Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Atsushi woke up with a headache.

The boy can feel something lightly touching his skin, slightly tickling him, and he can feel unfamiliar warmth. The back of his shirt feels a little damp. Confused, as he normally wakes up on a cold hard stone floor, Atsushi sits up and looks around. Upon doing that, he realises the weird feelings were caused by some fresh grass he woke up on, and he’s not really sure where he is or why he is out here. As he scans his surroundings more thoroughly, and all he sees around is the field he currently is at, a forest not far away and a small stream.

His memories are fuzzy, and when he tries to remember what happened in the past few hours, his pain just gets worse, as if knives were pushed deep into his skull. He faintly remembers feeling something hit him and hearing the sound of the orphanages Headmasters angry yelling, but for some reason he cannot remember what the reason for his anger was this time. He can however remember the feeling of being thrown back into the cold stone room in the orphanage’s basement that mainly functioned as his cell for reasons unknown to him. But what happened after that…? All he has are flashes of memories with bloodied floors and bodies laying on them, unmoving and devoid of life, and the image makes him shiver. Did the tiger that attacks the orphanage occasionally do it again?

If his theory is correct, how the hell did he manage to escape alive and get away so far? And why can’t he remember any of it? Atsushi looks down at himself, and his eyes widen at the sight. Theres some blood staining his clothes, which isn’t really new to him, but there seems to be more than there usually is, and the already ripped clothes seem to be in even worse condition than what he remembers. There were also some minor, already almost healed injuries and scars on his body that he is sure were not there before, but nothing severe enough to suggest being attacked from the feral animal.

But none of his newfound injuries worried him that much. What did worry him however was a remarkably familiar metallic taste that he could feel in his mouth, the taste of blood, which usually showed that his injuries were far worse than what was visible. Yet since he cannot remember why it was there, he assumed he just had more injuries that he could not see or feel leading to bleeding, but they weren’t bad enough to do too much damage since he can’t feel them.

Moving on from that, he decided to focus on his current situation and choose what to do now. He knows that he cannot return to the orphanage he was raised in, having turned eighteen recently (not like he knows the way back anyways), and now he is fully on his own with no education, no work experience and absolutely nothing to his name. He can’t even prove his own existence, having no official papers like any birth certificate, any id or passport. He’s unsure if the Headmaster had them, but even if, he can’t get them now.

Having nothing else to do anyways, Atsushi stood up and started walking with the streams path towards the field. Going into the forest seems like a generally not a great idea, and if he finds a city or something he might have a chance of finding food. Now that he thinks about, he weirdly doesn’t feel hungry… choosing to not worry about it for now, as it helped him anyways, he continued his walk. The sun was rising, he could hear the birds chirping and feel the chill of a fresh breeze of air along with the warmth from the sun… he hasn’t felt the suns rays on his skin directly for a while now, he almost forgot how it felt like, though it was a nice feeling. This was definitely better than the usual sound of the Headmaster yelling and the feeling of the cold stone floor he normally wakes up on… no point in thinking about it now.

Atsushi needs to focus on finding food, a roof to sleep under and hopefully some kind of job, if anyone somehow decides to take enough pity on him and hire him. He knows this will not be easy, but he must try anyways. He doesn’t want to die yet… he has just turned 18. Atsushi barely was an adult, technically still a teen, and despite not really having any reason to live, he still doesn’t wish to die so quickly. So, he keeps on walking as much as his legs let him, and the stream slowly turns into a river.

A road even eventually forms near the river, and as he follows it eventually he can see a sign next to it, saying “Welcome to the city Yokohama!”. Atsushi sighs in relief, as he finally got somewhere. He can feel himself growing hungry with time, but now he has a chance of finding something or someone to help with that. But getting to the city sadly isn’t even half of the success he needs. He’s dirty, uneducated and with nothing at all to him. How is he supposed to get a job, he has no idea, but there’s no hurt done in trying, right?

And with that thought Atsushi enters the city, starting to search for anything that could help him. He can feel lots of stares on his back as he moves through the city from people who don’t recognize him, but he was determined to achieve something. Even if the thought of talking to people scares him, since he has no experience with that at all… Atsushi tries his best, but all he gets is just more people staring at him as he passes, often with looks of disgust, pity or rejection. Not like Atsushi is surprised, but this is a problem he has no idea how to fix. So, he tries to ignore it and talks with the local people, but almost no one even wants to speak with him, and no one wants to help. Most people just dismiss him, saying that he’s just wasting their time, and that there’s no way he will achieve anything here.

