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From the moment he set foot in Mori Ougai's office, Dazai Osamu, a recent Port Mafia executive, was surprised.
He wasn't expecting that one.
"Pardon?"
And just to clear up his doubts about the situation, he decided to question the man in front of him.
Just to be absolutely sure of the veracity of the previous words.
To which Mori offered him only a superficial smile as he intertwined two gloved fingers, his elbows resting on the table.
A casual stance and not at all appropriate for someone like him.
Something made Dazai retract his thoughts and hypotheses.
His eyes were almost illegible and his face was partly covered by a shadow from the semi-lighting of his office.
After settling down somewhat comfortably in his chair, leaning back slightly, he finally opened his mouth very gently.
"What did you hear, Dazai-kun." he let out a sigh that represented the boredom he felt, and untying his fingers, he gestured vaguely with a relatively relaxed expression, "Ah... It's always a problem to have clients like this."
Dazai blinked his only uncovered eye and slowly crossed his arms. At the same time, his expression seemed to stiffen with seriousness, recovering from the sudden novelty. His partially closed eye revealed his clear annoyance, and his iris, darker than charcoal, contracted as a sign of discreet but existing concentration.
The man before him, knowing his former apprentice, went on. But not before letting out a faint nasal laugh, shaking his head slightly—Dazai stood erect, with that typical aura of death and mystery.
"Hm. It is evident that this one..." Mori leaned forward to check a note he had written on a sheet of paper on the desk, narrowing his eyes in a sign of precision; moments later he gave up, tossing the sheet of paper that fluttered until it fell on the table again – Dazai followed the movement – leaning back in his chair "....oh it doesn't matter what their name is. Ahh..." He sighed, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand "What matters is that he'll pay a lot for the protection, Dazai-kun"
Dazai has not shown any reaction – at least one that was visible.
The Mafia's head pressed his lips together thoughtfully in a gesture of planning.
Dazai remained quiet.
"I think it will be a good opportunity to test your protegé," he smiled in a mysterious way, "No?"
Dazai squinted for a second, seeming to try to squeeze something out of that information, trying to detect some ulterior motive in his speech.
Then he simply sighed – much in the same way Mori had done – looking away as if the mere sight of the Mafia boss tired his eyes.
"Ughh!" he grunted, and a smile of incomprehensible comprehension appeared on the man's lips—the intelligible gleam in the eagle's eyes reappeared; Dazai continued in the same tone of annoyance: "Is it really convenient to jeopardize a mission for that?" Mori just shifted in his place, with a buzz of mock approval, "What if he fails?"
The stretching of his former mentor's lips was, at least, a warning to Dazai.
"Well if that's the case..." the words sounded longer than they actually were, and Mori leaned forward with a lynx smile: "... We both know who failed here, don't we?"
Had it been someone else, the spell would have worked like a well-aimed arrow in the chest, but since it was Dazai that was being talked about... That did not happen.
Instead, the teenager just smiled, his lips outlining a perfect arc and his eye narrowed somewhat slowly at Mori's expectant expression.
He offered the same expression of sinister emotion as his former mentor.
"I'm sure Akutawaga-kun won't disappoint," he declared in an unusually fluctuating and cheerful tone, his only visible eye remaining closed.
At this, the Mafia boss smiled in partial satisfaction and resumed his initial position. All his posturing was gone, and an almost emotionless laugh rang out – Dazai returned to his usual expression.
"I expect no less from you, Dazai-kun," a sigh was heard, and he gestured his hand with some disdain and carelessness – the matter was settled, Dazai got the message "Dismissed… for now."
Still showing no reaction whatsoever and Mori having definitely diverted his attention from the boy, Dazai finally bowed rigidly and turned his heel, walking towards the door.
The steps were heavy as if the mere movement cost him.
At the sound of the handle and the slamming of the door, Mori smiled, looking up slightly.
It was a sphinx-like smile and was unlikely to be decipherable.
It was a sign of his uncertain intentions.
**
"Akutawaga-kun," Dazai's voice had sounded softer than usual, and yet Akuwataga had maintained a soldier's posture: "I think I may need your services."
The boy's eyes widened in surprise, his heart raced a little more than usual, and quickly – like a thirsty and hungry animal – he turned his head towards his mentor.
Dazai had summoned him to his office and requested his services – and that, by itself was strange.
The oldest was sitting at his desk, the same dull eyes, the same bored expression, skimming his gaze over the leaves on the table.
Discreetly and somewhat fearfully, Akuwataga took two steps forward and Dazai didn't move.
