(Y/n) was currently laying on a couch in President Fukuzawa's office after being told that Atushi and Kyoka were taken the previous afternoon while she was staking out the warehouse.
She sank into the couch and furrowed her brows as she took in the information she was just told. When she had woke up that morning, her phone was on silent, which she never did, and her phone was flooded with missed calls from Yukichi and a few others at the Agency.
Apparently, Atushi and the girl, Kyoka, were taken by the Port Mafia outside of a police station in a kidnapping lead by the Akutagawa man from the alley. They were fine now, but she wouldn't have been able to help anyway. She was unconscious in a hotel while Dazai just sat there reading magazines and drinking sake all night long.
If only she hadn't had a hangover... but Dazai is the one who gave her the hangover... Why didn't Dazai answer the call and handle anything?! He didn't wake her up and tell her the two minors were taken, he just kept drinking while she was literally passed out from overusing her ability and from her somewhat induced hangover...
Yukichi was sitting on the couch across a small coffee table from her in his office while he calmly watched as she was undoubtedly scolding herself in her mind.
He'd known her for along enough to see her when she would get into these moods where she felt that she hadn't done enough. Even though she had literally worked herself so hard she passed out, she would never see it that way. After all, her duty was to find out just who had placed the bounty on the boy's head and it was to protect him.
Soon she would have an outburst about what she could have done more when in actuality she couldn't. She was only human, and she had her limits. For now, he was going to wait for her outburst before telling her she could only do so much--
"DAMNIT DAZAI! If you weren't such a smart idiot I would have been able to protect them!"
She stood from the couch before huffing in anger and walking towards the door. Yukichi was as stoic as ever, but he was in shock on the inside.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to go get some [favorite drink]. Anko-san should have opened her doors by now."
"I assume you're going to process the information on the bounty before tomorrow?"
She waved to him behind her before saying, "Yeah, I'll write a report and turn it in, like usual."
As she reached the door, Yukichi spoke with a hint of malice in his voice, "Who was it? Who placed the bounty on your head all those years ago?"
She gripped the doorknob that she was about to turn before saying, "The same people who placed a bounty on Atsushi... The Guild."
She opened the door and walked down the hallway before arriving in the main lobby where Dazai was slumped over his desk and Kunikida was avidly typing away on his computer. She walked to the door and grabbed her black trenchcoat from the coat rack as Dazai sang out, "Where are you going~"
"I'm going to Anko's to write the report on the information you gathered. Oh, and Yukichi wants you to write a report on your capture. Kunikida-kun, please makes sure he does that and doesn't ask Atsushi to do it."
"W-wait! [Y/n]-chan don't leave me here with Kunikida! Please stay!"Dazai grabbed her arm and clung to it like a child begging their mother to stay home from work for a day. In response (Y/n) stared coldly down at the man before she said, "No, I'm just grabbing a drink and then I'll be back. Geez! I won't even bring my laptop just let me go... I'm also mad at you for giving me a hangover and not telling me about Atushi and Kyoka's abduction. Not to mention when I woke up this morning, you were holding my underwear from yesterday... I swear you're a freak..."
"I told you I was washing our clothes! And, you have to admit--"
Dazai sent a dashing smirk up to the girl before he brought her hand to his lips with his bandaged hand. He gently pecked the top of her hand as he continued, "You have to admit, I'm a handsome freak."
Her face flushed before she threw a book off the nearest desk at him. "I w-would never admit that!"
"But you did!"
She huffed out in anger before throwing the door open and saying, "THIS IS WHY I CAN'T GET WORK DONE AROUND YOU! You throw me off! Just do your work, idiot!"
She slammed the door shut before walking down the stairs of the agency and out the front door into the bustling streets of Yokohama.
Inside the office, Dazai sighed and slumped onto his desk as Kunkida had a confused look on his face. "Dazai?"
"Yes~ Kunikida-kun!"
"What happened between you two? What was this about sleeping in your arms?"
"Nothing like that, you dog! It was just two coworkers sharing secrets with each other in a hotel with a view of the ocean."
She popped her earbuds in and called on her ability to work its wonders.
"Code: Database-- Call Atsushi."
After a few rings, the boy anxiously said, "H-h-hello? (Y/n)-san! A-are you okay?! No one heard from you since you disappeared from the tofu restaurant!"
She laughed over the phone before saying, "Atsushi, I'm the one who should be asking you if you're okay. Is Kyoka there as well?"
"Yes."
"Is she alright? She can't heal as fast as you can."
"Y-yes... she made me breakfast. Which reminds me, where is Dazai? Kyoka says that he said we're roommates."
(Y/n) smiled brightly before saying, "Oh really!? You two roommates? Isn't that against company dorm policy?"