After what feels like hours (Atsushi can’t tell- not like he has any way of checking the time), he gives up, and resorts to just listening in on what people talk about to try and find any useful information. By now the sun is starting to set and his stomach starts to slightly hurt from hunger. Not too much, as he is used to starving, but it still does. He didn’t manage to find anything today, but there’s still tomorrow…! He finds some cardboard boxes and ends up sleeping in some old quiet alley in the corner of the city.

Next day Atsushi wakes up cold and hungry, but surprisingly less than what he felt when falling asleep. He blames it on adrenaline, not knowing how it works. He tries his luck again; however, the results were the same. Some people upon seeing him threw him a glance before whispering something to whoever that was with them. He could see more and more people start whispering about him as the day was ending… and yet again, with no success.

This time he decides to go somewhere else and finds another alley. Since he walked the whole day, he was far away from his previous spot of rest, and didn’t feel like walking all the way back there again, so he needed a new place to sleep. There was some bar on the street he was on, and he went behind it, hoping no one would see and bother him there as he slept for the night. Laying down on the cold ground, Atsushi hoped the next day would bring something. He isn’t sure how long he can last without any food (he does not know how his hunger seems to slightly lower at night), and his energy is getting lower and lower…

For now he falls asleep, dreaming of a better tomorrow. Unaware of how people of Yokohama began talking about a white tiger suddenly appearing in their city and attacking people. A certain detective agency gets a mission to find said tiger and get rid of it as it is considered a threat. The tiger attacks again that night, but this time harming less people and quickly disappearing before the sun rises. It walks to the small bar where the boy had laid next to previously and lays in the now empty spot. Soon the tiger is nowhere to be seen as Atsushi reappears in the spot, sleeping soundly.

Chapter Text

Aite Notona was a simple bar owner to most people. He runs a small local place called “Dead End”, located in a quieter part of Yokohama. It wasn’t too popular, especially with its rumours about weird people meeting there. Not that Aite minded, he liked the usual calmness and silence of the place he spends most of his time in. And well, he never said the rumours weren’t true.

            So imagine his surprise when he got to the building in the morning, ready to start his work as usual, and saw someone laying next to the bar, sleeping. They’re obviously homeless, based on how dirty and ripped their clothes are. The guy looked young, probably under 20, and Notona is pretty sure that this is the first time seeing him. The white hair he has isn’t too common.

            Upon coming a little closer, Aite noticed how there’s also blood stains on the boy, which was pretty alarming. Did he get into a fight? Did someone beat him up? Whatever the case was, the bar owner couldn’t help but feel worried, so he kneeled and lightly shook the boy to wake him up. The fact that he was warm made Notona relax a little, at least he doesn’t have another- a dead body next to his bar. 

            Meanwhile, Atsushi woke up abruptly as he felt something touch him. He sat up quickly, startled, and looked up at the man above him. Scared, he tried backing away a bit to distance himself from the man before he could do any harm, but his back hit the cold walls of the building he slept next to.

Unable to go back any further, Atsushi looked up at the person who woke him up. The man above him was an older guy, probably in his 50’s, wearing a brown coat over a shirt, a vest and black pants, he even had a bowtie! His hair was nicely done and he had some short facial hair. He seemed... confused? Worried? Atsushi wasn’t sure.

The older man looked down at him and sighed. “What are ya doin here, kid? No better place to stay than on the streets, eh? Ran away from home to some party?” The man laughed, and Atsushi just shook his head, not knowing how to answer. 

“N-no sir. I-I’m sorry if I’m disturbing you, I-I’ll go now!”  He replied and  shakily stood up, ready to leave before he got into any trouble. Before he could run away though, the man gently put his hand on his shoulder, which made Atsushi flinch and stop any movement. Seeing this, the man quickly let go.

“Relax kid, I won’t hurt ya. Just wonderin what's a kid like you doin sleepin under my bar. Not really what I usually find around here, ya know. Mostly just sad, old drunks, not young kids with their whole life ahead of them.” Aite replied calmly.  

