Work Text:
The first few moments of blankly bliss after waking up were the best in Kunikida’s opinion. He found himself staring up at the ceiling once he came into the realm of consciousness. His hair was splayed all over his pillow as he blinked twice to clear his vision a bit. He let out a sigh, a sound that was mixed of sleepiness and content. He turned his head and noticed that it was indeed morning and the sounds of the city was reaching his ears.
In those few moments, nothing was in his head. He loved mornings for those reasons. It allowed his body to just relax and slowly ease that and his mind back into everyday life. Of course not all mornings would be like that but he was thankful that he got more of them than not. But like everything else, it all came to an end with a chime that came from his night table.
Closing his eyes slowly before opening them once again, he got up and groaned softly, brushing his hair with his fingers before glancing over. His phone was there and the screen lit up. He stared at it before reaching over and picking it up. He saw the notification of who it was that was calling. He sighed with a smile before he answered. “Good morning. No, I was awake for a bit, what’s up?”
--
He was so used to people staring at his daily attire, both work and out of it, that he didn’t even blink twice as he walked out of the apartment complex building. The walk between that and his shop wasn’t long though it would have been shorter if he took his motorcycle. He hadn’t used that in a while, partly because there was no need for it. Be it morning, he took in the sights as there weren’t that many people around. He reached into his bag and got out his pocket mirror.
Using it, he made sure his hair clips were properly aligned in his hair, his studded earrings look good and his light makeup was on point. He was glad that the pink frames of his glasses complimented the colors he wore. Satisfied, he put away the mirror. “Now then….I hope Atsushi and the others had a good rest. Today is a big day after all.”
--
Opening up shop was always a quick ordeal. He made sure everything was clean the night before, so all he had to do was turn on the lights, turn on the music and get the register going. Since it was still in the morning, business was usually slow, very much so but any business was good business.
As he was wiping down the counter, he felt his pocket vibrate and he took out his cell phone. Looking at it, he smiled. It was from Dazai, giving him a nice ‘good morning’. Delighted, he texted a ‘good morning, hope you are having a nice day’ in return. He and the other agency members would take out of their schedule to say hi to him throughout the day, even if they don’t have time for light conversation. It was for the best, must be busy work to save lives and protect the city. Either way, a hi was enough to lift his spirits at times.
[He had no idea that when Dazai was texting that, he was stuck in a metal oil drum outside of the agency dorms.]
The morning went on as smoothly as one would want. Some customers here and there, restocking some candy and items, Ranpo came over and got his daily fix, the usual stuff. At one point, he thought he saw Dazai and Atsushi from across the street but it was so quick of a glance that he assumed that it was the trick of the eye. He had texted Dazai about how Atsushi was doing and gave him a ‘please tell Atsushi good luck for his test’ to which he received a thumbs up emoji from the man.
Kunikida had no idea what the Agency test consisted of. He just assumed it was a written test or maybe an interview with the president. The president himself was a very proper and kind man when he first met him, stern but not cruel or harsh. Since the man was very busy leading an organization, they haven’t met very often.
It was just a bit later that Kunikida thought he heard some faint shouting but considering this was the city, he didn’t think twice on it. Odd things happen from time to time, he was just generally used to it. As he was then getting more ‘jars’ from his notebook, his phone vibrated. Seeing that there was no customers, he took his phone out and saw that Dazai texted him.
[Come over to the Uzumaki for lunch! Good news to share~]
[ Okay! I’ll be there in a bit!]
[ <3 ]
With that out of the way, Kunikida pocketed his phone and went to hang his apron up. He placed a ‘out to lunch’ sign in the front as he locked up the door for the time being. Uzumaki was a café that he grew to know and love along with the agency. He was favor of the sweet curry and the parfait that they had and decided to get that for lunch once again. With his jacket on, he went to the café.
The bell that was attached to the door rang as Kunikida entered the café. He looked up to see the server, the barista and the agency. His shoulders relaxed upon seeing a couple of them.
“Oh hey, it’s Kunikida-chan!” Naomi turned around and smiled brightly “Hi! It’s been a while!”
“I’ll say. Hey!” Tanizaki waved with his long sleeved arm.
Kunikida smiled. “Hey Naomi-chan, Tanizaki. It’s nice to see you both again.” He walked closer to the group. “Hope things are alright you both.” He then noticed another familiar face. “Ah, Atsushi. Good afternoon, how was your morning?”
Tanizaki turned to Atsushi and gave him a soft smile. “Go on, he would want to hear it.”
Nodding, Atsushi moved to stand up from the booth as he wrang his hands. “S-So, Dazai-san told you about me taking the test and you wanted to wish me good luck right?” When Kunikida nodded slowly, he bit his lip. There were a few seconds of silence before he looked up and made a victory sign with his fingers. “Well that good luck helped me out and now I’m a member of the agency.”
There was a soft gasp coming from Kunikida before he went and pulled Atsushi into hug, holding him close. “That’s great! I knew you can do it!” He pulled back a bit with a huge smile. “I’m proud of you Atsushi. I bet you did wonderfully—oh my god, what’s wrong?”
