Where Loyalty Lies // Mori Ougai x Reader

Prologue

Two years after Dazai Osamu had betrayed the Port Mafia, he joined the Armed Detective Agency. His criminal record was cleared and he was free from the depravity of Mori's influence. It was around that time that he met a certain girl.

Dazai was coming back from a job with Kunikida when he decided to go on one of his suicide escapades. After ditching his partner, he managed to find an old warehouse with some rickety gas pipes poking out of the ground. Fire, he thought. Not a bad way to go out. I bet it would be quite beautiful.

However, before he could do anything, he came across a young lady. She couldn't have been more than eighteen years-old. She was sitting high up on a crate looking out of a window. She noticed Dazai's presence and just stared at him dispassionately.

"Now what's a pretty lady like yourself doing in a place like this?" Dazai said.

She smiled. "Am I bothering you? Or do you want my help with something?"

"Dodging my questions and being cheeky, I see." He said, smiling back. "You know, this place is quite dangerous. The pipes are old and if you're not careful, it might explode given the right 'spark.'"

"Really?" She said. "Then I'll be sure to stay here and ward off any visitors. Don't you worry."

Dazai chuckled. He was used to women either fawning over him or despising him. This was the first time that he met one who didn't seem to swing either way. The two of them just looked at each other with cavalier smiles on their faces, but then the girl hopped down off her perch and walked towards one of the rusty pipes. She grasped it tightly and yanked it sideways.

Dazai said, "Oh? Am I sensing someone with a death wish? Would you like to—?"

"You came here for this, right? Why else would you warn me about it?"

"I did, but why break it? Gas will start filling this warehouse soon."

She smiled again. "That was the point. Want to watch something spectacular?"

Dazai didn't know if this girl was crazy or if she just might be the new love of his life. She didn't seem to be a criminal, so he wondered why was so willing to commit arson. After some odd minutes, they both could smell the air start to spoil.

"It's time," she said, grinning.

"Before we both die, could I have your name, miss?"

"It's Y/n. But who said anything about dying?" She lifted one of her hands in the air and flames started to emit from her finger-tips. Dazai swiftly grasped her left arm and the flames went out. "What the hell? What are you doing?" She said.

"I'm sorry, Y/n, but I can't let you be thrown in jail. You're too pretty for that." This wasn't the first reported case of arson that had happened in the area lately, so Dazai was waiting until the suspect he was after was alone before confronting her. He didn't want to just let her blow up a building if he could help it, but he also didn't want to see a young girl like herself throw her life away.

"Are you a cop or something?"

"The name's Dazai Osamu and no, I'm just an upstanding detective who happens to be on your side."

Y/n looked at him intensely. "On my side? Do you know me?"

"I think we might be good friends and, if you want, I know of a certain agency that would suit that special ability of yours quite well. What about it?" Dazai said, smirking.

"Me, a detective? No thanks." She started to walk away, but before reaching the backdoor of the warehouse, she paused. "Will I see you again?"

Dazai walked up to her, grinning. "If you want to, but only if you keep yourself out of trouble from now on."

It had been a while since someone had shown concern over Y/n's well-being. Her parents were dead and she had no siblings, and after leaving her orphanage a few months ago, she felt completely lost on what to do next. She had no one to trust and thought that her acts of arson would help her find comfort in her loneliness. Her ability was the one thing that made her feel special. She was managing to survive with the odd jobs she picked up, but could never stay in one place for too long.

"You can come find me at the Armed Detective Agency building whenever you want," Dazai said. "I recommend going to the cafe on the bottom level. The old man there is nice and I'm sure if you explain your situation he'll be happy to help. Give him my name."

Y/n looked him in the eyes. "Thank you, Dazai. But what about the gas in here?"

"I'll handle it. Just go before the real cops show up."

Y/n left the warehouse and about a week later, took Dazai's advice to see the old man. And ever since that day, she began working as one of the cafe's waitresses and got to see the suicide-loving man every day, just like he had promised.

And so a new friendship between Dazai and Y/n began to form, but little did they know that two years after their encounter, a certain rift would start to come between them. A rift that Dazai had long wished would have stayed buried in his past...

Thank you for reading the Prologue!  ///  To be continued... 🧡