“I uhh... I d-didn’t really have any idea where else to go…” The boy looked down, ashamed, and Aite thought for a minute. If this kid needs to sleep on the streets, he doubts he has any place that would welcome him, and based on how he looks and where he is, he probably has no ID or anything like that.

“Why don’t ya come inside? It’s quite cold here ain’t it? I could mix ya somethin up to drink, yeah?” The kid looked up at him with sparks in his eyes. He softly nodded and slowly but surely got up on his feet, and Aite got a better look at the boy's whole appearance. 

His bangs were cut unevenly, he was much shorter than him, and his clothes were too big and dirty. His hands and legs were skinny as sticks, skin whiter than a wall, as if the sun's rays never touched the boy. There were multiple bruises and scars on it, as well as burns.

After studying the boy’s appearance Aite smiled slightly, trying to make himself look less threatening, and made his way inside the building. He opened the doors wide, making sure his guest could get in and pointed for him to sit on the chair in front of the bar. He got behind it and grabbed a cup to start making tea.“So. Wanna tell me what got ya sleepin on the streets?”.

The kid looked down again, clearly ashamed, and with his uneven bangs covering only a bit of his face made him look quite ridiculous.Yet the sad expression on his face made the view in front of Aite cause him to pity the boy more than he wanted to laugh. “Come on kid, I don’t judge, you can tell me.” He said, looking warmly at him. The white haired boy sighed, but answered, although hesitating a little. 

“I-... I don’t have anywhere to go. Two days ago I got kicked out of the orphanage I’ve been living in… Since I'm 18 now and stuff… I-I  don’t have any documents or education I didn't know what to do. I walked to the city, tried to talk with some people, but no one seemed to care about some random homeless teenager. It got dark when I was around here so I decided to get some sleep in the alley. I'm sorry for bothering you…”.

Aite doesn’t know what he was expecting but that for sure wasn’t it. 

“What’s your name kid?”

“Nakajima Atsushi”

The bar owner might regret his decision later, but he for some reason felt bad for the kid, so he thought of an offer. Aite sighed, and looked at the boy calmly. “Well then, Nakajima-kun”

“How ‘bout ya work here?”

Chapter Text

  “Well then, Nakajima-kun, how ‘bout ya work here?”

Atsushi fell silent after hearing the question, not believing that he heard the man's words correctly. 

“I’m guessing ya don’t have a way to get any other job anyways, and we could use some extra help. One worker quit recently, so it’s just me and Adam now.” 

 “H-huh? M-me? Work here? Are you sure? Thank y-you so much sir!” The kid looked relieved and very grateful for the fact that someone did actually want to hire him, be it out of pity or not. Aite smiled and nodded, then handed him the cup of tea. “Here’s some tea to warm up. My name’s Notona Aite.” 

Atsushi took the hot cup gently, as if scared to not drop it. He looked awkward, almost as if unsure what to do with it, before taking a sip. Aite decided to dismiss it, assuming it’s just because of the kid having to sleep on the streets. 

“So, I need to open the bar soon. Adam has a room upstairs, and there’s a bathroom there too. I could ask him if he has any clothes that could fit you, and then ya should take a shower and change. You can watch us work today and tomorrow I’ll have him train you.”

“Yes sir, thank you!” Atsushi nodded and drank the rest of his tea. He stood up with the cup in his hand and looked around, wanting to locate the sink and clean it, but Aite stopped him. “Don’t worry about that kid, just put it down on the table”

Atsushi obliged and put the cup on the table in front of him, and made his way upstairs with the man. The bar owner walked towards one of the rooms and knocked on it gently. Iit had a sign on the doors with the name “Adam M.” on it. 

The person occupying said room soon opened the doors. It was a young man, probably in his 20’, with shoulder length black hair and green eyes. He was a bit taller than Atsushi.

“Hey Aite, I’m almost ready- huh? And who’s that?” The man, Adam, asked, looking at Atsushi, confused. There was some concern in his eyes as he saw the way he looked, But he quickly turned his sight back to the older man.

“Found the kid sleeping in front of the bar. Says he’s 18, and so no one would take him in. Our line of work might not be… ideal , per say, but we could hire him. We need some extra hands anyways. He definitely needs some cleaner clothes tho. Ya think ya could find him somethin’ better to wear?”

