Trouble On The Side

Ch.19 Aftermath

Silence.

Who knew it could be so loud.

I stood there before the tombstone, holding flowers in my hands. Even though it was already overflowing already with beautiful flowers from the other Agency members... I just had to add more...

I place it right in front of the name engraved onto it:

"S. Nakajima"

"May 5th, XXXX - XX Xth, XXXX"

"..."

I rearrange the flowers, covering the name. Maybe if...I don't see it...it won't be real.

"...Ngh..." Tears cloud my vision as I tried to wipe them away. "This can't be real... It just can't... I mean, we don't even have a body to burry."

As much as I wanted to believe my own words, I couldn't. I saw with my own eyes Shiori getting shot in the head. Then the fake and some other person taking her body away. There's no way she's alive...I saw it... I saw it.

Hugging myself, I let the feeling of sadness and grief overtake me. I cry out, wishing for my little sister to be right beside me. I wanted nothing more than to have her there with me. For me to be able to go back in time and save her. I let her down...I failed her.

~~~~Kyouka's P.O.V.'s~~~~

"..."

I watch from a distance as Atsushi cries in front of Shiori's grave for the tenth time the pass five days. Seeing him so sad and hurting didn't feel good. I...want Shiori to be here for him but...she's not.

"..." Losing a family member is really hard... "I know how you feel..." I whisper, holding my hands together.

I look up at the blue sky and watch the clouds drift by. There hasn't been any attacks or mention of the group that targeted Shiori. The Agency has been looking into it more than ever now. But much can't be done while we wait for Ranpo and the others come back. They should be back either tomorrow or the day after.

"Kyouka." I face besides to find Kunikida standing there. He was staring at Atsushi as he spoke. "How long has he been here today?"

"...Three hours."

"..."

"Did you come to visit?"

"I already have earlier today. The only one left is that good-for-nothing, Dazai. He insisted her grave be next to this "Odasaku" but doesn't even visit it. Not to mention he hasn't been to work in four days. I understand everyone must grieve in their own way but...I made a promise to Shiori... We must work hard to find this group that took her life and take them down."

I nod, agreeing.

"...Let's head back to the Agency."

"..." I stare at Atsushi.

"He'll be okay. Let's leave him be."

"...Okay."

I follow Kunikida and we head to the Agency.

~~~~Time Skip / Third Person P.O.V.~~~~

The night sky covered Yokohama in darkness, almost like a blanket, in its earliest of hours. The wind gently moves the leaves on the nearby trees what surrounded the graveyard. There, Shiori's empty grave sat next to her old friends. They both stayed there undisturbed...that is, till a figure approached them.

"..."

Dazai Osamu.

With a folder full of documents and a laptop in his hands, he sat on the ground before his two friends. With his eyes dull, hair messier than ever, and clothes a bit disheveled, Dazai stares at the graves of his two friends.

"I'm sorry, Shiori... And you too...Odasaku... I didn't protect her... We didn't end up together like you have hoped...Odasaku." A small smile appears on the grieving man's face. Tears stun his eyes, threatening to fall. He pitched the bridge of his nose in order to hold them back.

"I promise you both this...I will find Shiori's body. So, she can rest in peace with you, dear friend... I can't just wait till Ranpo-san comes back for information. I have to know now. I need to get your body back...and..." The man's darkness for just a second. "I need to annihilate them."

Dazai opens the folder and spreads the documents out before him and opens the laptop. "Please don't mind me. I find it more peaceful doing this here... I hope you two don't mind."

As silence answers him back, he gets to work. Seconds turned into minutes while minutes turned into hours. That man sat there the whole time, looking for the group responsible for this tight feeling in his chest... For him losing a very important part of himself. He had to find them...and make them pay.

"..."

"You look like sh*t."

"...Why are you here?"

"Why do you think? As much as you like to pretend our relationship doesn't exist...she was my friend too."

"..."

Nakahara Chuuya. Another friend to Shiori and mentor at one point. He stood by Dazai's side, hand in his pocket as the other carried a raggedy stuff dog. The years did a number on that thing, but he still kept it close to him. He places it on top of the grave before give a small prayer.

"...Is that the reason you look like you haven't slept in days?" Chuuya eyes the paperwork spread out in front of Dazai.

"It's a part of it..."

"...That scene woke stop playing in your head either, right?"

"...It's a nightmare."

"I agree... Do you plan on taking them down?"

"..."

"...I want in."

"No. Go home-" Before he could even finish that sentence, Dazai earned a kick to his side. With full force, his body flies into a nearby tree causing him great pain. He groans only to just dodge a foot to the face. The trunk of the tree breaks beside him, causing the tree to fall back. The two stare each other down, not speaking to one another.

"..."

"..."

"...I won't take no for an answer... I can't take seeing that image in my head anymore. That bullet... Shiori's expression... Her lifeless body... I want to kill everyone who's a part of the group. If you won't let me in, then I guess it's a race to who can find these guys first and end them."

"...You would never be able to find them on your own with that tiny brain of yours."

"Watch me... Besides, you lack the manpower if you plan on going at them alone. You need me, just admit it."

"..."

"..."

"...Fine...you can join me. Only because I can't risk that 0.0000001% in you actually finding them before I do."

"Tsk!" Chuuya kicks the fallen tree, sending it far, far away. "Just shut up and get to it! The faster you find them, the faster we can get rid of them!"

"..."

Dazai simply stands up and goes back to his spot, getting back to work. Chuuya sat beside Shiori's grave, reading the documents next to Dazai, trying to help in any way he could.