Atsushi was in tears, running down his face as he tried to wipe them from his eyes. “N-Nothing.” To be praised like that may have affected him more than he wanted to admit. Still, to hear it brought about a lot of emotions. “I just need a moment….” At the very least, he was a moron for not believing in Dazai’s words before.
Sighing with a soft smile, Kunikida patted Atsushi’s head. “That’s okay, take all the time you need.” He had faith that Atsushi would pass that agency test and was glad Dazai was able to get it for him. Speaking of which. “Where’s Dazai-chan? He texted me to come over for lunch.”
“Oh yeah,” Naomi spoke up as she was patting her brother’s back in comfort. Why though, Kunikida didn’t know. “He’s coming soon, just had to stay behind to talk with the president.” She smiled. “Probably just agency stuff.”
That was true. There are still a lot of things that Kunikida didn’t know about the agency but that was fine, no need to pry. “Well, I guess we’ll just get lunch in order until he arrives. My treat, okay?” He looked at Atsushi.
“B-But you did so much for me…” Atsushi trailed off as Kunikida gently led him back to the booth. “No seriously, I can pay for my own meal.”
“Yes, yes.” Kunikida smiled, nonetheless. He and Atsushi took their seats as the server came over and orders were taken. Sweet curry and parfait for himself and a lunch A plan along with a slice of cake for Atsushi. When the server left, he looked at the rest. “But again, I’m proud of you. I knew you would pass. I hope the test wasn’t too hard for you.”
As if remembering something bad, both Atsushi and Tanizaki hung their head with weak smiles. Neither of them said anything on the matter.
“Don’t mind them, Atsushi passed the test and that’s all that mattered!” Naomi smiled. She turned her head as the bell rang and the door opened. “Ah, Dazai-san!”
Kunikida moved his head up towards the mention and he smiled as well. “Hello again, Dazai-chan. I almost thought you stood me up for something.” He was joking of course.
Dazai snorted as he waved to the others. “Me? Standing you up? Oh perish the thought~” He glanced at Atsushi who shyly smiled back. “I guess he told you the good news. I knew Atsushi-kun had what it took to be a member of the agency. After all, I’m the one that people go to~”
“Yeah, when you’re a menace to society.” Naomi stated with a smirk.
“You do have a history of have people placing curses and complaints towards you or the agency.” Tanizaki added. “Even both.”
“And to top it all off, your wonderous amount of debt you have here in this very café.” The server came back with food but her deadly smile at aimed at Dazai. “How for starters, let’s see if you could afford to even pay a fraction of that off, hm~?”
The temperature of the café dropped a few degrees as well as Dazai’s façade was dropping.
“W-Well, then how about we enjoy some lunch before returning to work, yes?” Dazai’s smile as weak but he wasn’t anything if not very good at overlooking for his own sake.
Atsushi and Kunikida looked at each other before sharing a weak laugh. It seemed that Dazai was infamous more than famous.
As the food was served and things calmed down, Atsushi, halfway through his meal, asked what Dazai and the others what kind of jobs they had before coming to the agency. It seemed like a simple question though the way Dazai smiled at him made it seemed that it wasn’t so.
“Take a guess then.” Dazai lifted a finger. He was sitting on a chair, his front against the back of it as he was just enjoying the warm atmosphere. After that glare from the server, he didn’t dare try to do his usual antics. “We can make a game out of it. Though, in a way, it’s part of your training.”
That made sense. Atsushi crossed his arms and looked at Naomi and Tanizaki, in thought. “You guys…are students, right?”
“Ah, right on the nose. Nice!” Tanizaki smiled.
“How do you know?” Naomi asked with a curious look.
“Well, back at the office it was mentioned that you were a part-timer which means you still go to school. Though the uniform is a dead giveaway. For Tanizaki, he seems closer to my age is all.” Atsushi smiled sheepishly.
Kunikida was impressed though as he clapped a bit. “That’s pretty good though. I can’t imagine deduction would be easy for anyone.” He smiled. “Like a 101 on being detectives, right?” He looked at Dazai.
“Of course~” Dazai smiled. “Speaking of which, Atsushi-kun. Can you guess my past work?” He pointed at himself. “Go on, what is my past job experience?”
Placing a hand under his chin, Atsushi was thinking as he looked at Dazai who was grinning at him. “Dazai-san’s…..Dazai-san’s…..um…” The more he looked at the man, the less he had an idea of what his past job was and it was getting frustrating the more time was passing. “It’s no good…I don’t know!”
Tanizaki sighed though he looked sympathetic. “That’s okay. It couldn’t be helped.” He and Naomi glanced at Dazai. “His past is like the 7th wonder of the agency. Or something, it’s a mystery for sure.”
Kunikida nodded. “I have been told that by some of the office workers that come to the store at times. Apparently it’s to the point that there is a money reward for whoever gets it right—”
“A reward!?” Atsushi’s expression changed in mere seconds as there were practically yen signs in his eyes. “L-Like an actual reward!?”