The boy's mind was racing, arranging possible scenarios of why Dazai had called him, why he and not any other subordinate and above all what exactly the mission was.
The executive kept his index finger underneath his chin, a position familiar to Akutawaga.
An elegant posture, like a kind of thinking statue.
His single eye seemed to swing from side to side as a result of his prodigious ability to read and understand information in a few seconds.
The silence persisted.
A sudden wrinkle of his superior's forehead caused Akutawaga to show some curiosity. The sheet of paper, between Dazai's fingers, rose and fell as it was brought closer to his face.
"Ahh, what a bummer!" he said aloud, and Akuwataga almost jumped; Dazai looked straight ahead at his apprentice, and an eyebrow raised in surprise – as if he had forgotten the boy's existence: "Ah, Akuwataga-kun... you're still here..." then he let out a sigh of deep boredom.
Akuwataga hurried to open his mouth, with a slight but stiff tilt of his nervous torso.
"Dazai-san-" stopped talking when the other raised a hand with an expression of vague grandeur, causing his lips to close in a kind of silent cry.
A new and deeper sigh was heard.
"It's nothing about you, Akuwataga-kun," he said and then grimaced in displeasure, "But I think we're going to need... reinforcements... Akutawaga arched his eyebrow a little discreetly, "I know, I know... it's terrible, an outrage bah!" Dazai's tone was strangely unfamiliar to the teenager, and yet he maintained a rigid posture.
His eyes followed the executive's next move, seeing him reach out to reach his.... mobile phone? He frowned and saw Dazai letting out another sigh, noticing the contempt and disgust present on his face.
He was most definitely going to make a phone call.
A phone call to someone who... didn't seem to be his favorite person in the world.
Given the absolute silence, one could hear the sound of the call being sent as a ternary beat.
It took a few minutes for the sender to respond, however.
Akutawaga did not fail to find such behavior unacceptable in the face of an executive like Dazai.
As soon as the sound of the call to be accepted rang out, he saw the drastic change in his mentor's tone and body, and visual expression.
Almost as if he had just stepped out of a kind of field with flowering sunflowers or something similar.
Akutawaga knew his sister liked sunflowers...
"Ah. How long! At last! Bah. What a lack of respect!" he exclaimed, leaning comfortably—yes, comfortably—in his chair, his fingers casually curled over the edge of the table.
Whoever was on the other end of the line must have been screaming, because Akutawaga could hear something like a... dog barking.
He kept that last remark to himself, though.
Dazai just closed his eyes, a smile of amusement sprouting on his lips, seeming almost to hold back a laugh.
How... peculiar...
Dazai let out an exaggeratedly loud sigh and tapped his fingertips on the tabletop, returning to his seat properly in an energetic jolt.
"Ughh don't speak so loudly. What makes you think I'm calling you – or rather talking to you by choice?"
Silence on the other end of the line.
Dazai seemed to wait anxiously for his answer.
It reminded Akutawaga of an enthusiastic puppy.
A long sigh was heard, and then a few words that he did not distinguish.
However, Dazai let out a giggle – like a girl with a crush or something – and rocked happily and slightly in his chair.
"Uhum, just... show up at the agreed place," Dazai said with the usual annoyance clouding his disposition and pressed his lips against each other for a few seconds; then he said cheerfully, "And don't be late!"
Probably the person on the other end of the line did not have a chance to answer because Dazai, with an expression of satisfaction and jubilation, shaking his head in a childish way, moved the phone away from his ear and with one finger, he ended the phone call.
Akutawaga swore he heard shouts of irritation from the other side.
His mentor dropped his phone on the table with some disdain and stayed in that position for a while. Eventually, and sensing Akutawaga's gaze upon him, he looked straight ahead in an almost cautious manner.
"Hm?" he paused thoughtfully, "Oh, that was just my dog," he said as he was explaining everything, as he dispassionately waved his hand with a bored expression.
And if Akutawaga was already confused, now he was even more so.
Still, he didn't speak.
Dazai refocused on those papers, and he held back the cough that had scratched his throat.
**
The two of them were outside the headquarters.
Akutawaga coughed, putting his hand in front of his mouth, and Dazai looked at him with an indecipherable expression.
Their gazes met.
Whether it was out of concern or empathy, Akutawaga didn't know.
He had never been able to decipher the emotions that the black hole, which was Dazai's eyes, contained.
However, it could be seen that his eye seemed to have softened a little, if only for a second.
