Chapter Text
Crystaliqueeen’s Soukoku Realm Presents:
THE DEVIL'S TEMPTATION
"You've been very disobedient, kitten." Dazai mutters dangerously, "I must teach you a lesson you'll never forget."
Chuuya was an orphan, and when the orphanage that he loved got burned when he was 7 years old, he got adopted by a kind and mysterious man that he calls "Master, " except that "Master" is a seven-year-old demon prodigy named Dazai Osamu... and Dazai is not really as kind as people think he is.
CHAPTER 1: INTO THE FLAMES OF THE PAST
"Keep quiet," Dazai whispers as he stands in front of a redhead with an impassive look, "I don't want to hear you whimper in pain."
His grip tightened on the whip that he'd been holding. He's looking directly at the petite body in front of him, kneeling with his arms tied. There are visible bite marks and small bruises on the man's delicate body. He looks beautiful, as always, his beloved looks undoubtedly beautiful. Dazai's gaze lowered down at the tied man in front of him.
His dark eyes are merciless and cold, "What did I say about you escaping, Chuuya?"
Yet, instead of answering him, Chuuya just pressed his lips tightly together. No words came out, but the heavy atmosphere inside the room was suffocating enough for Dazai to read the thoughts going on inside the man's head.
Dazai takes a closer step toward the kneeling man and reaches his hand to touch Chuuya's lips, sliding his strong fingers to the delicate chin of his possession as he angles it upwards to make Chuuya look up at him.
There, he sees the mesmerizing blue eyes of his masterpiece.
His eyes remain cold and manipulative while Chuuya stares back at him with a fiery glare. It's too tough, too unnerving. It made Dazai's heart tightens while flattering in anticipation.
It would be lovely to see those firm, courageous gazes turn into something broken and shattered. Something laying freely down on his feet with his broken resolve. Chuuya's body is filled with marks from the previous whippings that he experienced. He's stripped naked while being tied in Dazai's dark and chilly basement. It's such a sight to remember. His hair is also fixed in a messy ponytail for an easier grab, which Dazai can use in many ways possible.
But he doesn't look scared.
Chuuya's eyes are still burning with anger, resentment, and pain— not from the physical pain that Dazai inflicted earlier, but deeper than that. The intensity of his blue eyes is enough to pierce Dazai's chest with a feeling he can't explain.
"You've been very disobedient, kitten," Dazai mutters dangerously, "I must teach you a lesson you'll never forget."
How did things turn out this way?
The fire within the place shines through Chuuya's eyes. The fiery orange and burning color contrasts his blue ocean gaze in reflection as he stares into the burning orphanage in front of him. Flame elopes from the surroundings. Chuuya is unable to move. He can't say a word or blink normally.
It's all burning— everything is slowly turning into ashes.
He remained standing in safe proximity in front of the orphanage. He can hear sirens from the fire trucks, yet those sounds seem too distant from him. He feels dizzy. Nauseous, to be precise. There is water sprinkling everywhere. There are people piling up near the scene and gossiping as well. The orphanage is burning. The place he loves is burning. The friends he met there, the other kids, and even the headmistress are all burning. His family is all dead.
Why is he the only one who survives?
How did that happen?
How did all of this happen?
Suddenly, the smoke coming out of the burning establishments slowly forms into the terrifying burnt faces of the people he knew. Shirase, Yuan, the Sheep or his friends within the orphanage—all of them— their screaming faces hunt him. It's filled with wrath, anger. It made Chuuya's head throb in pain and his heart clenched in fear. Fear for what? He didn't know. He wasn't able to save anyone. He can't save them. The screaming voices echo within his ear, ripping the remaining courage from his veins as the faces from the smoke slowly melt, making him see the burnt flesh fall off his family's face. It adds fuel to his horrifying agony.
"You're a traitor, Chuuya!" The voice shouts repeatedly. It's overwhelming. "You should have died with us!"
His lips trembled.
No, you shouldn't die in the first place. It shouldn't have happened. I don't know what happened. The orphanage shouldn't have been burned in the first place. It's—
"Chuuya..."
