the beauty of water: resurfaced | o. dazai ✔

chapter ten.

Dazai sat at his desk, staring at his laptop as it sat closed in front of him. Atsushi and Kyoka arrived just as Kunikida was leaving, leaving the two of them alone with the sulking young man. Junichiro, Naomi, and Kenji came later, but they had their own errands and tasks to deal with.

Atsushi hadn't asked any questions as the single look Kunikida gave them as they walked by was enough of an answer for him. But after nearly two hours of deafening silence, Atsushi finally had to ask.

"Uh, Dazai... are you okay?"

Dazai blinked a couple times, as if he were waking up from a long dream. He looked up to Atsushi. "I just did something I shouldn't have."

"You do that a lot," Atsushi stated. "But nothing has made you this sad before." He tilted his head slightly. "Did something happen with (Y/n)?"

Dazai let out a dry chuckle. "You're becoming quite the detective, Atsushi. Or maybe you just know me a little too well." His lips contorted into a smile though happiness or even the devilish feel he often gave off did not come with it.

That was until the door swung open. Kunikida rushed in first, (Y/n) soon after. Dazai practically leapt from his desk as he saw her enter, rushing over to her as he prepared for an embrace.

"(Y/n)! I was so worried, I am so—"

"Save it, Dazai." She cut him off, holding a hand out towards him as she blocked him from getting any closer. "I'm not back because I'm ready to forgive you or anything. We have a bigger issue at our hands."

Kunikida turned to Atsushi. "Has Ranpo come in yet?"

"Yeah, he's with the President in his office right now," Atsushi answered, gesturing towards the door.

Kunikida and (Y/n) made their way towards to door. Dazai grabbed her wrist gently, pulling her aside as he told her to wait for a moment.

"Dazai, this really isn't a good time—"

"What's even happening?" he asked, confusion in his eyes and concern in his voice. "(Y/n), tell me. What is going on right now? Are you okay?"

"I... I don't know." She pulled her hand away from him. She continued following Kunikida to the President's office. "We can talk later."

Dazai watched as they went in, the door closing behind them as yet another wall was set between him and (Y/n). Atsushi went and stood next to Dazai, looking from him to the door.

"She doesn't mean that," Dazai quietly stated.

"Doesn't mean what?"

"I don't think (Y/n) is going to talk to me for a while. At least not like she used to."

It wasn't long before all members of the Armed Detective Agency were gathered in the conference room. The President and Kunikida stood at the front of the room, the other detectives sitting in their respective seats.

"We're all aware of the incidents that have occurred over the course of the past four years regarding Aimi and Zack Fujinuma," Kunikida stated. "Zack Fujinuma, a former detective, was found to be a dirty cop. He attempted to murder (Y/n) when she was beginning as a detective with the Police Force four years ago. He tried to do so again two years later when she began to surface more as a detective with the Armed Detective Agency.

"After kidnapping and torturing her nearly to death, he was found murdered in an abandoned house. It was determined that he had been killed by the Port Mafia. Another two years later, Aimi Davidson/Fujinuma returned to Japan after spending some time with her husband in the States.

"Recent reports have determined that Pete Davidson, Aimi's husband, has been missing for the past six months. It is not out of the question to assume that he was killed by Aimi as she nearly killed (Y/n) in the Agency. After her arrest, she used an underground gang of minors to kidnap Hinami Asagiri."

"While she was arrested shortly after attempting to murder (Y/n), a voicemail from a couple nights ago may have revealed that she did not stay in prison," the President added. "It is also possible that Zack Fujinuma may not be fully dead either."

"How is that possible?" Dr. Yosano questioned, visibly confused. "There are medical records declaring him as deceased."

"We're not sure," Kunikida replied. "Given this information and the recent attack made on (Y/n) a couple days ago at the wedding dress shop, we have reason to believe that they are once again attempting to take her life. They willtry again."

"So what are we going to do now? How are we going to protect (Y/n)?" Kenji asked, folding his hands on the table neatly. "We can't let what happened last time happen again."

As they began strategizing and debating how they could best protect (Y/n), Dazai's eyes once again fell on his tired fiancée. He knew the pain she'd been through in the past four years – the stress and the fear of the constant target on her back, growing and shrinking with every passing day.

While her face was stern, intently listening to every point that was being made, he knew that inside she was quivering. All of her body and soul was drenched in fear, the urge to check what was behind her every few seconds was killing her.

He just wanted to make the fear go away.

Kunikida suddenly got a call in the middle of the meeting. He excused himself, stepping out of the room as they resumed their planning.

"We could post protection outside her and Dazai's apartment," Junichiro suggested.

"There are too many points of vulnerability in those apartments," Kyoka stated. "She wouldn't be safest there."

"We'll also have to have people protecting Hinami as it's possible that she still remains a target," the President added. "While she may not be as dire of a target to protect, it is safest to cover all of our bases."

Kunikida entered the room, still holding his phone as he slowly closed the door. His face was sullen, clear shock in his eyes. His glasses nearly fell off his face before he snapped his head upright and readjusted them.

"That was the guards at the correctional facility," Kunikida said. "Aimi Davidson/Fujinuma escaped custody almost a week ago."