"Oi!" a man's voice echoed, and apparently it was enough for Dazai to turn his attention to that same person – and to sigh as if it were a tremendous boredom to have to talk to them: "This was not the agreed time!" the interval between the two sentences was too long - as if he was processing the sentence he was going to speak.
Akutawaga looked at the person.
Nakahara Chuuya.
Oh.
Dazai's partner, if he remembered correctly. Dazai sighed at this, lowering his head slightly, as it being with Chuuya was extremely exhausting.
Did this Chuuya make Dazai tired...?
Akutawaga put his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he watched Chuuya's figure gradually increase in size.
A certain curiosity arose, as Dazai had reacted to the existence of a person.
Chuuya approached, standing in front of Dazai - without looking at him - to which the latter only smiled without showing his teeth.
The two stared at each other, with Akutawaga standing next to Dazai.
Some time later, he sighed heavily and put a hand in his trouser pocket absentmindedly.
"I've seen the files, Dazai, yes." he waved a hand dismissively and Dazai just gave him a look of disinterest, "Now..." he sighed again and looked slowly at Akutawaga "... now who do we have here...?"
A battle silence set in—more for Akutawaga than for Chuuya.
Even if he wanted to introduce himself to his mentor's partner, Akutawaga couldn't, because...
"Oh? This? This is my apprentice!" replied Dazai with joy in his voice and Chuuya was not impressed, "Say heya! Akutawaga-kun!"
Akutawaga blinked his eyes a little confused and felt somewhat helpless before Chuuya's somewhat domineering gaze.
He had no choice but to obey his mentor, who smiled at him.
Dazai smiled at him.
"H-hey-"
"Oh, stop that Dazai" Chuuya interrupted his performance with a full expression, having diverted his attention to Dazai; he just sighed: "Let's talk about what matters. I didn't come here to chit-chat."
Dazai grunted.
"Oh yes, yes. Chuuya... Chuuya is so, so hardworking..." the prolongation of his expression and his closed eyes, predicted a kind of inappropriate comment in the workplace – at least, in Akutawaga's view: "But where are the results, Chuuya? I don't see them..." he placed a hand against his forehead as if he were seeing something far away; Chuuya squinted in irritation, "Oh, that’s right. I remember now. They don't exist," he finished with a wry smile.
And his interlocutor seemed to boil like hot water in a pot. Akutawaga saw the way his fists clenched and his eyes closed.
As if that wasn't enough, Dazai decided to turn up the heat and did so with great pleasure.
His lips, pressed together, widened into a smile as he let out a kind of mocking hum.
"After all, the executive was m-"
"Ok ok, I get it bastard!" the other man interrupted him in an exasperated manner, protruding his arms above his head and Dazai smiled more genuinely – he seemed to be having fun with that interaction "You don't need to rub that in my face, every single time!"
At that moment, Akutawaga wasn't sure if the two of them had forgotten his presence.
Probably yes.
Because Dazai continued.
He leaned forward slightly—as if Chuuya were much shorter than him —and bent his knees slowly.
This move did not go unnoticed by Chuuya who lowered his eyebrows in a slow but no less dangerous manner.
Apparently, Dazai didn't care much.
"Chuuya, it is always needed! A victory is meant to be celebrated!" he paused for seconds and Chuuya arched his eyebrow "But it’s not like Chuuya would never-"
Unexpectedly, Dazai was grabbed by the collar of his jacket, and in a jerky gesture, he was pulled against Chuuya. Akutawaga simply took a step back, with a mixture of surprise and trepidation.
However, Dazai's lips merely stretched into a smile of pure satisfaction and in a languid manner. Chuuya's eyes smoked angrily.
"Listen here, Dazai. I came here to help you, bastard. Don't tempt me," his tone was dominant and intimidating.
But apparently, not intimidating enough for Dazai, who he seemed to appreciate as Chuuya's gloved hand threatened to approach his neck. In the course of this action, he let out a nasal laugh.
Chuuya frowned.
"What are you laughing at?"
Dazai shook his head slightly.
"I wonder if Chuuya knows that he can not disobey me..." he opened one eye and a feline smile and looked directly into Chuuya's two withering eyes – Akutawaga could feel it.
Would he be a third wheel or...
Chuuya, as an acknowledgment of his loss, let go of Dazai sharply as he walked away from him with some elegance. The other just smiled subconsciously as he adjusted the collar of his coat.
He sighed, probably to calm himself down, and Dazai smiled in response, staring at him with some interest.
