thinking about the answer to that question is enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. The two men in front of him are capable of just about anything. Just what had been orchestrated over the past few years? Kunikida’s mind was racing with all the possibilities.
“I… I don’t know?” He’s speechless, unable to think straight. His mind was in a cloud, and he felt out of breath, “What did you do?”
Dazai sighs and looks exhausted for a brief second before he recovers, “I’ll have you know that I haven’t always been scheming like this. We began planning when my only dear friend besides Chuuya died.”
The heartless executive seems to be in genuine anguish, receiving a quick squeeze of his hand from his partner before he continues.
“The plan was for us, as Double Black, to take over the Port Mafia,” Dazai reveals, “Though my friend’s dying words urging me to be good almost convinced me for a little bit.”
Kunikida immediately knew that the ‘friend’ in question was Oda Sakunosuke. Dazai had talked to him about the famed Port Mafia man who refused to kill with a great degree of respect and admiration. Was all of that a lie? The sickening thought that Dazai and Chuuya might’ve actually been the ones to kill him enters his mind, and it is hard to shake.
“… Oda Sakunosuke…”
His tone cracks as the thought that his partners had killed Oda begins to take root in his mind. He pauses and looks down at his hands. They are shaking more violently. His teeth grind as his emotions continue to run rampant.
“Did you two kill Oda Sakunosuke?”
Dazai looks as if he’d been shot. The most genuine anguish painted on his face as Kunikida suggests he’d been the one to kill Oda, “No,” he hisses, tears bubbling over in his eyes, “Mori fucking sent him on a suicide mission! Probably because he knew I was attached to him!”
It quickly became clear that the experience irreversibly traumatized Dazai, making him willing to do anything to protect his one remaining attachment— Chuuya.
As if to confirm it, the executive speaks again, “I was half-tempted to leave him behind and actually start a new life, but I couldn’t risk it. So we began to scheme how we could get our revenge.”
Kunikida stares at Dazai, utterly shocked by the news. He knew that Mori had been a cruel man, but he could never have imagined that he would’ve been THAT cruel. He looks at the two men in front of him with a new understanding of the past few years.
“Revenge on Oda’s death…” he says in disbelief, “That was the spark for all of it?”
“Yes,” Chuuya confirms simply, “Originally, the goal was to pretend like we’d broken up, Dazai would pretend to have gone good, and whenever I called, we would kill Mori together and lead the Port Mafia together, but it ended up being a bit more complicated.”
Dazai smirks, “A certain -somebody- almost figured me out, so I had to distract him by luring a specific writer and his organization to Japan to throw him off my scent.”
Kunikida’s blood freezes in his veins. A certain somebody almost figured out Dazai’s scheme? There was only one person capable of that in the Armed Detective Agency.
Ranpo.
Did that mean that Dazai lured the Guild to Yokohama merely to distract Ranpo with Edgar?
It all finally made sense. His former partner had manipulated so much of his life at the Agency. Now Kunikida had to accept that every interaction he had with Dazai, every investigation he worked on with him, and every moment they spent together were all part of the ruse.
Ranpo had been so close to the truth but had his past connection with Edgar used against him to distract him from catching onto Dazai’s deceit. Dazai and Chuuya had also thoroughly distracted everyone else in the Port Mafia and Armed Detective Agency in the conflict with the talented Guild ability users, further allowing them to continue scheming together while everyone else was immersed in the battle.
It was also the first time in their supposed four years apart that ‘Double Black’ worked together again. Why had no one noticed back then that Dazai and Chuuya still fought beside one another as if nothing had changed between them?
Was the truth really in front of him this entire time?
As the blond detective’s mind starts racing, he can’t help but spiral. If the couple’s scheme had caused the Guild to come to Japan, just how far-reaching was their plan? How far in advance were they thinking to pull this off?
The more Kunikida thought about his past few months, the more some of the more shocking things started to make sense.
Was it really a strange coincidence that Dazai and Chuuya finally enacted their plan only a few months after the genius detective left Japan? Was it possible that Dazai had schemed from the very beginning to get Ranpo out of his way by subtly pushing him to move to America with Edgar?
But if that were the case… why didn’t Dazai just kill Ranpo instead? It just didn’t make sense to him.
“Did… Did you lure Ranpo away to America to get him out of your way…?”
He can barely get the words out, and his voice cracks again. He’s on the verge of tears in the middle of a new breakdown. What else had been a lie? What else was a ruse? What did he actually know about anything?!
“Do you honestly think we were able to force Poe to move back to America and take Ranpo with him?”