The faces darkened as their voices rang within his ears. Chuuya's fingers clenched hard as he tried to scream as well. It's painful. Not physically but seeing the faces of his friends burn like that with blisters and their skin peeling off in a horrifying manner makes him suffocated without even inhaling the flames.
"Chuuya..."
Then the faces started melting vigorously. It's melting in the most hideous way possible. The blood, together with pieces of falling flesh, mixes with the small fire in the nauseating images in front of him. He tried to calm himself but it was terrifying. His nightmares have always been terrifying. The dead people start circling around him before they reach out their hands and grab his wrist, trying to slowly pull him towards the fire. He screamed.
"Wake up, kitten."
A gentle voice makes all the terrifying images fade like smoke. There seems to be a single ray of sunlight that makes every dark monster fade. As always. That voice saves him. It's always been like that. It’s as if all his internal chaos and nightmares vanish in the blink of an eye because someone’s voice nullifies them all.
That voice—
And that's when he opened his eyes.
There are tears streaming down his cheeks as he sits on the huge, magnificent sky blue bed in his new room. Beside him, a kid his age is sitting with a concerned gaze directed at him. The kid is wearing his usual black hoodie, and his dark hair is messily framed on his face. There are bandages wrapped around his body and right eye. Ah. It's just him.
"Dazai?" Chuuya mumbled a little sleepily before yawning. The kid remained looking at him, "What are you doing here?"
Dazai shrugs calmly, "You were screaming in your sleep. It's so loud that it reaches my room."
Chuuya wants to protest by the sudden answer but he can feel his fists trembling with his nightmares. It's been haunting him for a year now. Dazai's eyes also caught the way he's shaking but he stayed silent for a while.
"I'm fine." Chuuya answered, messing up bigtime with his lies since there is a visible sparkle of tears in his eyes and his cheeks are puffy, "I'm fine." He repeated to sound more believable but he fails nonetheless.
Dazai exhales thinly and just raises one eyebrow knowingly before holding his shaking hand, "Is there something I could do?"
The way his voice asked those questions was too genuine. Ignoring it, he sits down beside Dazai as he stares at the empty space inside his room. Dazai stayed silently beside him. The bandaged kid didn’t let his hands go and since Dazai’s hands are warm, it slowly calms Chuuya from his own internal turmoil.
"No," He muttered again, trying to prevent his tears from falling, "Everything is fine."
After all, they're both kids. He doesn’t want to pull Dazai into this mess, but he unknowingly always does despite him not realizing it at first. Chuuya is an eight-year-old kid from an orphanage, and Dazai, well, Dazai is the same age as him. Things have been good in Chuuya's life in the past, hard but manageable. In the orphanage, he has his friends, the Sheep, and the kind headmistress. Everything is well.
Until one day, everything turns into ashes. Literally.
The orphanage was burned, and miraculously, he was the only one who survived. It got burned when he was seven years old, and it’s been a year since the tragedy happened. He might not show it explicitly, but the entire thing breaks him. It made him feel messed up. Up until now, he could remember the smiles of Shirase, Yuan, and the other kids. He can remember everything. He wants to remember everything since, up until this moment, he's been haunted by all their memories together.
"If that's what you want, I won't force you." Dazai mumbled in a small tone. Chuuya didn't look at the kid, "But you know you can share it with me, don't you? After all, it's just the two of us now. We only have each other."
Chuuya clenches his fist tighter on the blanket. From beside him, Dazai is sitting there patiently while watching his movements, his reactions, and his facial expressions. Dazai is there with him.
Dazai’s right.
After the orphanage was burned, he was brought out to a welfare unit and was adopted by a mysterious someone everyone calls Master. He was brought to this extremely lavish mansion and fed with good food. The clothes, the shelter—everything is being provided here. Chuuya would like to know who it was to thank the person but the "Master" never shows his face. Hirotsu, the head butler here, states how the "Master" is always busy with his international affairs so he rarely shows up in the mansion.
"Why did he adopt me?" Chuuya once asked, and Hirotsu just gave him a calm gaze.