"I-I think so? I don't really know... Can I speak to him?"
"Yeah, Dazai is moping around the office, probably messing around with Kunikida-kun by now since I left."
"Oh, you're not with Dazai-san?"
"Why does everyone assume I'm with him all the time? Yesterday and today everyone asked me where he was and--"
(Y/n) heard the voice of Kyoka over the phone this time, "Is this the (Y/n)-san from yesterday?"
"Yes, Kyoka, it's me. Are you alright, you're not hurt are you?"
"I'm fine. To answer your previous question about that man, many expect you to keep tabs on him because you seem to care for him very much."
"O-oi... don't ever repeat that to anyone, got it? You two be sure to rest today. Don't do Dazai's work for him. He needs to start doing work like the senior detective he is."
She ended the call and walked around a corner and towards the cafe she frequented so often. It had been a few days since she'd gotten to enjoy one of Anko's legendary [favorite drink]. The older woman didn't actually have or make these for anyone else, only for (Y/n).
(Y/n) readjusted the bag on her shoulder before waltzing into the small cafe. She walked over to the bar area and set her bag down before hearing a woman yell, "(Y/n)! Where have you been?!? I haven't seen you in three days! You'd better make it up to me!"
(Y/n) rolled her eyes and sat at the counter as the older woman sent her death glares that could rival Yukichi's.
"I was at work! It's weird having a schedule and not doing freelance work anymore, but I thought about you every day I wasn't here."
The older woman crossed her arms before smirking and saying, "I assume you were with that hunk again?"
"And if I was?"
"I'll forgive everything if you tell me about every little detail about your time with him!"
(Y/n) smiled at the older woman before saying, "Deal!"
Around ten minutes passed before The elderly Anko got a chance to talk to (Y/n). The morning rushes were never easy to deal with, but she had asked another employee to come in so she could chat with her friend.
(Y/n) was telling her how Dazai had been taking her out to dinner almost every night and how they would play pranks and jokes on others (Kunikida) around the office. She told the older woman how he'd gotten himself captured to find who had placed the bounty on her head all those years ago. She'd told the older woman how she'd finally opened up to someone else about her past, which warranted the older woman to begin making cookies to give the girl.
As the aged woman was mixing together ingredients across the counter from (Y/n) as she asked the younger woman, "So, any developments in your relationship? He seems like a good man to go through all that trouble for you and the boy, and he's only known you for what— a week? Two weeks?"
"No matter how much I tell you that I'm pretty sure he only sees me as a friend, you really want me to believe that he sees me as more? Sighhh, No developments other than he told
me about his past too."
Stars were seen in the older woman's eyes before she happily said, "That's a development! Men are like oysters and women are like rocks! We usually need to beat them up a bit before they'll reveal their pearly secrets, but he just TOLD you without a care in the world! There is hope for you still! Hahaha!"
At that time, (Y/n) threatened to leave the woman if they didn't change the subject because "I don't want all of Yokohama to hear about my life."
But, Anko forced her to stay until the cookies were finished so (Y/n) could take them with her to the Agency and "share them with her honey."
(Y/n) was walking back to the Agency, eating a cookie while lost in thought about whether or not Dazai had actually started his report. One thing the pair didn't have in common was their work ethic. She worked hard and he worked hardly at all.
She was almost to the Agency when she bumped into someone and dropped her cookie. She gave a slight bow and said, "I'm sorry, I should have been paying attention."
A tallish man in an immaculate white suit and golden blonde hair stood in front of her with a bright smile on his face. He went to speak before a man in a green suit behind him spoke up and grabbed her by her arm, causing her to drop the box the cookies were in.
"Is that all?! You should be begging him to forgive you for your ignorance, you pest—"
A young girl next to him with two long red braids said, "That's right!"
(Y/n) ignored the two yelling chimpanzees as stared at the ground where the cookies had fallen before locking eyes with the man gripping her arm and saying, "You better hope those cookies aren't broken, because for each break in them I'll—"
"AHAHAHA! I love this city! The citizens here have such interesting worries, I sincerely apologize Madam. Here, take this for compensation. Come, you two!"
The blonde man handed her a large wad of cash before the three walked across the road and—- ONTO THE FREEWAY!? She squatted down to get the cookie box while dusting it off as if that would actually help with anything.
She was scowling and mumbling to herself, "People like them give foreigners their bad rep... dang it, some cookies are broken... I'll give those to Dazai."
She felt a tap on her shoulder before she turned to see the young red-haired girl standing behind her.
"Yes, can I help you?"
A devious smile appeared on the girl's face before she said, "Yes, you can! Let's play a game!"
[end chapter]