Dazai is laughing, but considering what Kunikida knew he’d done, it doesn’t seem too far out of the realm of possibility. He realizes that he genuinely does not know anything. In the face of the truth, he breaks down once more, his voice nearly breaking as he speaks.
“Please… Just tell me… Did you lure Ranpo to America to get him out of the way?”
His eyes are brimming with tears as he begs to know the truth.
Both Chuuya and Dazai are primarily unresponsive. They seem to find it funny how Kunikida is questioning how far their reach went. Eventually, it is Chuuya who speaks.
“Getting that detective of yours to move to America was not an original part of the plan,” he sighs, “But when we discovered how strong their bond truly was… Can you blame us for using that to our advantage?”
Dazai waits for his lover to finish speaking before smirking at his former partner, “But we did deliberately plan one person to leave the Detective Agency,” his eyes gleam evilly, “I think you understand that now….”
On either side of Chuuya, Atsushi and Akutagawa jump slightly, and their cheeks turn a light pink. It confirms a dark thought that Kunikida hadn’t even realized was possible.
Atsushi falling in love with Akutagawa had been a part of the plan all along. Dazai had been the one to push for the two young men to work together in the first place. Chuuya was the one to suggest Atsushi move to the Port Mafia and the one to train him to be a perfect mafioso. The blond detective had been saddened by how suddenly Atsushi had left the Agency, but now to find out that Dazai and Chuuya had planned it out???
It worked almost too well.
Double Black were virtually unstoppable when they worked together, but now they had perfectly manufactured a new duo. There was no way that was an accident.
Kunikida stares at the couple in front of him for a moment, utterly baffled at the scope of their manipulation. The truth hurts, but he also feels something akin to a new level of respect for them. Their 4-year plan was quite possibly the most brilliant and complex scheme he had ever heard of. And to put it all into motion by chance was nearly impossible.
But was it really chance?
He pauses, his expression turning from sadness to shock again as if a new wave of realization was washing over him.
“Did you manipulate Atsushi’s crush on Akutagawa?”
Dazai laughs, slightly clutching Chuuya’s shoulder, “Manipulate???” he questions, “Fuck no. Our plans for our little love-stricken tiger and demon were as simple as having a second, slightly less powerful version of ourselves. The fact that they fell in love was pure happenstance….”
The executive’s eyes darken momentarily, and he smirks widely, “But I did have a feeling their bond would be similar to mine and Chuuya’s.” The man’s entire body language changes as he addresses the red-haired man who was now the Port Mafia's leader: “They acted so much like the young us, didn’t they?”
Chuuya’s composure also softens, a stark difference from the scheming mafioso he had been before, “They did.”
His blue eyes practically freeze Kunikida in his seat as he addresses the detective, “I know we seem cruel to you,” he states simply, “But we are -fiercely- loyal to those we care about.”
Chuuya looks to Atsushi and Akutagawa, flashes each of them warm smiles, and ruffles their hair. In turn, each new executive beams at their leader with genuine respect and care in their eyes. They adored Chuuya and Dazai, the two men that had, in some sense, manipulated them to be together.
But, despite what logic tells him, Kunikida does not think that the two men are manipulating the younger couple. Chuuya’s words repeat in his mind until he reaches a harrowing realization. Dazai and Chuuya were fiercely loyal to those they care about. That included each other, as well as Atsushi and Akutagawa.
It did not include Kunikida.
As he listens to them explain their side of the story, Kunikida finds himself starting to calm down. They were surprisingly candid about what they had done and never tried to justify their actions. They knew it was wrong, but they were willing to do anything to protect each other, Atsushi, and Akutagawa from the same fate as Oda. They were a unit, a family, and the thought of losing the ones they loved most made it possible for them to do some of the most vile things Kunikida had heard of.
Fear enters his mind as he realizes that the couple has been capable of getting rid of anyone that has thought to challenge them by whatever means necessary. Was that the real reason that he was invited here? Were they planning to kill him?
“But… if everything I knew about you was a ruse, why tell me now? Did you invite me here just to kill me?”
Chuuya chuckles evilly, holding a thin blade between his fingers. Kunikida feels like he’d seen the former Port Mafia boss with that exact knife before.
“If you want us to kill you, we’d be happy to. But don’t you think the Armed Detective Agency has lost enough members recently?” the man twirls the blade between his fingers as he speaks.
“We didn’t lie to you when we said you would be meeting the new leader of the Port Mafia when you came. It is up to you how you wish to proceed. The Port Mafia is very clearly the most powerful gifted organization now. But still, I’m sure you and your little detectives will pursue justice. I don’t care. We will be the same organizations as before. Just know that no one in your agency can beat me and Dazai’s combined abilities. The same goes for Atsushi and Akutagawa. Just imagine if the four of us attacked at once….”