Dazai nodded as he if it was a pain to talk about. (It wasn’t.) “Yep~” He sighed. “No one has guessed it correctly and the amount ballooned tremendously.” He then leaned forward. “And in case you’re wondering, Atsushi-kun, the amount is about 700,000 yen.”
“What!?” Seven hundred thousand yen!? That was a lot of money in one go. But if he were to get his hand on that kind of money. Before anyone knew it, Atsushi was right at Dazai’s face but not uncomfortably so. “I-I can get this reward if I guessed it right? Is that true? If I guessed it right then I can get it, right?”
Huffing with a smile, Dazai looked at Atsushi, as if challenging him. “A suicide proponent is true to his word~” The smile turned into a wide grin. “Please give it your best shot.”
Nodding and with fire in his belly, Atsushi was determined. “That money will be mine!”
Tanizaki and Naomi watched in amazement as Atsushi started guessing Dazai’s past job in rapid speed. “….Atsushi seemed very excited, huh?” Naomi nodded with him.
Kunikida chuckled weakly. “Well it couldn’t be helped. Atsushi wasn’t exactly in a great position when we met.” He decided to let that happen as he finished his parfait. “Though I will admit, I have been curious about what Dazai-chan’s past experience was before coming to the agency.”
“Same here. Though I’m a bit surprised.” Naomi stated. “I thought you would have more an idea than anyone in the agency since he comes to your shop more often than anywhere else.” Though it sounded innocent enough, there was something in her tone that suggested otherwise.
Blinking, Kunikida placed his spoon down. “I mean yes but that doesn’t mean he has to open himself more to me than he is comfortable with. Maybe in due time I’ll know but then I won’t be eligible for the money.” He joked. He can care less about the reward, member or not.
“Oh but I meant—”
“Naomi, don’t.” Tanizaki chided. “You promised, remember?”
Kunikida looked between Tanizaki and Naomi before the latter sighed and huffed.
“I didn’t forget.” Naomi crossed her arms with a pout. “I was just saying, is all.” But she dropped it, whatever she was going to say. She did smile as she got a pat on the head from her brother.
Though curious as to what they were talking about, Kunikida decided to forget it as well. If it was something agency related then he won’t pry. Though he was unaware that it had nothing to do with the agency at all. Just on a certain member.
“Doppo-san!” Atsushi looked defeated. “Nothing seemed to stick with Dazai-san. I have said literally every profession possible and it’s a no on all of them. I don’t know what else to say as a guess. I’m stumped.”
He chuckled, sympathetic about it. “I wouldn’t know myself.” Kunikida thought about it. It wasn’t as if Dazai came out of thin air. Glancing to the man, he gave him a smile. “Are you sure it’s a no out of all of Atsushi’s guesses? Not one that was close?”
Dazai offered a smile back as he shook his head. “Sad to say, Atsushi-kun wasn’t even close. I wouldn’t lie about something like that.” Maybe in due time it may come to light or someone will guess right and it will all follow. Who knows.
Before Kunikida can comment further on it, Tanizaki’s phone went off. That reminded him of something. “Oh, right. Atsushi. Since you’ll be working, you’ll need a cell phone so how about in the evening, we go out and get one for you.”
“Oh don’t worry.” Atsushi pulled out his cell phone. “The agency was kind enough to gift me one. Oh and a set of new clothes so I can return the ones that you gave me.”
“Nope.” Kunikida raised his hand. “You can keep them. Since you’ll be working, you’ll need a wardrobe. Actually, we’ll do a shopping trip then. You and me in some good shops so we can get you started, okay?”
Atsushi opened his mouth to protest but he heard someone clearing his throat behind him. He turned around and saw Dazai shaking his head with a finger against his lips. Something told him that arguing about will get him nowhere. Though true, he had a hard time still about getting help from other people. His self-esteem isn’t exactly very high, considering his past. “Okay, after work then.”
Smiling, Kunikida nodded. “Good. For now, let’s exchange phone numbers.” He got out his cell phone which was of a pastel green with hearts and stars on it.
“Okay,” Atsushi smiled as the pair did just that. As much as he was thankful for the agency in giving him a job, he felt indebt to Kunikida who did so much for him already despite them being strangers at first.
Closing his phone, Tanizaki looked up at Dazai. “So, we got a job. The client is already waiting for us in the lounge area.”
Sighing dramatically, Dazai moved to get up from his chair. “Ah, that’s a shame but it can’t be helped. Come on gang, work awaits.”
“I’ll pay for the food, okay?” Kunikida told Atsushi. “Have a good day at work, Atsushi. Knock them dead.” He smiled as he patted his head.
Atsushi smiled at Kunikida and smiled. “Of course! Thank you again. I’ll see you later.” He left with Tanizaki and Naomi with the latter pulling at him up to catch up. He looked much happier now that things seemed to pick for him.
Kunikida smiled at that sight. He was about to ask the server for the check when he noticed that Dazai was still there and next to him, smiling and whatnot. “Oh, hey.” He smiled. “If you don’t catch up, you might be berated for being late.” He joked.