"Whatever." Chuuya unceremoniously declared, and with a last breath, he looked at Akutawaga "Nakahara Chuuya", his expression seemed to soften significantly; out of the corner of his eye he saw that Dazai had walked away, with his phone pressed to his ear: "So, you are Dazai's apprentice, huh?"
Akutawaga was momentarily speechless.
Not because Chuuya was his mentor's partner, but because he witnessed a very strange scene.
Although he opened his mouth to answer him, nothing came out.
The other looked a little surprised and then sighed, crossing his arms.
"Ugh, whatever, kid." Akutawaga arched his eyebrow – as far as he knew, Chuuya wasn't much older than him: "Has Dazai shown you the plan yet?"
There was no response.
"Ah, but of course he didn't." he answered his own question with a sigh, muttering something like a low grumble – those two sighed a lot, was what Akutawaga thought; Chuuya looked away for a few seconds to the side; then he looked at him, "It's not too complicated kid, you just have to watch a group of people who supposedly want the guy's head. Dazai and I take care of the rest," he smiled flatly.
Akutawaga did not respond. Instead, he shifted his attention to Dazai who had approached again, placing himself next to Chuuya – yes, next to Chuuya.
And.... what a sight.
Akutawaga had to recognize that those two made a powerful duo.
"Ahh, I hate these kinds of missions..." he whined, and Chuuya simply gave him a menacing look, "Don't you agree? Just waiting, just watching... nothing, no action..." he pursed his lips in a pout—yes, a pout.
The other glanced at him with a neutral expression and a few minutes of contemplating him, let out a breath of air in disbelief.
"Sure, as if, you, you that were unable to beat me in a fight…" Dazai just gave him a blank stare, "…would be doing much."
Akutawaga knew that Dazai was indeed strong, but... not to beat Chuuya in a fight...?
How strong was Chuuya?
"Mhm?"
Seconds later, Dazai's face turned into a kind of loser's face.
"Buahhh! Chuuuuya! Telling me that in front of my apprentice?", he put his hand on his chest dramatically, and Chuuya remained motionless, "What a lack of consideration! I! I had the distinct humility to invite Chuuya to this banquet-"
"The only reason you invited me is was to prevent a possible failure, if some killed powerful people show up," Chuuya said dryly; Dazai remained open-mouthed as if he was processing the information.
The two remained quiet, as if time had stopped.
Chuuya's gaze almost cornered Dazai and eventually, Dazai closed his mouth with a sigh. Then his eyebrows popped out in surprise.
"Oh! Our ride has arrived!" he said with a tone of pure pretense. "Come on, we don't want to keep the client waiting!" as he hummed, he walked away with light steps, leaving the two behind.
Judging by Chuuya's expressionless features, this was ordinary.
A sigh echoed.
"Come on kid"
**
The place was a restaurant.
The plan was for Akutawaga to keep the area most likely to be attacked – the rear – guarded while Dazai and Chuuya went disguised as mere customers.
Both had chosen the table closest to the exit, in case Akutawaga needed reinforcements, and the customer had guaranteed the two of them a free meal.
It was buffet and that meant that the two had to go to the place where all the dishes were displayed. Behind the two was a gigantic aquarium, with colorful fish and shiny scales.
The atmosphere was quite peaceful and calm. There were people, but the conversations were kept almost silent, to the sound of a live piano.
Dazai and Chuuya each wore a suit. Dazai had opted for a navy-blue ensemble, which partially matched the bottom of the aquarium and Chuuya for a red ensemble – Dazai, predictably, criticized his choice.
"Maybe Chuuya chose red in case he soiled his tacky suit with red wine" that was what he had told him, as they were getting ready; Chuuya glared at him.
Because of this, Chuuya vowed not to put a tip of red wine in his mouth. Or rather, not a drop of any kind of wine inside his mouth, that night.
The main course was authored by the buffet, but the drinks were ordered by the waiter. The insistent smile on Dazai's lips, with both elbows resting on the table, made Chuuya suspect some trick he was going to play on him.
The young man who served them was standing next to the table, with a small block and an expression of almost impatience – as a result of the extensive exchange of glances between the two.
Finally, Dazai smiled, with a nod to which Chuuya rolled his eyes, turning to the wine list.
Dazai settled down with a mysterious expression. Over the top of the book, Chuuya's suspicious blue eyes met that smile.
The young man sighed loudly.
The book fell in a jolt, and Dazai leaned back against the back of his chair, an expression of satisfaction.
Chuuya's eyes forcibly closed.