"Philanthropy."
Ah, yes, of course. Their headmistress once said that rich people or some people in general adopt children in the orphanage because of their kindness or they're simply philanthropic. As for Chuuya, maybe the person who adopted him never wanted a son but rather someone whom he could help, especially with this enormous lavishness. He may be too young to understand the real reason for the mysterious person's existence, but it certainly changed his life.
And how did he end up here with Dazai?
He remembers the first time he arrived here, which was a year ago. From the facility, he was fetched by a black, luxurious limousine. He was unable to speak at that time. He's too traumatized by what happened to the orphanage. He feels extremely... what do people call this emotion? Is it sadness? No, he experienced sadness when one kid from the orphanage got adopted and he wasn't able to see them again. But this kind of sadness that he is experiencing right now is more intense than the sadness he experienced in the past. He doesn’t know what to call this emotion. All he knows is that the grief and pain lie deep inside him.
"Please come in, Mr. Nakahara." Those are the driver's first words as he enters the car. The officer earlier told him that he would be adopted, and the papers have already been processed accordingly. All he has to do is be a good child and—
That's it. Be a good child. Nothing more.
The entire journey is silent. The driver didn't speak as he drove until they arrived in an extremely enormous mansion. There's a huge gate in front that is highly automatic. There are ponds, gardens, and the mansion itself is in the midst of this wondrous place. The place is too big and spacious to the point where there's a possibility that he might get lost in it. He wants to appreciate its beauty, but the thoughts of the burning orphanage keep flashing within his eyes. It's suffocating.
The car stopped, and Chuuya was guided inside the mansion. What's outside doesn't do justice to what's inside. The place is basically made up of gold and diamonds. It's too luxurious and magnificent. Chuuya's eyes explored the place, and his lips parted as he saw the big chandeliers above and the tall staircase in the corners. The interiors scream luxury— a thing that made him feel smaller than he is.
It is different from the orphanage. This place is huge and cold, far from the warmth that he experienced in the place where he once lived.
"Mr. Nakahara, I'll leave you here now. You can explore the mansion as much as you like. The Master is not here today, which means you can't see him yet, but please help yourself. Once you're done exploring or you need the assistance of the butlers, ring the button over there—" The man pointed at the golden button on the corner of the living room, "— Oh, I almost forgot. You can freely roam around, Sir, but it is forbidden to walk on the hallway on the last corner of this place. You can’t ever go there. Is there anything else that you want to know?"
Little Chuuya didn't answer as his eyes were still looking around the place.
"If you need further assistance, I will be outside. I'll be going, Sir." The man bows before walking out, leaving Chuuya all alone inside the spacious mansion.
Now, it's silent. There’s a huge, well-crafted chandelier hanging up. Expensive figurines are also displayed around. There is a lounge, and the living room is too spacious. The palette of taupe, beige, white, and black enhances the minimalistic yet elegant design of the mansion. The white walls are also filled with a lineup of paintings. He walks to the nearest wall, where he sees a lot of different paintings of red roses. The way they are painted is hyperrealistic to the point that it looks beautiful. Chuuya stares at the painting with amusement, but again, he can't fully recognize the beauty of the art as the color resembles the crimson fire that destroys everything he holds dear. Sighing, he reaches his hand out to gently touch one of the paintings protected by glass on his hands.
It looks too fragile.
He traces the stem from the art, and he got so focused on what's in front of him that he wasn't able to hear the upcoming footsteps getting closer.
"Crimson red—"
Because of his surprise, Chuuya gasps and jolts unknowingly, causing him to accidentally smudge on the painting— and since it's fragile, as he observed earlier— the painting falls on the floor. A loud clinging of broken glasses follows.
He wasn't able to move as he stared at the broken glass in front of him. He presses his lips tight as he remembers the broken glasses from the orphanage as he runs out to save himself. He trembles as he slowly lifts his gaze only to see a familiar kid his age standing a few meters away from him.
Dazai.