Something in Dazai’s smile was different that even Kunikida didn’t see. He barely heard Naomi almost say something that she shouldn’t have and he mentally thanked Tanizaki for stopping her. Still, it wasn’t enough to halt the thoughts that came into his mind. He sighed through his nose with that smile. “Kunikida-kun…there is something I want to tell you before I go.”
Curious, Kunikida turned to give the other his full attention. “Sure, what is it?”
Dazai was silent for a moment, as if thinking about it. Then his smile was lighter as he reached up and touched Kunikida’s hair. “Your hairclips are skewed. I’ve been meaning to tell you that for a bit.” He adjusted those hairclips before he patted the other’s shoulders and dropped those hands. “There~ All better~”
What an odd guy, that Dazai. Kunikida smiled as he touched his hairclips. “Oh, thank you. I guess with all the excitement, they must have started falling over.” He chuckled.
Chuckling, Dazai went to leave with a wave. “I’ll try and text you later, okay?”
“I’ll hold you to it!” Kunikida waved back. When Dazai was gone, he let himself relax before he felt his face heat up. He shook his head as he looked at the server who had a smile on her face. “C-Check please.” Better not to think about it so much.
The server giggled but compiled with the man’s request.
--
The afternoon was uneventful to say the least. He had customers here and there as well as restocking and cleaning when it was very slow but other than that, it wasn’t exactly exciting. Then again, he valued that peace.
As the day was winding down, he had hoped that Atsushi was doing okay on his first day of the job. Well he had Dazai as his mentor so he wasn’t too worried about him. If something were to happen, he was probably noted down as Atsushi’s guardian or emergency contact. Well, Atsushi probably doesn’t need a guardian so that would be another topic of conversation.
He wasn’t sure, if he were to be honest, capable of caring for another person. Sure, he had Katai but despite him being a hermit, he still worked to pay for his own place. If he were to be taking care of someone, maybe he was thinking more on the emotional/mental side of things. He was well off to take care of Atsushi but the young man is his own person and probably will be put off if it was seen as coddling.
Sighing, Kunikida was at a loss at what to do. Atsushi has a job and a place of his own but it didn’t change the fact that the other started with nothing. What kind of people in that orphanage thought was okay to treat children, Atsushi especially in such a manner and to kick him out with only the clothes on his back? There was a million other ways to ease him to the fact that he was an ability user and they chose to kick him to the curb at their own convenience. Well, at least they didn’t like sell him or anything but it wasn’t kind either way.
Can he understand? Only to an extent but he will try his best to and meet the other halfway there.
As he was cleaning up and starting the process of closing, the front door opened. He looked up and noticed it was a familiar face. He smiled. “Ah, Atsushi, welcome.”
Atsushi had his bag on him and was still wearing the outfit without the jacket as he looked up at the older man. “Evening, Doppo-san.” He didn’t seem as happy as he was back at the café, almost as if something plagued him. “I-I got off work a bit early…so…” He gripped the strap of the bag tightly.
Noticing that, Kunikida said nothing at that moment. A first day of any job wasn’t easy so maybe it was that. Or he hoped. Smiling softly, he nodded. “I see. Well if everything was in order before you clocked out then I have nothing else to say on the matter.” He then went to take off his apron. “Good timing too, I was closing up. After that we can get some dinner after doing a bit of shopping.” He reminded the other back at the café.
“But….!” Atsushi was about to protest but something in him stopped and he straightened up a bit. “That’s fine…” He murmured. “Can I make a request?” When he got nod from the other, he inhaled and exhaled slowly. “May I stay over at your place tonight?”
It wasn’t a crazy request but it was out of the blue nonetheless. Still, Kunikida took it in stride as he nodded. “Sure. Should we make a pit stop at your new place beforehand?” When he got a quick shake of the head, he sighed through his nose as he smiled. “Got it, but I’ll make a note to buy some necessities for your place. Consider it a gift from me to you on this good day.”
Kunikida’s smile was enough to keep his thoughts away for the moment. Atsushi nodded as he relented. “Sure. I’m okay with that.” There were things in his mind that he wanted to talk and didn’t want to. He just hoped he was just overreacting. He didn’t want to bother the man more than he already had.
Though it may have been too late.
--
The shopping trip lifted Atsushi’s spirits more than he expected. The stores they went to weren’t expensive or on busy streets but they were affordable and pretty nice. He got a decent amount of clothes for his wardrobe to start and he didn’t feel as guilty about Kunikida paying for them.
With the promise that he’ll pay the man back somehow.
They got into a playful fight about it.
After the clothing stores, they went into specialty stores that had toys, games and other things. There, Atsushi was learning more about the man’s taste in things. He really did love pastel things but not to the point that it was blinding or much. He has seen the man’s home and while it was colorful, it was muted to fit the place. Kunikida knew what he was doing and he couldn’t help but be impressed about it.
“I didn’t think I would see a rice cooker with cute mascots on it.” Atsushi stated as he and Kunikida were walking back to the older man’s place. “And it was on sale!”