"Champagne." the young man remained quiet, "Veuve Clicquot."
A robotic nod.
"Hm..." Dazai pressed his index finger to his lips under Chuuya's judgmental gaze.” A Petrus 89." he smiled, oblivious - or not -to Chuuya's shocked expression, and casually turned to the young man "Please"
Disbelief spread across Chuuya's face, leaving him flabbergasted. Dazai's eye remained on the man, with a mysterious gleam, and yet the young man had already left.
"You..."
"Mhm. Me." innocently, with an almost angelic expression, he gently rested his face on his uplifted palm.
"You... You don't even like wine!"
But all he got was a disinterested shrug of the shoulders.
"Alcohol is alcohol," he declared as if it were a universal fact and then sighed, "Let's talk about the strategy now."
Still somewhat astonished and confused by Dazai's choice, knowing that the man had done it just to spend the client's money and not drink anything, Chuuya fulminated against him as if his eyes were the blades of two knives.
Dazai, however, simply waved his hand without much disinterest.
"Leave it alone." he sighed again as if he hadn't just ordered one of the most expensive wines with money that wasn't even his.
In a vague attempt to calm down, Chuuya ran his hand over his face with a sigh. Dazai remained in the same position with the same disinterest and insisted on causing the same irritation.
"Let me see if I understood... you're going to spend a person's money..." the other remained motionless "... to drink something that you... probably... are not even going to drink...?" the words came out very calmly as if in parallel with his speech, Chuuya was processing the information.
The look he received from Dazai was expressionless and dispassionate.
"Pretty much." he shrugged.
Chuuya stood up suddenly, slamming his hands on the table, attracting the attention of the others, and the piano note was inaccurate. Only Dazai had remained with the same expression as always.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he exclaimed a little louder than he should have, earning disapproving looks from the others and Dazai quickly put on a mask of pure shame as if he were a relative who apologized for his son's actions.
He said nothing but only directed an apologetic smile.
Chuuya blinked his eyes once and twice, before lowering his head in a sigh and sitting down again. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, and looked, already calmer, at Dazai.
"The plan." his face was expressionless, unlike Dazai's, who sighed.
"The plan is to enjoy a free meal." he gestured dynamically.
Chuuya just stared at him with vacant eyes.
"And spend the money on expensive orders that you won't enjoy." again, it wasn't a suggestion, it was a statement.
Dazai seemed to think for a moment, looking up, and then turned to Chuuya.
"That too."
This time, Chuuya didn't throw himself at him.
**
The two bottles were delicately placed on the table.
The young man's eyes wandered over Chuuya, filled with strangeness and reproach, whereupon Chuuya only cleared his voice – Dazai comfortably resting his cheek on the palm of his hand.
His eye seemed to glow almost with malice as he planned – probably – another move. The clinking of glasses on the table caused Dazai to stand up, in a fluid motion, and turn softly to the young man.
"Is it possible to go to the bathroom?" he asked with all the innocence in the world.
Chuuya frowned, and the young man stopped uncorking the bottle, staring blankly at an incarnate angel. Then he blinked his eyes twice and turned his attention to his work.
Dazai leaned in slightly, putting his hand on the bottle.
"Oh, it's not necessary. It's not necessary..." his performance had begun – the role of a somewhat anti-social young man, but impossible to hate. “You can just leave them open. Yes. Perfect."
The other looked at Dazai with some awkwardness for a few seconds.
"The bathroom is... down the hall..." he told him, to which Dazai stood up promptly with a huge smile.
"Perfect, thank you so much!"
And casually, he left the table, leaving Chuuya behind.
He blinked his eyes twice and then shook his head, giving up trying to guess what Dazai was planning. The young man's eyes turned to him and the stiffness could be made out.
Oh...
"Uhh... Thank you...?" he tried to say with a yellow smile, seething with embarrassment.
Impassive, the other lingered to look at Chuuya.
Only then did he speak.
"Keep slander out of the establishment," he told him and turned his back on him.
**
Dazai was lingering, and Chuuya, sitting in the chair alone, had become bored.
As such, he decided to get up and explore that place – ignoring the occasional stares he received from people.
The place was spacious and the aquarium in particular caught his attention.
Maybe because it is spacious and because they have several fish of the most varied colors or because the blue water reflects part of the lighting, all in a flashy prism of light.
The aquarium was wide and accessed by a few small stairs, reasonably away from music, people, food, and drinks.
Away from it all.
One could, however, hear the melody of the piano and even some voices a little muffled, but certainly inside the aquarium, the little creatures did not share this experience.