There was a strange emotion hidden in the younger man’s eyes as he looked at Atsushi. There was the obvious pity, probably caused by his look and story, but behind it was some sort of… disgust? Whatever it was, it soon faded as he nodded and went back to his room to find some clothes. Meanwhile Aite turned to Atsushi and showed him where the bathroom was.

Soon Adam was back with the clothes and quickly handed them to the boy. His face didn’t show any emotions, his expressionless look reminded him of how the orphanage's headmaster used to look at him. Atsushi thanked him gratefully and quickly went into the bathroom to avoid any further interactions, for now at least. He laid his back against the bathroom door after locking it and sighed. He could still hear the two men talking on the other side, but he could only hear a couple words, like ‘ why ’, ‘ he looks like a drug- ’, ‘ not a good idea ’. While most of the conversation did not reach his ears, he could still understand what they were talking about. 

The words felt like sharp needles stabbing his insides. He was used to people talking bad about him behind his back, but that didn’t mean the words didn’t hurt (even if he agreed with some). Atsushi sighed again and looked down on the clothes in his hands, the material was nice to the touch and he hadn’t noticed a single smug of dirt or anything like that. He smiled softly and put the clothes on the sink. He looked around the bathroom, it was a small room with just a sink and a mirror over it, a toilet, a shower and a washing machine. 

Atsushi frowned when he saw himself in the mirror, seeing the reflection of himself made him feel sick in the stomach.

No wonder no one wanted to talk to me yesterday. Who would want to even interact with something like that? What was Notona-san thinking when he let me in here, and then even offered me a job?

Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away for the moment. He didn’t want to disappoint Notona and keep him waiting for long. 

Atsushi quickly took a shower, trying to not waste much of the water and products he was so grateful for being given. Upon walking out of the shower and going for the clothes, he looked at the mirror again. He couldn’t hear any voices outside the bathroom anymore, but he still frowned when he saw himself. 

His hair now even whiter, the black streak stood out more than just a moment before. His scars were less visible on the now clean skin, but the sight of them was sickening. Atsushi couldn’t stand looking at them, but for some reason his eyes wouldn’t move, forcing him to stare even more. Every burn and mark had its own story that he could remember so clearly it almost brought the same tears he shed while getting them.

The sick feeling in his stomach faded slightly, making him finally be able to look away. What a wreck of a human being. If I could even call myself that. He looked down at the clothes and he let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding and let a small smile appear on his face.

He put the clothes on, and they were just some simple black pants, a white shirt and a vest. They were a little too big for him, and looked a little old, but for Atsushi it was like a blessing from the heavens. He actually looked somewhat approachable now. 

Being done, Atsushi stepped out of the bathroom, noticing Aite who was waiting for him. The man smiled upon seeing the boy. Adam however was nowhere in sight. Atsushi decided that maybe that was for the better. Now he just hopes the bar owner didn't change his mind and would still hire him…

Notona smiled as he saw the boy leave the bathroom. He looked much, much better now. And the clothes seemed to fit him well, the black and white combo matching his hair quite nicely. Aite couldn’t help but smile at how much such a simple thing changed the boy. He was clearly stressed, and understandably so. Aite can’t help but feel a little sorry for the boy and what he got him into, even if from the boys perspective he was saving him. Well, it’s not like he can do much about it now, and deep inside, he fears this might have been the best option for Atsushi anyways. 

“So, Adam went ahead and started preparing the place so when we open we can start working. You should go and shadow him for today to see how things work here. I know he might be… not too fond of your presence, but I assure you he is a great worker of mine who worked for me for a long time.”

Atsushi nodded, and after a slight bow towards Aite as a thanks, he made his way downstairs. There, he can see Adam silently prepare the bar. He doesn’t spare Atsushi even a glance as he focuses on his work, ignoring his presence entirely. Just like the other kids at the orphanage… how nice. 

Unfortunately for Atsushi, the bar was filled with customers the whole day which made learning while watching way harder. Adam was doing everything super fast and with Notona-san absent for some reason Atsushi felt the need to help in any way he could. But every time he tried the other man just shot him a death glare telling him to not do anything.