“Listen.” Kunikida pouted but soon smiled. “You only live once so if you can afford it and it doesn’t hurt anyone, get whatever you want. Life is too short to be concerned about what kind of rice cooker one gets….also this does rice pudding as well so….”
Atsushi chuckled with his own set of bags, mostly filled with things for his new place. “Since we took a lot of time shopping, what should we do for dinner?”
Oh right, time certainly went by quickly. “Well, I suppose I can cook up something. Maybe order some food too. Well once we get to my place, we’ll figure it out.” Kunikida smiled. He led the young man to another area of the city. It was a bit more upscale and was quieter. The man lived on the top floor of a fifth story apartment complex but it seemed more spacious and newer than some of the other buildings; parking lot and then some.
“I never took the time to see how your place was. You really have everything.” Atsushi had to say.
“Do I?” Kunikida turned to look at him as they went up the elevator. “I hope it doesn’t make you uncomfortable since…you didn’t really have a lot.” He murmured. “Though I wouldn’t blame you if you were.”
Atsushi shook his head. “You saved my life, you took me in when you had no reason to. You and Dazai-san encouraged me a lot even now. I don’t think I’ll ever be put off by your living conditions. It’s not your fault and I bet you worked hard to get to where you are.” He smiled softly.
“…..you’re so lucky that I’m holding bags right now because I feel the urge to hug you.” Kunikida admitted. He snorted when he heard a noise that sounded like a squeak. “But thank you, and you’re always welcomed to come over when you need to. I’ll have to remind myself to give you a spare key at some point.” He supposed.
The elevator opened and the two exited it. The inside was as spacious as it was the outside, with just a few doors in the entire floor. Once they got to Kunikida’s door, the man managed to get his keys from his jacket pocket before the door was unlocked and the two went inside. “Okay, you can put some of your bags next to the door. We’ll make a pit stop at your place to drop off before we both go to work tomorrow, okay?”
Atsushi nodded though he didn’t look all that happy. “Yes, you’re right. Thanks.”
Humming idly at that tone, Kunikida nodded. “You had a long day, why don’t you take a bath first while I see how the dinner situation is for us. I have spare towels and clothes in the bathroom closet, ones that I usually have to guests.”
“Oh so that was what it was.” It made him feel a bit special that Kunikida let him have a few older clothing items than the ones in the closet. “Yeah, I’ll do that. It has been a long day.” Again, the cheeriness was absent in his voice. “Thank you.”
“Take your time on that bath, okay?” When Kunikida called after him and when he got an okay, he sighed. “Now then, let’s check the fridge and see what we’re dealing with—hm?” He felt the back pocket of his pants vibrate as he took his phone out. He checked the ID and smiled before he answered it. “It’s not often that you would call me, Dazai-chan. To what do I owe the honors of this surprise?”
Dazai’s chuckle was on the other end. “Ah, already hearing your voice has brought up my mood instantly. As expected as a man of sweets. I was wondering, is Atsushi-kun with you right now?”
“Hm? Yeah, he is. He’s staying over at my place for the night.” Kunikida answered. He heard a sigh on the other end and raised an eyebrow at that.
“Ah…so that’s how it is.” It was hard to tell how Dazai was with that tone of voice. “Well if he’s with you then I have nothing to worry about. I think it’s better that he’s with you right now.”
Leaning on the island, Kunikida frowned softly. “What do you mean, Dazai-chan? Was he in any trouble on his first day? I know you can’t tell me much but….” He looked over his shoulder but didn’t hear anything other than soft humming coming from the bathroom so he lowered his voice. “He came to the shop and he didn’t look so good. He seemed so excited around lunch so I couldn’t help but wonder….you know.”
There was silence on the other end before Dazai sighed. “You’re right, I can’t tell you much but…well he’s not in trouble with the agency but he did run into it on his first case. It happens, things don’t go as expected and things fall through the cracks. But Atsushi-kun…took it harder than I assumed he would. Not like I expected him to bounce back but…” Another pause. “I was actually waiting for him at the dorms after work but never saw him. So I just took a guess at the only other place he might be. That’s all.”
Nodding, Kunikida had his phone against his ear with his shoulder as he decided to check his fridge. “I figured that it was more or less that. Um…is it only that he had a rough first day is why he was like this?” He had a gut feeling but decided to go with it.
Dazai snorted on the other end. “You got me. So preceptive~” His light tone didn’t last long. “I was the one to had to come in and help him out. And I did have some choice words that I suppose would seem very harsh given the circumstances. I’m not surprised he is avoiding me because of that but I did…I wanted to clarify why I said what I said.”
Ah, right. Kunikida can tell that Dazai was trying to lead Atsushi into the right direction but it probably backfired. No one was to blame for what happened, whatever had happened. Still, he sighed. “I think I don’t need to tell you this but while you have the best intentions, a first day is a first day. No one goes into a job knowing everything there is to know right away. I don’t know what this first case was and I don’t want to seem like I’m coddling him but I think it would be best if you didn’t just throw him head first into a case when he just got hired. Like who does that—” He paused before he started to panic. “--no never mind, I didn’t mean it like that!”