Kunikida stares at Chuuya, a shiver running through him as the man twirls his knife. He understands what’s been implied. He and his agency would have no chance against them if they ever faced each other in battle.
“I… I understand. The current state of affairs isn’t in my favour. I’ve already exhausted most of my options, and now I must retreat. However, do not get the idea that I will be giving up just yet.”
He says, his tone is stern and resolute. This was merely another instance of Kunikida dealing with his adversaries.
“I would expect nothing less from the Armed Detective Agency,” Chuuya chuckles as he stands, taking Dazai’s hand in his own, “I look forward to meeting with your actual leader, Fukuzawa, at some point as well. I imagine as the heads of the two biggest Gifted organizations in Yokohama, we will have a lot to discuss.”
The Port Mafia’s leader looks at Kunikida with questions in his eyes as if he were waiting for the blond man to challenge him again.
“I understand. I am sure he will reach out to you once he returns from America.”
Kunikida pauses, a strange grin appearing on his face, “There is one more thing that I must ask you. Just one thing.”
"What's the question?" Chuuya responds, his eyebrow raising with intrigue.
“Did you ever regret anything about what you’d done?” he wonders with no malice in his voice, just genuine curiosity to see how truly heartless the couple were.
“Akutagawa and Atsushi….” Chuuya whispers immediately.
Dazai nods beside his lover, “It was always in our plans to make sure Akutagawa was able to enjoy his life again after I…” he doesn’t dare finish, “When Atsushi fished me out of that river, I immediately know he and Akutagawa would make each other stronger and heal each other’s mental wounds in the way me and Chuuya did. I do wish we didn’t have to wrap them up in this plot to protect them, though.”
It was the most sincere Dazai had sounded today. It meant he wasn’t entirely that monstrous ‘Demon Prodigy’ Kunikida had heard so much about. There was still some humanity left in the man spared for others.
“I understand,” the detective responds.
Kunikida hesitates in response to Chuuya’s gaze. He understands all of the subtle threats and the implications of what he’s endured today. It’s too early to judge, but something tells him that Chuuya, as the head of the Port Mafia, might just be capable of making his agency’s life hell. Not to mention ⅔ of his new executives being former ADA members was disastrous.
“I… I believe I understand the situation. I will contact Fukuzawa as soon as I can and arrange a meeting.”
“Very well then, I’ll have Aku and Atsu show you out,” he says simply, fingers tangling with Dazai’s and leading the man toward the room’s door.
Seeing someone like Dazai so willing to submit to another is still strange, but Kunikida supposes that seven years of loving and trusting Chuuya would do that to him. What hurts is that Dazai barely acknowledges the man he worked beside for several years as he leaves, barely offering him a nod as he leaves his former partner behind. It further confirms that he had never truly cared about the blond detective.
“Ready to go?”
Atsushi’s voice asks from beside him, Akutagawa on his other side. Kunikida hadn’t even heard them get up from their chairs, let alone walk up to him.
The detective tentatively nods, slightly shivering as he feels the two young executives press on either side of him, a threatening presence telling him they will not hesitate to attack him if he tries to discover any Port Mafia secrets.
Neither Atsushi nor Akutagawa speaks as they lead Kunikida toward the main entrance. They had no reason to speak to him. Chuuya and Dazai had explained all remaining business between them, after all. Any bond Kunikida had once had with Atsushi had been erased the moment he joined the Port Mafia all those months ago.
Kunikida is also silent, his head bowed in shame and his spirit shattered. He feels utterly broken now that he knows he’s been betrayed and manipulated for years, but he can’t do anything about it. He simply follows Atsushi and Akutagawa to the entrance, wanting to escape this nightmare as soon as possible.
He keeps his eyes low and his hands by his sides, and it’s only when they’re about to exit the building that he finally speaks again.
“Thank you,” his voice is barely a whisper.
“Don’t come snooping around,” Akutagawa hisses before turning around with Atsushi, arm wrapped around the young tiger man’s waist.
Kunikida stands still for a moment after exiting the building, his mind reeling with all the facts that he’s learned about Dazai and Chuuya. As he begins the long walk back to the Armed Detective Agency, he allows a bunch of questions to pass through his head.
What now?
How was he supposed to explain what had happened with Dazai to everyone else at the Agency?
Was there a way to recover from such a devastating defeat?
His first move was to get home and write his report of his interactions with the new Port Mafia boss and executives. Then he would tell Fukazawa the news, arranging a time for him to meet with Chuuya and Dazai. And then…Then he would try to make a plan for the future.
He wouldn’t let this be the end of the Armed Detective Agency.