"Crimson red perfectly suits the colors of all the paintings." Dazai's gaze lowered on the broken glasses on the floor before it met him again. His eyes remained calm and kind, "Did you get hurt?"
Chuuya was unable to speak. He can't speak yet. He couldn't find the strength to open his mouth and communicate with anyone else right now. But there are arising questions that start to spiral within his mind.
First, what is Dazai doing here?
He met Dazai once at the park, not that long ago, when their headmistress decided to let the kids enjoy a stroll for some fresh air. He was playing with the Sheep, the group name of their squad, when he saw a kid getting bullied near the swing. There are other taller kids around the little one, and they're stealing the other kid's bunny plush. The little one seems alone and lost. He’s sitting on the ground while looking down.
Without hesitation, Chuuya rushes towards that group of kids with a huge grin on his face. That grin changes into an annoyed look as his temper increases. It is what the headmistress once told him. He may be young, but his temper can be quite uncontrollable.
"If you hurt someone smaller than you, then ‘yer bunch of cowards!" From his back, he pulls out a branch of a tree that he picked up earlier, "Give his bunny back!"
In comparison, his body is the smallest among everyone else, but Chuuya's pretty proud of his voice. It's loud, and it's enough to make the other kids look at each other.
"What are you gonna do? Hurt us with your sticks?"
Chuuya didn't falter, "No! I'm going to scream for the headmistress and the other kids to get in here and fight all of you." He walks towards the bullied kid and covers him with his own smaller body, "Now give him his toy!"
"Jeez, what a pain." The other kid handed the bunny to him while scratching his head in annoyance. They can already see the headmistress from afar looking at them, and it will be troublesome to deal with scolds. They started to leave immediately.
After being left alone, Chuuya smiles and turns around to see a kid wearing a blue jacket. His mildly wavy brown hair is messy around his face, and there's a bandage on his right eye. Chuuya smiles at the other one.
"If they come back, just call my name. I'm Nakahara Chuuya!" He greets with enthusiasm. The headmistress gives them instructions to always treat people kindly and introduce themselves with enthusiasm. He's taking that advice to heart.
The kid is looking at him without blinking. Chuuya sees the small bruise on the kid's chubby cheeks. His big, brown, and reddish eyes are deep as he stares back at him. The bullied kid looks helpless but calm at the same time. Chuuya doesn't know what that facial expression means.
"Chuuya!" Someone from the Sheep called so he looked at those kids before waving at them.
"I'll join you later!" He replied back.
He kneels down in front of the kid with one knee before handling the kid his bunny plush. The kid stares in surprise at what he did.
"Chuuya." The bandaged kid mumbles in a very inaudible tone as if he's letting the sound of pronouncing his name linger on his tongue, and the redhead smiles brightly.
"Yes! That's my name!"
The kid looks down and blinks before pressing his lips together. His eyes are slightly teary. Chuuya didn't walk away as he remained labeling the kid in front of him.
"Don't cry." He added to cheer the bullied child up.
"Would..." The brunette mumbled again, "Would you like to play with me?"
The child looked afraid as he asked those questions. It's as if he's afraid he'll say no. So Chuuya grinned widely and said, "’kay!"
That made the kid's eyes brighten, but the shyness of his gesture is still visible. That entire day, they played. Just the two of them. Chuuya finds the kids' company fun as well. The kid may be shy, and he acts so reserved in different aspects, but he patiently listens and does what Chuuya did. They tried collecting bugs in a jar, picking lots of fallen leaves, and basically doing a lot of things together. It's almost dark when the headmistress calls Chuuya's name as they are about to go.
"Osamu Dazai." The kid whispered as he smiled at him tenderly, "It's nice to meet you, Chuuya."
Chuuya was unable to speak for a moment. Dazai's smile is pretty. He smiled back, "Your smile is beautiful!" That made Dazai freeze, "Nice to meet 'ya too, Dazai!"
That day, he parted with the friend that he once met.
A month after that, the orphanage burned down.
"You're spacing out, Chuuya." Dazai mumbled, "Go back to sleep. I'll watch you so you won't get hunted by your nightmares."