There was roaring laughter on the other. “Aw, is Kunikida-kun scared of the big bad president~?” More laughter. “Oh don’t pout like that, I was joking~ It’s not that terrible.”
“It could have been…and I wasn’t pouting.” Kunikida murmured. “But you get what I mean though, right?”
“Of course and you’re right.” Dazai stated. “The case did seem simple enough but I guess it was a bit too soon for him to be going head first into cases like that one. I’ll have a talk with the president before his first meeting to see what we can do. In the meantime, may I trouble you with something?”
“You won’t be troubling me but what is it?” Kunikida asked, glad that things were being resolved.
“I need you to do something for Atsushi-kun since I’m not the person he wants to see right now…..”
--
“Dinner was great, Doppo-san. Thank you.”
“No problem. Just a little something I whipped up.” It seemed that food was an instant mood lifter for Atsushi, something that Kunikida mentally noted right away. He made something hearty and filling for the both of them and after cleaning the dishes (the young man insisted on helping), they moved to the living room. “Also, I have some ice cream in the freezer, we can have some in a bit.”
Atsushi’s eyes lit up at the thought. “I can’t wait to have some.”
Smiling, Kunikida nodded but that smile went away as he was remembering something and even they cooked and cleaned up, he had no idea how to break it to him. He sighed heavily at his own hesitance. God, what to do.
Noticing that Kunikida has gone quiet, Atsushi tilted his head. “Doppo-san? What’s wrong? Everything okay?”
“Um…yeah…just…” Kunikida sighed. “I’m not sure how to start this…” Though he knew that didn’t really answer the other’s question. “Alright, well I’ll be blunt with this.” He looked at Atsushi with a firm look. “So Dazai-chan called me. You really had a rough first day, haven’t you?”
His heart dropped at the mention of Dazai. Atsushi hung his head. “U-Um….I…uh…”
Kunikida’s expression softened as he sighed through his nose. “Listen, no one is mad at you. Obviously, he couldn’t tell me the details but he did mention that the two of you had some sort of fallout before you visited the shop. I just….you don’t have to say anything, just know that no one is mad at you and no one blames you for what happened—”
“Well maybe they should!” Atsushi blurted out. He then covered his mouth very quickly, shocked at his own words. Those words had more anger in them than he thought.
Of course that caused a flinch but Kunikida took it in stride. “Atsushi, what do you mean by that? If you’re uncomfortable then you don’t have to. But the way things are, you will have to interact with Dazai-chan since you are working with him. If he did something bad, you need to voice that out and talk to him.” When he noticed Atsushi has gotten silent, he sighed. “Dazai-chan wanted me to also tell you that no matter what, he doesn’t think less of you about what happened. He feels bad for making you feel otherwise. So….yeah.”
With a hand rubbing his eyes, Atsushi shakily sighed. “Oh…oh I see….” His voice was soft. Soon he had his hands covering his eyes as he shook his head. “Dazai-san…I knew he wasn’t being mean or harsh….it just hurt knowing that I messed up the case. I…I lost your jacket and…people got hurt…and….I was useless….I couldn’t do anything….Dazai-san had to come and save me…it’s…hard…and I hate it so much.”
Kunikida can feel his heart tug a bit painfully as he scooted closer to Atsushi. “Even so, you’re not at fault for what happened in that case. Dazai-chan had to stress that too. Listen, I’m not from the agency so I couldn’t possibly understand what you or the others had to do for the city but please know that everyone there look out for each other and care about their own. Even if you were knocked down today, you can still get up tomorrow. You have many days ahead of you to grow and get stronger.” He placed a hand on the other’s head. “It sucks but it’s not the end, please know that.”
Silent for a moment, Atsushi slowly nodded. “Maybe so…but…what…what can I possibly do?” He slowly lowered his hands. “I wish I knew what to do. I wish I knew….” He felt his hair being ruffled as he looked up at Kunikida.
“Hold on for a second.” Kunikida moved to leave the living room. After a minute, he returned with a stuffed animal and sat back down next to Atsushi. He cleared his throat and then held the plush with a smile. “Hello Atsushi~ I’m Ayu~”
Atsushi was silent as he was blinking owlishly.
“Doppo-chan has told me that you had a very rough day today and you feel very down.” Kunikida’s voice was slightly higher for the plush. “It’s okay to be sad but please don’t be too hard on yourself. You did your best and that is all that matters!” Moving the plush’s short arms. “You deserve to get some rest and some ice cream! Ice cream makes everything better! I love ice cream and I love my friends. Would you like to be friends with me Atsushi~?”
“….I…you want to be friends with me?” Atsushi didn’t believe he was going through with this charade but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
“Yes!” Ayu the plush waved their arms around. “I think you’re very brave and strong and very nice! You deserve all the friends in the world and all the love they give you! Because you’re amazing and a good person! I love you Atsushi!”
