You're My Sun - Soukoku

Chapter Twenty-one

Dazai pov

I exit my apartment and head downstairs. Chuuya already left, he said that he needed to get to work on time today since he missed it yesterday.

I don't have anything else to do, so I guess I'll go to work. The sun beats down on the back of my head and people rush to their jobs around me, sipping coffee or eating quick breakfasts.

I'm actually really happy right now. Everything is going well. I have a boyfriend, and I have a therapist. Really, I couldn't ask for anything more. I think that my therapist is actually going to be able to help me. It felt good to be able to talk to somebody, both her and Chuuya. I've never told anyone before.

I check my watch when I arrive at the agency. 8:23. Huh, I'm not actually late. I smile to myself as I imagine Kunikida's shocked face. I head up the stairs and open the door to the agency, heading inside.

No one is here yet, not even Kunikida. Ha! I beat him for once! I sit down and smugly put my feet up on my desk. At 8:26, Kunikida arrives.

"Dazai?" He asks, looking genuinely confused. "Why are you here? Am I seeing things?" He blinks several times and turns around but sees that I don't disappear. "What? You're early, you know."

"I know." I smirk.

"That's unusual for you." he pushes up his glasses and sits down at his desk. "Are you alright?"

I roll my eyes. "Yes Kunikida, I'm alright, jeez."

Atsushi comes in, Kyouka following him. "Good morning, Dazai!" He grins at me happily. I wave back.

"Alright," Kunikida says. "Now that I've gotten my morning report out of the way, WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU YESTERDAY??!! YOU JUST SKIPPED WORK AND DIDN'T TELL ANYONE??!! WHAT WERE YOU DOING??!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IRRESPONSIBLE YOU ARE??! WHY, I SHOULD-"

"Kunikida, it's too early for thiiissss!" Tanizaki groans, sleepily walking in with an energetic Naomi following him.

"NO IT'S NOT!!!" Kunikida roars. "DAZAI HERE NEEDS TO EXPLAIN TO EVERYONE WHY HE THINKS ITS OK TO JUST SKIP WORK WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE AND WHAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO SKIP WORK WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE!!!"

"Jeez Kunikida, for someone who's always lecturing everybody about being too loud, you sure are loud yourself." Yosano says, holding the door open for Ranpo and Kenji, who both walk in behind her. "You should try, oh I don't know, shutting up sometimes."

"Fine." Kunikida says, taking a deep breath. "I will compose myself. But Dazai, you need to explain why you skipped a whole day of work." He slams his hand on my desk and everyone looks at me expectantly.

I take my feet off of my desk. What am I supposed to tell them, 'Oh yeah, I spent the whole day with a mafia executive who's also supposed to be our enemy and also I'm dating him, oh and I also went to a therapist because I'm depressed and I cut myself!"?

I let out a small chuckle by accident and Kunikida glares at me.

"DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY?!" He yells. "JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!!!"

"Jeez, ok, ok!" I put my hands up in defense. "I was... with someone."

Kunikida calms down immediately. "Fine." He says. "But just let whoever it is know that you're not skipping work for them again." He sits down.

"WHAT?!" Yosano yells. "YOU'RE JUST GONNA LET IT GO, NO QUESTIONS ASKED?!"

"What do you mean?" Kunikida asks.

"I mean, aren't you curious to who it is?" Yosano asks. She perches on my desk and gives me her creepy psycho smiles. "Dazai, why don't you tell us? Who are you hanging out with? Can we meet them?"