All those memories vanish from his thoughts as he realizes he's still in his room with Dazai. The white walls around him and the small chandelier inside his room are well lit. It's still past midnight but he doesn't want to sleep anymore. He's scared he'll see those faces again, and more than fear, it's painful.
"I can't..." He whispered, wiping the tears from his cheeks.
Dazai watches him with concern in his eyes. The kid also squeezes his hand gently to make him feel like he’s not alone, "I'm here with you. I won't leave you, kitten."
"The person who adopted you wants himself to be addressed as, ‘Master.’ He will visit this mansion once in a while, but due to the matters that he needs to work on in the other countries, the visit would rather be rare."
Chuuya remembers how those were the first words that Hirotsu told him on the first day when he arrived in this lavish mansion. Hirotsu is the head butler in the mansion, and he’s the person in charge of everything. It's been almost four years since he came here. Slowly, he regained his ability to speak again, to smile, laugh, and even bicker with someone, with the help of his friend, Dazai.
It was brought to his knowledge that Dazai is the son of one of the butlers of this mansion. When his parents died in an accident, the Master let him stay in the mansion as a sign of gratitude for the help his parents provided. Dazai was helped by the same "Master" that adopted him and saved him when he had nowhere to go. During his stay in the mansion, Dazai has given him company. The person is kind, caring, and also a menace sometimes. As kids, they tend to perform random pranks on Hirotsu (who ended up having his head more stressed than usual, causing his age to triple in a short span of time) and other butlers when they feel like it. It is all Dazai's suggestion to distract him from his thoughts.
It's almost Christmas, and this is their last day in school before their Christmas break.
They are now in 6th grade, and Chuuya is glad that he was able to find good people all throughout his elementary days. He has friends, but Dazai's the only one he can trust entirely. That's an understatement as they tend to spend all their time together in school and in the mansion. Dazai had become his other one, and from the time they spent together, their inseparable bond became stronger.
"I'll get ourselves something to drink. What do you want?"
Chuuya groans and stares at the tray of food filled with meat and vegetables in front of him before looking around at the other kids inside the cafeteria.
"I want some cola."
Dazai smiles, "You know you shouldn't drink lots of coke, Chuuya. Aside from the fact that you won't get taller, it's also unhealthy."
"Oh, shut up!" He hisses rather non-heartedly, "I didn't drink coke this week. I'll manage."
The other kid sighs, "I wonder what I'll do with you. You're so stubborn."
"And you are, too." He retorts, and Dazai massages his forehead as if he's having a headache by just talking to him.
"Very well. But you have to promise me that you won't drink another can of cola until next week."
"I promise!"
"Good boy." Dazai murmured softly before he stood up and went towards the counter to get their drinks.
The cafeteria is huge and spacious. Master, the unknown person who adopted him that he hadn't seen up until now, made sure to let him and Dazai study only at the country's most prestigious school. All their things are provided accordingly. Again, he observes the place, and most students are chit chatting. Though, there's less than usual because it's not lunch break yet. Dazai always made sure that they would both eat in the cafeteria earlier than the time for lunch to prevent having to deal with lots of crowds.
His eyes later followed Dazai who was now walking towards him from afar. The kid is filled with bandages, and he never once asked about those because, aside from the fact that it will only trigger past memories about the orphanage, he also feels as if that topic is sensitive for Dazai. While staring at his friend, some taller kids from higher grades approach Dazai before bumping into him intentionally, making Dazai spill their drinks on the floor.
These intolerable brats—
He immediately stands up from his seat and rushes towards where Dazai is standing. The kid is looking directly at the spilled liquid on the floor. He's now holding two empty glasses. The bullies laughed to themselves before walking away. It's a normal scene in this school since there are inevitably other people who are pure pain in the ass. Dazai remained silent about what happened to him, and Chuuya’s eyes narrowed angrily. No one is allowed to mess with his friend. It has become one of his life missions to prevent any harm from coming to Dazai.
"Get back to our seats, I'll talk to those guys." Chuuya pats Dazai's shoulder as his own way to reassure the kid that everything's fine.