It continued until late night, when Notona came in and closed the bar. It was Friday, which explains the amount of customers. The man told Atsushi that the bar is open during nights only on weekends. After closing, the man walked to Atsushi. Adam was cleaning anything that needed to be cleaned as the older man started speaking.

“Well, we can have ya start working tomorrow. I believe ya can do some simple things after just a day of watching, eh? Cleaning duty aint that hard.” Aite said, laughing to himself. Atsushi nodded and again bowed slightly, not wanting to look ungrateful, as he was really thankful for the opportunity.

“Yes sir, thank you very much!” He replied, and Notona just laughed again, patting him on the shoulder. 

“Tomorrow the bar opens later, but also closes much later. And additionally, we have some.. Important guests coming. Be on your best behaviour, trust me that you want them to like you. But for now, go rest kid. You’ll need energy tomorrow. Ya can go to the room next to Adam’s, it’s currently unoccupied.Should have anything ya might need for now” 

The way Aite mentioned the important guests made Atsushi shiver slightly. As if something bad might happen. He has no idea why tho, this is just a small local bar after all.. Right? Well, no use thinking about it now anyways.

“Yes Notona-san, thank you very much!” the white haired boy replied, and made his way to the room Aite mentioned. It was small, but cozy, and had a futon he could sleep on. The closet near it had some spare clothes and pj’s which seemed just the right size. Did Aite prepare it just for him? Would explain why he didn't see the man most of the day. 

It made him tear up, thinking that someone actually gave him a place to sleep, a job, even clothes. He knows he doesn't deserve any of it. And yet, he can’t help but be happy. Maybe his future won’t be tragic. He sure hopes so. But for now, after getting ready to bed, Atsushi finally lays on the soft futon, ready to fall asleep. Just as his consciousness starts slipping away as he feels himself falling asleep, he can feel someone watching him.

Upon slightly moving his head, he can see the piercing eyes of the headmaster, staring at him from the corner of the room. Atsushi wants to scream. To run. To do anything. And yet he does nothing, his limbs feeling too heavy to move, his eyes closing on their own.

Chapter Text

“Ah, but Kunikida~ You could have left me in that lovely cold rive-”

“YOU BANDAGE WASTING MACHINE, STOP TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF INSTEAD OF GOING TO WORK!’

The cafe Uzumaki was often a lively place, being located in the same building as The Armed Detective Agency. The workers were used to ignoring the pair that were currently yelling at each other whenever they came in after taking in and completing their orders. 

Dazai only hummed, taking a sip of his coffee and falling silent. The blonde frowned slightly.

“You seem lost in thought since I pulled you out of the river. More than you normally are.”

Dazai chuckled.

“Let’s just say, there’s something… no, someone else I expected. Something is wrong, but I don’t know what caused it. Or rather, who .”

Kunikida frowned deeper. He knows that Dazai’s ideas are often correct, despite being crazy. To hear him saying something didn’t go as planned was an unusual experience. He was about to ask for more information, but Dazai stood up quickly, his expression changing instantly into the usual relaxed one.

“Well, I’ll worry about that later. For now, didn’t you yell something about work earlier? Let's go then.”

Before Kunikida could protest the brunette was already dragging him away to go upstairs to the agency. The waiters just sighed and told the cashier to put their expenses on the never ending tab Dazai owns.

—

In another part of Yokohama, not too far away, a white haired boy is preparing a bar to open with his boss teaching him, his coworker preferring to work alone. Aite said that the bar needed to look spotless for the guests who will come in later. Atsushi didn’t know much about that, but he decided against asking too many questions and focused on his work. He was mainly put on cleaning duty for now, as he didn’t even know how to use an electric kettle, not even mentioning a coffee machine. 

Atsushi actually did his part pretty well, having some experience from the orphanage where he often was told to clean, and unless the results were perfect, he would meet harsh punishment. Thankfully, Aite did say that since this was his first day there won’t be too big of a tragedy if he makes a mistake, but it was preferred that he does not screw up. 

Especially with how he constantly feels like someone is watching him. The quietness of the closed bar allows his mind to wander occasionally, having nothing to distract himself from his own mind and the memories of the Headmaster watching him last night.