In these thoughts, Chuuya climbed the stairs with some calmness, feeling the relaxation of his muscles, being away from the confusion.
He approached the glass of the aquarium, stopping in front of it.
His eyes scanned the colorful fish, the green algae, and the immensity of that place.
Who had put them here, he wondered with some caution.
Fish were wild animals. They fed according to the food chain assigned to them, that is, in the sea.
There, in that aquarium, controlled by the people who provided them with food, there was no need to fear.
Predators? They didn't exist.
Food? Guaranteed.
Attention? Almost guaranteed.
Cleaning? Guaranteed.
And it was then that Chuuya thought aloud, with a thoughtful smile.
"Such an exquisite and fluted life." he muttered as if he were talking to the fish – some of them turned to him: "No dangers, no predators, guaranteed food. That's great, isn't it?"
As if to answer his question, one of the fish swam in the opposite direction.
Chuuya blinked his eyes in confusion.
Perhaps it would be a bit far-fetched to see fish in such a philosophical way, considering their irrationality.
However, something took hold of his spirit, almost like a rose that ceases to bloom... an obstacle in the current that was his thoughts.
His eyes closed slowly.
"Such a big tank... Being closed here... still with everything necessary to live..." he rambled in a low but melancholy voice – his eyes would reflect past memories "Now that I think about it..." sighed, slowly rising to his feet, "It must be a very lonely life, isn't it little one?" one of the fishes seemed to receive the message, swimming more slowly as if sensing Chuuya's emotions; he smiled apprehensively, "A truly sad life... you'd be much happier at sea..." and of that, he was sure.
The words and thoughts came out of his mouth almost without thinking. The hand that had touched the glass seemed to shake significantly.
Oh.
So that was what this was about.
"Then again...” his voice was out of tune and he sighed, "Whether it's a tank or an aquarium... We're trapped...aren't we?" all he got were nervous movements from the fish; Chuuya smiled, "In the sea... you guys… would be... happier..." he lowered his head a little, as a kind of bow to the fish that had no choice: "I'm sure"
One step.
Two steps.
And then they ceased.
Chuuya looked out of the corner of his eye, but since he didn't see anyone, he turned his heel – and Dazai was there.
He held the glass with unnatural elegance with his thumb and forefinger, and his other hand was in his pocket. His face was empty. But an emptiness without boredom.
Chuuya turned to him slowly—his face equally expressionless. They both stood face to face, being at a significant distance from each other. He looked up until he found Dazai's only brownish eye.
A pale brown, but soft. For Chuuya, that eye contact moment was as if the storm of his past memories temporarily calmed down.
Dazai was the first to divert his attention to the aquarium, reaching into his trousers’ pocket a little more and sighing. A sigh that was laden with symbolism.
Then he walked slowly over to Chuuya, eyes closed, the latter keeping his gaze fixed on the other.
He settled down beside him, raising his glass a little. Chuuya stared at Dazai for a moment, trying to, perhaps, look for something emotional in him, and then turned to the aquarium, joining the other.
Silence.
Silence, only with the bubbling of the chatter of the fish's small fins.
And it would be relaxing if the two of them weren't a little tense.
They gazed in full harmony at the tank where the fish had been housed.
So, Chuuya began to speak.
"It may sound stupid..." Dazai tilted his head forward, letting out a laugh, "I told you it might be stupid!"
He shook his head, still laughing on his lips.
"Almost everything that Chuuya says is stupid." he paused and the man looked out of the corner of his eye at him: "But, go on"
He let out a sigh.
"Do you think the fish... were... forced to be here?" he was silent, perhaps waiting for an answer from Dazai; when he didn't get it, he said: "I wonder if they were kidnapped to make this happen..."
Dazai... Dazai stiffened. He clenched his jaw and stared at one of the fish.
Again, a cold silence set in.
The bubbling of the water filled the thin air.
"Maybe not." Dazai replied somewhat inaccurately: "Maybe the fish were raised this way."
Chuuya seemed to think for a moment as he frowned.
"Who the hell is bred to be trapped in a tank?" he questioned "Nature already had a plan for these fish, but they were put in this... aquarius..." he paused painfully, "The existence of a creature may consist of... being stuck... for a... lifetime?"
Silence.
"Possibly." Dazai replied, "Perhaps these fish were reared in a pond and therefore from a pond to a pond..." He paused for a long time: "It's almost the same, isn't it?"
Chuuya nodded almost with an indistinguishable motion.