A soft noise left Atsushi’s lips and slowly, before he was aware of it, he was crying. Tears were running down his face and he was sloppily trying to wipe them away. His face was crumbled and his body was shaking a bit. “Thank you….thank you….!” He felt arms wrapped around him as he was being pulled into an embrace.
“….No matter what people say, they don’t get to decide what or who you are. Only you do. I care, Ayu cares and the agency cares. Things take time…and it’s okay to feel down when you fall but you can get back up and try again. Failure is not the end, Atsushi, it’s just a step to victory…you can do this…you can be the best that you can be and we’ll support you all the way….okay?”
Nodding, Atsushi continued to cry against Kunikida’s shirt, feeling oddly relieved. He knew that he will have to go back to the agency and talk to his mentor but it was good to let it out and not be punished for it. At the very least, he felt as though he had another home to come back to. He didn’t have much faith in himself but if Kunikida and the others believed in him then he’ll use their belief as support, until the day he can stand on his own two feet.
And he couldn’t wait for that day to come, when he can stand on his two feet and look back not in pain but in determination along with all the smiles that guided him throughout it all.
Including the one that saved his life from day one.
--
“Thank you for helping me move my stuff to my place.” Atsushi smiled. “I hope I’m not keeping you from opening your shop.” His eyes looked a bit puffy despite crying the night before. He felt better though he had to have a cold rag over them to lessen the result.
Kunikida snorted as he was holding some of Atsushi’s bags. “Even if I’m not opening at a regular time, the only customer would be Ranpo-san and he doesn’t come until the late morning. With the amount he buys, I think I can afford to open late.” He joked.
Laughing at that, Atsushi then hummed. “Well, I guess I’ll see if Dazai-san is at the office, I’ll….I’ll try and talk to him. The thought of doing so is making my stomach turn.” He looked up at Kunikida. “And you’re sure, he wasn’t angry at me or anything.”
Shaking his head, Kunikida then shrugged. “He’s not one to be angry at anything. Though for him to be genuinely angry is a rare thing to see. I can only recall those times with one hand.” He smiled. “But for him to be angry over this is unfathomable. You’ll be okay, I promise.”
Though hesitant, Atsushi believed in Kunikida’s words. “…Okay, if you say so then that’s fine—”
Suddenly there was some sounds of popping, almost like gunshots coming out followed by glass shattering and the gasps and screams of the people around. Something was happening.
“W-What was that?” Atsushi found himself close to Kunikida as he heard the commotion. “Is it a robbery? Or…wait, that’s…it’s coming from the building—the agency! Someone is attacking the agency!” He practically shoved the rest of his bags in Kunikida’s arms. “Sorry! I’ll be right back!” He started running, hearing Kunikida calling after him.
The young man wondered if there was a raid happening and the agency was targeted because of him. Oh god, just when things were going well, something had to happen and the agency is being attacked and he couldn’t think of any other reason why anyone would besides him, fuck, Akutagawa must have sent some people after that case! Oh please no oh please no oh please oh please no…!
Running up the stairs once inside, Atsushi was panting and almost tripping on a step or two while getting to the fourth floor. When he noticed the door to the agency was opened, he had to quicken his pace as he went into the office with determination and concern. “D-Don’t hurt them!”
Though what the young man saw was not what he expected.
Some guy wearing a monocle was in the process of being flipped by a familiar face. That guy was confused at the turn of events before he fell to the floor.
Atsushi was so stunned as he looked around. Yosano-sensei was kicking a man and knocking him out, Kenji pushed another and sat on a pile of bodies and Ranpo….Ranpo was casually drinking ramune while sitting on a bullet marked desk.
Well the office was riddled with bullets that damaged the place but that wasn’t even the surprising part. What was surprising was how well everyone was at quelling the raid before he even got the chance to…well he wasn’t sure what he was going to do.
What the hell?
Looking up, Fukuzawa bended that man’s wrist in an odd angle. “Oh Atsushi, good morning.”
“….G-Good morning.” Atsushi though he was screaming internally at how the moment shouldn’t be so casual. “Um…I heard some loud sounds and…I came here as fast as I can….?”
Fukuzawa let go of that wrist before he got up. “Ah, yes. The raid. It seemed that the mafia has sent in the Black Lizard to mow us down…though it was foolish of them to come after us.” He then sighed. “I wished they learned after the umpteenth time they pulled this cheap trick on us.”
Atsushi’s face was priceless.
“Also the gunfire was unnecessary.” Yosano frowned with her arms crossed. “Whose turn is it to go around the neighborhood and send some condolences and gifts?”
“My turn!” Kenji raised his hand. “Also, president. What should we do with them?”
There was a moment of silence before Fukuzawa looked at Kenji. “I suppose throwing them out the window would suffice.” At the very least they won’t bounce back at hard with the injuries they’ll get. When he got the okay, he turned back to Atsushi. “Please don’t mind it, we have dealt with raids and the like for a long time. I’m just glad you were not here before.”
That got Atsushi’s attention. “What do you mean by that?”
