Memories | Dazai X Reader

One • So It Begins

One could say that memories keep you alive.

When it comes to a person like Dazai, both good and bad memories are what kept him alive. Then again, how many good memories has Dazai ever had?

So, when he opens his eyes and he's first met with bright lights, he doesn't think much of it. When his eyes start to focus, he realizes that there's someone in front of his face. And honestly, he's never seen this man before in his entire life, so he doesn't really know what to say when he's greeted with another man facing him with his eyes closed and very close to him.

And all that comes out of his mouth is—

"Uh?"

The boy that was once close to him steps back, waving his arms around as he starts saying, "he's awake! Everyone get in here." Said boy then starts laughing as he watches four other people walk into the room where Dazai is—

Laying down?

On a bed, in a hospital—his mind suddenly processes this information but he only becomes more confused with the given fact.

One of the people that walked in—to Dazai—seems to be another doctor. Or at least, his clothing tells him that he must be a doctor because it'd obviously be absurd for a person to be dressed as a doctor in a hospital.

"Fukuzawa!" the boy says happily. The man that Dazai now understands is Fukuzawa looks down on him, as if he's observing carefully. He can't blame him for doing so since it's his job, but...why is he inspecting him anyway?

"He seems to be fine," Fukuzawa informs everyone. "Ranpo, I need you to do your little check-ins." The boy once again walks over to Dazai—his brain also taking in the fact that the man's name is Ranpo—and leans down.

Suddenly, Ranpo snaps his fingers loudly against Dazai's ear.

"What—?" Dazai asks, as if he isn't already confused enough. "I have to do my check-ins with you, did you not hear Fukuzawa?" Ranpo asks him, an eyebrow raised and Dazai seriously can't tell if it's a genuine question or not—

"Okay, what's your name?" Ranpo asks, hands now on his hips. "First of all, can someone tell me what's going on?" he asks, looking around the room because he doesn't recognize anyone—

"You were in a coma for two weeks," Ranpo briefly explains, "now answer my question."

"Dazai Osamu," he answers, completely putting the fact that he was in a coma to the side.

"Good, good," Ranpo murmurs to himself. "You surely recognize the three of them, right? Would you like to speak to them now or later?"

"Ranpo, that's not how you—" Fukuzawa tries to cut in, hand pinching the bridge of his nose, but he knows that Ranpo will ignore him anyway.

"...I don't," Dazai replies, once again looking at the three people standing on the further side of the bed. And that's where everything in the room freezes for a moment because—

How could he forget about the three of you?

"You don't remember us, Dazai?" a man with slightly reddish hair asks.

"No."

See when the three of you first heard what had happened to Dazai and how he encountered a head injury, the last thing that any of you were expecting was for him to simply forget you. Chuuya, Oda, and you exchange looks, and suddenly everyone's chest feels heavy.

"Great," Ranpo says, throwing his hands up. "Ranpo, that's very unprofessional," Fukuzawa half-whispers. "That's not my fault! Mind you, I'm only twenty-two," he protests, putting a finger up and wagging it around.

"You're twenty-two?" Dazai suddenly asks, as if he feels the need to join in before he starts doing something else too much.

"Yep," he replies, making the sound of the 'p' pop, "I'm actually very intelligent and I could have settled for more, but since Fukuzawa was here I decided to follow him in his footsteps." Ranpo chuckles, but then faces the three of you. "Talk to him," he simply says, moving back.

The three of you all walk up to Dazai, and he stares back at each of you in turns.

"Hey," Chuuya's the first one to speak, "you seriously don't remember us?" Dazai only shakes his head in response, but once silence builds up again, he opens his mouth, "Who are you three to me?"

"Well, we're all your friends," Oda explains, but then he turns his attention to you. "And, well, I'm your girlfriend," you tell him.

God.

Dazai can feel his chest feel like it's been slammed with bricks as his face drops down into a frown. He can't imagine what it would be like for your partner to just forget you, but the fact that he's the one who can't remember who you are just makes him feel awful.

"Sorry," he mumbles. The three of you almost look at each other in shock because he hardly ever apologizes for anything—not that there was much to apologize about between you two since fights weren't regular at all.

"How much do you remember from your past?" Oda asks.

"Not much," Dazai replies.

Ranpo decides to step in and ask his own question. "Do you know if something happened to you when you were younger?"

Dazai raises an eyebrow at that, "I think I was a pretty good kid, actually. Or so I suppose, I don't remember anything so—"

The last bit seems more frustrated than calm, but the doctor's don't ask anymore questions. "Well, I suggest you try to get him to feel like he isn't the odd one out. So just act normal around him," Fukuzawa says. "We'll have to run a few tests just to see if there are any problems, anything like that, so he'll be able to go home tomorrow."

"Do you know where you live?"

All Dazai does is laugh as his first response. As if it's some coping mechanism of his.

"I don't," Dazai finally says after taking a breath. "We share an apartment together," you inform Dazai, and he gives a small smile in return.

"Wait," he calls, "what's your names—?"

And after that you all take turns introducing yourself—

"Chuuya, Oda, [Y/N]."