Atsushi knew that it was probably just an illusion created by his own mind. He was tired, and having left the orphanage not so long ago, it would make sense why he would see the man he fears so deeply. Yet… something told him that it was not just his hallucinations. It would make no sense of course for the Headmaster to be there in person, but still… It felt so real. Atsushi can’t help but feel… guilt?

The feeling of the mop he was using hitting a wall brought him out of his thoughts. Seems like he’s finished with the floors for now. Atsushi put the mop away in the storage room, and Aite gave him a clean cloth (Atsushi hopes he didn't notice how he flinched when their hands brushed for a second), telling him to clean the tables. He looked satisfied with Atsushi’s work, and the boy could feel his shoulders relax a bit with relief. 

It was so strange to not get punished for once. It was… nice. But also unfamiliar, so Atsushi still felt a bit awkward. 

Pushing the thoughts aside he continued cleaning the big room. They still had a while before the ‘important clients’, as Aite called them, would come in. Atsushi could smell food being prepared in the bar’s kitchen, where Adam was currently working. All of the dishes were already clean, waiting to be put on the tables. And soon they were, as the tables were sparkly clean, with tablecloths covering them anyways, and decorations such as vases with flowers. 

The bar owner hummed, looking over the results of Atsushi’s work.

“Not bad kid, not bad. Bar’s lookin’ pretty great. Today’s clients are… not a fan of new people. So for today, how ‘bout ya just hide behind the bar an’ watch? Learn this and that about the drinks and other stuff, yeh?” 

The boy nodded. Should be simple enough, right? He also knew Aite probably didn’t want him to mess up anything today, since he doesn't know stuff, and that was probably for the better. He didn’t want to mess up the first encounter with whoever the important, returning clients are. 

—

An hour later the front doors finally opened. A bunch of men dressed in black suits came through, and a few other men with more fancy-looking suits. The one that stood out the most though was a red haired man with a black shirt and a blue suit and tie. All pieces of the outfit had details done with a golden thread, and the suit also had a lapel pin made from gold with some blue stone in it. All of it looked very fancy and expensive, but also suited the man really well with his blue eyes.

 Notona smiled, clapping his hands together, walking towards the group.

“Ah, Nakahara-san, welcome, welcome! We were waitin’ for ya. Please, feel free to do as you please. Should I prepare ya a glass of your favourite wine?”

“Yeah, that would be nice. Got any of those fancy glasses from last time to go with it?”

Atsushi watched the two interact from behind the bar, trying to not attract attention as much as he could. He could see and hear Notona talk with the red haired man, this was a small local after all, plus they weren’t exactly quiet, and saw Adam approaching the other men, asking them what they would like. 

His main focus however was on the short red hair. There was something… off about him. Atsushi doubts he can explain it properly. Like if there was more to him, like if there was someone else there too. It felt… weirdly familiar? But Atsushi can’t tell why. 

Another hour passed as Atsushi watched the scene play out. Most of the guys were drunk, chatting with each other or playing cards. The atmosphere really changed during that time, as previously almost everyone was rather quiet, looking around as if not trusting anyone. It didn’t take long however before the alcohol started taking effect.

He noticed how even though the red head seemed to enjoy the wine given a lot, especially with how Notona seemed to know his favourite one, he drank very little, and kept glancing at the bar occasionally. Never directly at Atsushi, but still it worried the boy. 

Suddenly the man stood up with a small wobble, and made his way towards the bar. Both Aite and Adam were currently attending to the other guests, so Atsushi knew that he was either going to go take something for the bar, or worse, he was going for Atsushi. And well, that pretty much terrified him. The man seemed to be almost the same height as him, but looked like someone who could beat the shit out of a man if he wanted.

The fact that he went behind the counter and was now staring right into Atsushi’s frightened eyes was not helping.

A hand slammed the wall next to his head with enough force to make Atsushi almost feel it, yet lightly enough to not be too loud and alarm anyone else. They were hidden from view, making no one notice what was happening. 

Terrified sunset coloured eyes stared into the angry, somewhat confused blue eyes of the stranger who was now pinning him to the wall behind him. 

“So. Mind telling me who the fuck are you, and why I shouldn’t kill you right fucking now?”