Before Fukuzawa would explain, in came Kunikida who was panting and was holding all the bags. “A…Atsushi….I was trying to call you out…goodness you were fast.” He had to drop the bags at the door as he moved his arms, feeling them a bit strained. “Oh, Fukuzawa-san. Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Fukuzawa nodded. “I apologize for the state of the office. We had another raid and it really did the place in.”
Kunikida sighed as he smiled. “I can see that. Well, do you need help cleaning up? I can sweep up the mess around the floor.”
“If that isn’t cutting into your time then please.” Fukuzawa nodded.
Atsushi had to pull on Kunikida’s sleeve multiple times at that moment, more internally screaming ensued. “D-Doppo-san….” He whispered. “Um, you knew about the raid?”
“Hm?” Kunikida looked at Atsushi. “This raid, no. Raids in general, yes.” He glanced at Fukuzawa and smiled. “The agency does have a bit of reputation and of course things like this happen on occasion….although,” He turned a bit pale. “The first raid incident I saw the end of occurred not long after the shop had the grand opening and well, since I’m not good with blood and Yosano-sensei was coming out of the building—”
“Don’t continue that, I think I got it.” Atsushi had to say, see Yosano huffing out of the corner of his eyes. God, the agency must be very violent, more so than the mafia! This was insane!
“Ara~ Did I miss the raid already?” At the entryway was Dazai who waved at the people inside. “Hey everyone!”
The agency members said their hellos as most of them started cleaning.
Fukuzawa greeted Dazai before looking at Atsushi. “Since this is over and done with, I have other duties to attend to. You can help and clean if you like but take the day off, is that clear?” When he got a nod, he hummed. “Good, now if you’ll excuse me.” He went on his way with Ranpo following him, waving the blonde man and telling him that he’ll be at the shop later.
“Good luck, Fukuzawa-san.” Kunikida called out before turning to Dazai. “Hey yourself. I was half expecting you to be here when the raid happened. Thank goodness no one got hurt.” He crossed his arms.
Chuckling, Dazai shrugged. “I had some things to do and got here too late. The body pile is new though.”
Shaking his head, Kunikida noticed Atsushi was hiding a bit behind him. He sighed but kept his smile. “Atsushi, is there something you want to say to him?”
Hesitant at first, Atsushi sighed before he move from behind Kunikida and walked up to Dazai. It was a bit relieving that Dazai really didn’t seem as angry as he feared. Kunikida was right on that. “…Dazai-san….um…well…” He looked to the side. “I’m sorry…for the way I reacted yesterday. Avoiding you didn’t help but I was at odds with myself. I had a lot to think and Doppo-san helped halfway there. I…have a lot to learn and I just didn’t want to tarnish all the effort you made for me. I didn’t want to disappoint you is all. If…If you’re willing to give me a second chance, I’ll do my best to show you and the agency that I have what it takes to be a member….!” He bowed his head.
Kunikida was silent as was Dazai. The two locked eyes and he gave Dazai a firm look and gestured to give Atsushi an answer.
Dazai nodded back a bit before he cleared his throat. “Atsushi-kun. You have nothing to apologize for. It was a small setback on my part. No one’s first case goes that well. Not one case is 100% foolproof and it’s fine. What I said to you was supposed to be encouraging but I can see that it did more harm than good when I didn’t see you last night. I can’t promise that I would know what to say to lift your spirits but please know that I don’t have any ill intentions in those words. If there is something you need to tell me, don’t hesitate. I can take criticism~” He smiled. “So…are we okay again?”
Mulling over it for a bit, Atsushi nodded. “Yeah, we’re okay again. I won’t let you down in the future, Dazai-san. That I can promise you.” He smiled a bit.
Nodding, Dazai seemed satisfied. “Good. So we got that squared away.” He had his hands in his pockets. “I guess we need to really gauge how we work since we’ll be work partners from then on. And don’t worry about a thing about yesterday, I’ll talk to the president and see what we can do. We know you’re capable, we just need to go slow and easy this time around.”
Kunikida was glad to see Atsushi relieved, even happy. At least that was resolved. “Well that is all well and good but we need to help clean up this mess. And afterwards, we need to drop the stuff off Atsushi’s place.”
“But what about your shop?” Atsushi asked. “But we get done it’d be way too late.” He then noticed a soft smile on the man’s face, softer than the pink frames of his glasses and the hairclips.
“I can afford to close the shop for the day. After all, I have my best customers here.” Kunikida chuckled as he rolled up his sleeves. “Now where is that broom?”
“I’ll get it!” Dazai raised his hand as he grinned at Atsushi. “Come on, we got work to do~” He probably won’t do any actual cleaning but he had to look the part or else he’d be scolded and he had enough of that back at the café. Not everyday that he would see Kunikida in the office either so he rather not skip out on that moment.
Sighing through his nose, Atsushi just shrugged as he went to pick up some books from the floor. As crazy as the day was getting, he can tell that he’ll get used to that and more eventually. That, for some reason, brought a smile on his face. And some tears in his eyes.
Best not let anyone see it or else he’ll be called out on it.
--
END