"It's being transferred from one prison to another," Chuuya muttered, and Dazai seemed to freeze; then Chuuya let out an almost pleasant laugh: "How can the fish know if they are going to be happier in the sea than in the aquarium or pond... If the only thing they ever have known is... four walls?"
Dazai remained silent for a moment.
"It’s impossible for you to know the taste of freedom if all your life you have been imprisoned..." he muttered the last part.
Chuuya sighed.
"How are they going to know what it feels like to be free and happy... if they never were? If they have never been free or happy? They can only imagine..."
A moment of reflection that seemed indeterminable followed.
"Fish are irrational animals," Dazai said somewhat firmly.
Chuuya nodded.
"But let us consider that they were not. They knew and were aware that they could be happier, and freer, but because of certain people... That freedom was taken away from them as soon as they existed..."
Dazai didn't answer, seeming deep in thought.
"Yes, they are protected, yes they will survive. But... At what price? At the price of loneliness and illusion... the illusion that they are happy... Probably because life seen in this way is not as painful as reality is... but... loneliness..." Chuuya sighed, "When their life, a life spent within four walls, ends... who is going to remember them?" there was no answer "What is the reason for their existence if all that they know so far... was it all the result of the illusion of life that someone assigned to them? The existence of these fish is meaningless, and yet, as deluded as they are... they continue to live in this illusion."
Silence, a heavier silence.
"They swim, eat, and go on living as if being inside a tank as an exhibitionist of their own misfortune. Who's going to save them? Who? Nobody. For others, the existence of these fish is useless. They're useless." he paused, sighing, "But if they were at sea, with all the dangers and problems in finding food... they'd be happier... Because someone would help them, someone would remind them, they would have offspring to continue their lineage, and life would have a meaning."
Chuuya paused for a breath, closing his eyes and opening them with the light of the past reflected in his trembling iris.
"The saddest or most tragic... It's just that these fish live happily and contentedly... until they realize that they are walking, of their own volition, towards the precipice of oblivion. Because... Beyond these four walls... there is nothing," he sighed again "Sweet, sweet delusion and bitter regret. Deluded these fish"
Dazai, who kept quiet, wasn't so sure if they were talking about fish.
Judging by Chuuya's bright eyes and his quiet, calm face, probably... it wasn't.
Finally, he turned to Chuuya.
"Interesting... but Chuuya! Fish have no rationality!" he exclaimed, and Chuuya seemed to awaken from his reverie, "So what you said is invalid," he declared a little firmer.
Chuuya frowned, his eyes still clear from nostalgia.
"Hypothetically..."
"Ah... because you spend time talking about ridiculous things" he gestured vaguely "It's not worth it, the fish won't thank you!"
For this reason, Chuuya sketched one of the most tragic and melancholy smiles Dazai had ever seen.
"Precisely."
Dazai opened his mouth to protest, but then the sound of his cell phone sounded.
"Yes?" his eyebrows raised, "Oh? Indeed? All right." he hung up his phone.
Chuuya looked at Dazai with an expression of doubt.
"Hm? Oh, it's my apprentice” he smiled; then he seemed to remember something suddenly: "Oh, I forgot!” Chuuya gave him a look of suspicion: "Here, your champagne"
Hesitant and a little shaky, he reached out to grasp the glass Dazai held out to him. Their fingers touched, and Dazai could feel the impact of the other's feelings through his body language.
Oh well...
He almost regretted it.
Almost.
As soon as Chuuya grabbed the glass, Dazai smiled at him.
"We'll meet outside!" and he turned his heel toward the stairs, trying to get out of the place.
Chuuya followed him with his eyes—Dazai hadn't strayed far, he hadn't even reached the stairs yet—and his lips even contorted into a half-smile that...
He raised the glass to his lips and as soon as he felt that liquid in his taste pupils, he spat on the next seconds.
"What the fuck??" he fumed and when he opened his eyes, he saw Dazai, facing him with a smile on his lips of pure satisfaction, "What is this shit?!"
An inevitable laugh rang out.
"The champagne brand, of course!" he exclaimed, seeing Chuuya's grimace, looking and looking at the glass, "Chuuya should choose champagne better!"
Chuuya clenched his fists, and all the melancholy and sadness he had possibly felt was replaced by anger directed at Dazai.
"I may not be an apologist for champagne," he said calmly, "But I know that by a fact this shit, it's not champagne!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, the bitter taste of that liquid still present on his tongue.
Dazai just laughed.
"What is this?" demanded Chuuya loudly.