Chapter Text

“So. Mind telling me who the fuck are you, and why I shouldn’t kill you right fucking now?” The red head almost growled as he pinned Atsushi to the wall, the smaller boy curling and trembling in fear under him. He was fucking terrified, unsure how to really answer. He could feel the smell of alcohol strongly from the man above him. 

“I-I’m Nakajima A-Atsushi, N-Notona-san offered m-me a job here a-and because uhhhhhh…” Atsushi paused, trying to come up with something that could maybe convince the man. “Killing me c-could ruin your clothes w-with blood…?” Yeah that was probably stupid, shit he’s dead, great work-

To his surprise the man chuckled at that response, and moved a step back. Still watching Atsushi, but with less animosity. That’s… probably good? He’s not dead, so he assumes so. 

“I guess that is somewhat believable, Aite does have a soft spot for strays, that foreigner guy Adam being an example…” The man mumbled and looked away, in the direction where Notona was serving some guests. He sighed. “Stay here and don’t move . I’ll have a word with the old man about the credibility of your story, he never mentioned you joining and having a kid spying on a mafia meeting is pretty suspicious, ya know.” Atsushi flinched, confused, and a little scared at that. Mafia? What does he mean by that..? The man must have noticed something in his expression as he at first seemed surprised, and then chuckled to himself and walked away to the bar owner. 

After he left Atsushi slowly slid down with his back against the wall onto the floor. That… was terrifying. Well, at least it seems like the man doesn’t want to kill him… for now. And mafia? What the hell even? 

The boy started to slowly calm down, breathing deeply and waiting for the red head to return. It didn’t exactly take long, and soon he was back, with a seemingly worried bar owner to his side. 

“Ah, Atsushi-kun. This ‘s Nakahara Chuuya-San, our dear guest this evenin’. I’ve now cleared up the misunderstandin’, so don’t worry ‘bout that.” Notona turned to Nahakara again. “I apologize for not sayin’ anythin’ before sir, there wasn’t exactly time ya see… But yeh, our dear Atsushi-kun here is no threat to the mafia. Just… bad circumstances. Like most of us, really. The kid didn’t even know, I just- it was most likely let him stay here or leave him to die on the streets.”

Atsushi just stood there, watching the two men confused. And a little scared, to be honest. But he knew that the man’s words were true, and that this was his only opportunity. So, he said nothing, accepting his fate. He’s a monster anyways, what does being associated with the mafia change? 

“Aite…” The red head sighed and ran a hand down his face, laughing a little "just tell someone something next time, we gave you a phone for a reason…” His tone gave away that he was upset. Atsushi hangs his head lower; he didn't want Notona-san to be in trouble. He opened his mouth to defend the man but before he could say anything Nakahara-san continued. “You know we have some formalities to be done. And we need a background check on the kid. And at least some training. And all info on him and his abilities ‘n shit. I mean, Mori probably won’t give a shit but other executives might…”

The man thought in silence for a while before looking at Atsushi, making the boy tense even more. “You, Nakirija or whatever your name is.” He was glaring down at him and Atsushi could feel him making a hole in his head with his eyes “We’re gonna need to have a talk.” His voice was sharp, even further crushing the atmosphere. The teen only nodded in reply, but that seemed to be enough for Chuuya who looked at Aite again. “But tomorrow morning. You , lend me one of the spare bedrooms upstairs, will you?” The bar owner nodded, and with shame in his eyes he looked down, mouth barely moved saying an ‘of course sir’ quietly. The man looked at Atsushi again. “Don’t try running away tonight, we can and will find you.”  

A shiver ran down the teens spine when he heard that. He shot Aite one last look and with that the red head finally went away, going upstairs. 

“Ah, Atsushi…” Notona looked at the younger boy with an apologising look, but he stayed silent for a while, unsure what to say. “I guess I owe ya an apology, huh?

The boy only tilted his head in confusion.

“I’ve got Adam to take care of the guests for the rest of the night, so how ‘bout we go for a short walk, eh? I’ll explain then.”

The boy was still a little shocked and scared, but he agreed, many thoughts going through his head at the same time. ‘What if they kick me out, or worse, kill me? What if even the mafia doesn’t want a monster like me?’. 

