A Touch of Sorrow [Dazai x OC x Chuuya]

Triginta Tres

For his selfish reason, Araki moved on with his doing without a wave of guilt surging within him.

The metal door pulled opened quietly, leaving rays of light from outside flooding in before the man turned on the light switch. The bright light illumined the room, casting on the figure sitting on the bed, a frightened expression on his face.

"Hello Ren." Araki managed a bright smile, still unsuccessful of warming up to the boy.

"Your blood test yesterday was wonderful! My work benefits more from it than just the vessel of the virus. So we will try another test today, okay Ren?"

With that announcement, Ren bolted from his bed, eyes read aggressive as he speared towards Araki with a pencil. There wasn't any yelp nor scream of pain, there was only a glare setting on him. 

"Even after all this time you still haven't learnt to be a good kid." 

The pencil dug into the flesh of the man he was most afraid of, and Ren pulled back witnessing his father tore out the pencil from his forearm. The fire in those blackish eyes he inherited from the man died out almost immediately, replacing it was the same fear he experienced every time before a beating.

Ren was dragged out in the watch of Araki, who couldn't do much of a thing to the situation either. The cries of the boy echoed throughout the hallway, it continued even when he was chained on the patient bed. Every struggle was in vain, no matter how hard he tried.

"Stay still! I will not repeat myself!" 

Like a reflex, the boy stopped struggling, he stayed quietly still on the bed like the exact order from his father. Ren was unable of disobeying the man in any situation. Araki was astonished, even though it wasn't the first time he saw it happened. The absolute obedience of the child to his father, regardless of what the father did, regardless of what the boy thought.

"We'll do some health check Ren. It'll be finished in no time."

There wasn't a reply, as if the child had already given up on that patient bed. Reluctantly, Araki moved on to checking Ren's pulse, then hooked him up to the monitor next to the bed. 

"He's in a very good condition, the virus is fully activated. New blood cells are reproduced at an excellent pace."

"Good work Ren." Araki turned to the lad only to find the sedative had already put him out. 

"Let him rest, I'll have your wound treated, Shou-san."

Araki received no reply, the father stood there quietly watching his son on the bed. It would have been a loving scene if those blackish eyes of the man didn't burn with hatred. Araki had no knowledge of the relationship between Shou and Ren, how it turned sour like such, but even for an abusive parent, Shou was getting out of his way.

Araki jumped in just in time to stop Shou from stabbing the folded knife on the child's arm, on the exact spot where Ren hit him moments ago. "Security!" Araki screamed, his voice cracked under the struggle of the stronger man. 

"Stop! Shou-san!" 

The strength of the man was unbelievable for an anemic patient. The pure hatred was fueling Shou and he was determined to have his deed finished. Araki pushed Shou back and had the man locked on the ground, yet not even seconds later, Shou threw Araki over to jolt up.

"Shou-san!"

He stopped, eventually, to a kick to his abdomen.

"Everything has to come down to me hm?"

Kane's shadow fell over the body of Shou groaning on the ground. Two bodyguards followed behind him and with a wave of the hand, the two underlings picked up the weakened man then removed themselves from the chamber immediately.

Araki once again met with those biting cold golden eyes that had him turning away almost every time. But, not quite something out of his expectation, Kane offered the man a hand which he took. The boss even dusted the dirtied lab coat for Araki.

"You and that little kid over there are the two most precious assets of the organization. I can't afford any of you getting hurt now, alright?" 

The corner of his lips twisted upward to form a smirk, one cunning enough to make the opposite wary.

"Shou will be kept away, don't worry. He has finished his job."

A light pat Kane placed on Araki's shoulder, completely different from the rough ones he normally received. Araki didn't utter a word but he at least had been able to meet Kane's eyes without fright.

"I expect good news regarding the project, Araki-sensei."

And with that the man exited the chamber, footsteps echoed through the room.

...

Kane sat there in his office with eyes glued on the picture frame to his left. It was a picture of his mother holding a birthday cake with a bright grin. He was 10 when the pictured was taken. He remembered that day with vivid memories, everything they did, he remembered it all.

"I'll find the book, soon. And we'll be able to celebrate your birthdays again, mama."

Araki deepened himself in the memories of the woman he held most dear. Reliving the days when they both were together. Every moment spent with her was beautiful, shame for them to pass so quickly. He longed for those days to come again, and he knew those days would come again. 

"Very soon, my dear. You'll be able to see the sunrise again."

The pencil fell from the girl's grip as she sighed, eyes still looking at that very line of cipher she hadn't been able to crack. It had been a week, and because she had just about zero knowledge about handwritten ciphers, it wasn't an easy task to crack it when she possessed little resources. But it was the only clue she had left, Ren was the only person she had left in the family. She still remembered the promise she made to him. She will fulfill it no matter what.

"It'll be alright, Ren. We will be alright very soon."

The wheel of fate once again turned, leading their paths to cross and challenging them to fight. They didn't fight for themselves, but for others. Selfless people on the roads to destroy the world.

~~~~~
A/N: It's not an official "comeback" but I just wanna give you guys something for Valentine day ehe. Hope you all had fun, have some more fun with this one :))