The other only laughed even more with tears in his eyes.
"Hey! Dazai!"
Dazai waved his hand as if trying to calm his laughter and then sighed between laughs.
Meanwhile, Chuuya was considering Dazai going swimming with the fish in the aquarium...
"Wait, wait..." He added a few laughs and wiped the tears in the corner of his eye: "Wait, wait..." he let out one last laugh and finally pulled himself together, regaining his posture and his blank expression: "Ah, that's vinegar."
Chuuya squeezed the base of the glass so tightly that it was just a short time before he broke it. Then he sighed and Dazai innocently tilted his head to the side.
"Dazai..." he took a deep breath, closing his eyes "You... you son of a bitch!"
Recognizing the possible danger – and not only that – Dazai tried to walk away from that place at a brisk pace, letting out a few additional laughs.
Chuuya prepared to follow him, bending his knees in preparation mode when he felt his leg being grabbed. A little annoyed, he turned back, but when he saw a little girl, he sighed.
"Sir..." the little one began: "My mother is a psychologist... Maybe you needed some therapy."
Chuuya's eyes widened, seeing the cute little girl sending him to a therapy session.
He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out.
"The people here are very understanding," she nodded her head in the affirmative as if agreeing with her own statement; Chuuya was astonished, "but other people may not be...."
He blinked his eyes, once and twice.
What?!
But he suppressed his cry and sighed, bending down to be at the girl's height. With a tender smile, he stretched out his hand to pat her on the head, but the little devil stretched out her arm first, placing a card in the palm of his hand. He stared silently at the card.
"It's my mother's card," she explained as if she was very proud of her contribution to society – or probably the weight of her mother's wallet; the girl stretched out her small arm and patted Chuuya twice on the head, who surrendered to the caress still without a reaction "Okay, alright, being different is not bad sir," she said slowly like she wasn’t speaking to a grown person.
Chuuya blinked his eyes, not knowing what to say or do.
Maybe he would add some ways to torture Dazai.
That would be convenient.
The girl looked at him very seriously.
"My mother says that different people need to seek help. But being different is fun!" she pulled out a toy – yes, a toy for a 17-year-old – from her pocket and handed it to him "Take it, you can play with this instead of screaming"
Chuuya threw the toy away and the girl's mother – the psychologist – came to the sound of her daughter's whimpering.
As a result, he had to listen to an hour's sermon.
In his mind, he could only think of various ways to murder the culprit.
**
"I'm fine! I've already told you I'm fine!" he had to say to many other people who apparently heard the sermon, or guessed from his performance over dinner.
Earlier he had spotted Dazai, with an entire bottle of Petrus pouring wine into the pot of one of the plants as if he were watering them. Of course, before he could stop him, the bunch of worried, idle people approached him – all Chuuya saw was Dazai's smile as he watched the wine pour out.
Chuuya was definitely going to kill Dazai.
But first, he had to get rid of those people.... which,... still took some time.
Eventually, ducking, he managed to crawl through the crowd and leave the restaurant, seething with rage.
Dazai had surpassed his limits, this time, that's what he thought when he saw Akutawaga and Dazai talking, another unknown figure.
Oh.
The client.
The client who looked at him, like he was a freak – Dazai looked at him with fake, fake compassion.
Chuuya stood still, even as he realized that Dazai had approached him, arms wide open – yes, arms open – enveloping him in an embrace, crushing Chuuya against his chest.
"I'm going to kill you motherfucker," he hissed to which Dazai just smiled, placing a hand on Chuuya's head, and pushing it against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." the falsehood of Dazai's every action was water for Chuuya's boil; as he spoke, he stroked his red hair and Chuuya blinked his eyes, wondering how close they were.
The other figure and Akutawaga just widened their eyes, clearly confused.
Dazai grabbed Chuuya like a giant cushion and rotated his heel so that he was facing the two of them.
"He's... in those days you know..." he shook his head from side to side with a grimace; then ran his hand gently through Chuuya's hair, who tried to kick his shins, but Dazai concealed the action "You know how it is...." he let out a laugh.
The client was probably shocked, even more so when Dazai finally let go of Chuuya and grabbed his cheeks, bringing his face closer as if examining a patient's face – Chuuya glared at him, as in a warning.
All that Dazai offered was an unbothered smile.
And to make matters worse, Dazai, still with his hands on Chuuya's cheeks, raised his neck gently to... towards... to put his lips to Chuuya's forehead, for...like… one second.
The next second was spent on the ground.
"Dazai-san!"