Atsushi doesn’t want to die. He knows hell and eternal pain awaits him after death, the Headmaster often reminding him that God feels disgusted whenever he looks at him. He’s evil and evil deserves to be punished. Normal people could pray,  drop on their knees, put their hands together and ask for forgiveness and freedom from their sins. But not a monster like him. He can never change, never escape his fate. The hardest hits of belts, the sharpest pain of nails piercing his skin nor bathing in holy water until he drowns in it couldn’t clean his soul. Doomed to be a sinner since the day he was born. Something not even his parents wanted. 

Feeling a hand put on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts, with a small flinch he looked at Notona. “Ya alright there, kid? Ya looked a lil lost in yer mind.”

—[ Change to Aite’s POV ]—

“Ah, y-yeah. S-sorry sir. A walk sounds great.” Hearing that the man smiled again and removed his hand from Atsushi’s shoulder. The kid still looked a  little shaken up, but honestly he could not blame him. He’s young, and he had no idea… Aite hoped that he could hide that from him for a little longer, but it seems like the world had other plans. 

Thankfully it was Nakahara-san who found out about the boy first. He might not be the most merciful mafia member, and Aite might not know him that well, but he was the most frequent mafia executive in his bar, and he had a likeness for getting drunk fast, so Aite sometimes either heard or participated in various interesting conversations with him. Some of which included stories of his past. Aite still wouldn’t say he knows the executive well, but he hopes he knows enough to make the correct assumption that Atsushi won’t be instantly killed. 

He’s still worried about him taking away the boy to train him to be another killing machine… but so far Atsushi shows no skills for that, and hopefully will be left alone. Nakahara did after all somehow let Adam stay working here despite his ability… tho it is sometimes used for interrogation. 

Notona sighed. “I’ll let Adam know and make sure that the bar will be okay without me ‘ere. Go change to somethin’ comfier, we’ll meet in front of the bar in half an hour.”  Upon seeing the younger nod, Aite left and talked with his other employee as well as some of the not that drunk mafia men before walking out of the building. 

Aite took a cigarette out of his pocket and lighted it up before putting it in his mouth and taking a deep breath. He relaxed as the familiar sharp taste filled his mouth. He waited for the boy patiently as he smoked. 

Soon Nakajima arrived, dressed in some comfier clothes and slightly less stressed, but still visibly tense. Well, that’s better than nothing. “Ya ready?” The boy nodded and Aite started the walk.. They spent the first few minutes in silence, just relaxing. Tho Notona knew he had explaining to do.

The air was warm but the wind made it seem cooler. Aite let out a cloud of smoke from his lungs as he looked up, the sky getting darker with each step they took, the moon already becoming visible. He could notice some stars appearing as well. They could hear the wind quietly howling. Everything he could see, hear and feel now helped him gather his thoughts. Finally he took a deep breath and looked down at the boy waiting beside him.

“I’d like to apologize for not telling ya. Hoped I could’ve hid that from ya for just a little longer, but guess not…” He hesitated before continuing. “But we both know ya didn’t really have any other way to find a job, not without any sort of documents or experience.” Atsushi looked down. Aite could briefly see the shame in his eyes, being eighteen without even the slightest education nor experience is a tough situation to be in this time and age. “Nakahara-san… he’s not as bad as he looks. Sure, the mafia ‘s the mafia, but it could've’ gotten worse.” Atsushi nodded, still looking down. Well, at least he seems to understand his situation. That’s good. Makes Aite feel a little less guilty about the situation. He looked up as he walked.

“Adam has an ability and some skills which are useful for the mafia ya see, but Chuuya-san still let him stay with me, so I’m pretty sure ya won’t be a problem either. Especially if you explain him your situation. But hey, at least they pay good, eh? ..Kid?” 

Notona looked to the side where Atsushi was beside him just a minute ago, only to find the boy not present. Looking behind, he found the kid staring up, as if not aware of his surroundings. His pale skin looked even lighter under the moonlight, his white hair almost shining. The usually sunset coloured eyes seemed to now be fully yellow and reflecting the light. 

Suddenly a blue shine appeared around the boy as his upper half of the body went limp. Alarmed, the man rushed to catch him, but stopped as the teens limbs suddenly started growing and twisting, white fur growing on them. In less than a minute the young human adult was no more, in his place a white tiger instead.