"Stay." Dazai answered shortly, his voice was calm and mysteriously firm as usual.
"Jeez, trust me. I can handle those damn bullies. They chose the wrong target today, and I gotta kick their asses for causing ‘ya trouble." Chuuya grins. Dazai's eyes stare at him before they slightly narrow. His lips remained pressed against each other, and he didn't say anything.
Chuuya runs towards where those kids are and he catches up to them as they enter a male's comfort room. Those kids are taller and stronger than him, but he won't let anyone— not even those higher-level brats— touch his only friend. No one messes with Dazai except him.
He enters the comfort room, and his eyes flare in annoyance as he sees those three unbothered kids. Those kids seemed to notice him, too, as their eyebrows rose, "What is a worm doing here? You look angry, little one."
"The kid that you bumped into intentionally earlier— leave him alone."
"Oh? I see, you’re friends with other worms. Why, though? He's in the way, what else are we supposed to do?"
Chuuya grits his teeth in annoyance.
"Or do you want us to bother you instead as a sacrificial lamb for your friend?" They are teasing him while smirking as if they’re seeing a doll ready to get broken anytime soon, "It'll be fun messing with a little rat with an oddly bright and ugly hair color."
Chuuya ignores the retorts about his own hair, "I won't repeat myself! Stay away from my friend or I'll—"
"Or you'll what?" The two bullies approach Chuuya while sounding their knuckles, "Hold that kid."
Chuuya resists, and he starts to randomly throw punches, but his build is smaller than the two guys. He was able to land punches, but they were stronger. They were able to hold and pin him. The leader of the bullies walks towards him before grabbing his jaw harshly and grasping it painfully. He didn't whimper in pain, he just gave a dead glare to the kid as he tried to resist.
"Some good advice, kid." The bully smirks, "I suggest you get out of our business and shut this mouth up or else we'll cut your tongue. Do you understand?"
Chuuya glares more dangerously without a glint of fear. His jaw is in extreme pain from the way the other kids are holding it tightly, but his resentment is greater than the physical pain.
"Tsk." The man signed the other two to let him go before tightening his grip on Chuuya's jaw again. Chuuya felt his jaw almost break before the taller man forcefully slammed him to the floor.
Chuuya gritted his teeth in anger as the three kids walked out, leaving him on the floor. A bruise starts to form on his jaw where the man grabbed it earlier. Instantly, he felt frustrated.
Damn it. How can I be so weak?
He couldn't protect Dazai earlier. He wasn't able to protect anyone in the past. What's wrong with him? He clenched his fist tightly. That's when the door opened, revealing Dazai.
"Chuuya..." His friend whispered. Dazai’s eyes are also worried as he carefully observes his situation. In return, Chuuya just grinned at the man to act as if things were alright.
"No worries. We'll get our revenge next time. Once this upcoming Christmas break is over, we've got to pull some pranks on them or something." He groaned in pain and tried to keep his facade, "We’ll definitely make them pay. I’m thinking of putting tomato sauce on their—"
"How much did they hurt you?"
"I'm not even hurt!"
Dazai's eyes calmly stare at him observingly before he lends his hands. Chuuya accepts it as he stands up. Dazai examines his face again, but his facial expression remains almost emotionless as his hands slowly reach to gently touch the building bruise on his jaw, "What did they tell you?"
"Nothing. Forget it!"
Dazai's eyes narrow tenderly.
"You are really stubborn, Chuuya."
"Tch," He slaps Dazai's hands away before putting his hands on his own pocket. He sighs as his voice starts to lower down. He averts his gaze from his friend,, "I just don’t like it when people mess up with you."
Dazai didn't say a word, but an unexplainable, suffocating atmosphere started appearing around him. Chuuya can’t explain it but a dangerously odd feeling creeps into his chest. Despite them having the same height, he feels smaller than Dazai. His friend remains silent, as if millions of things are inside his mind, so Chuuya looks at him suspiciously.
"Are you okay?"
Instantly, like there was a sudden switch in Dazai’s persona, a bright smile plastered on Dazai's face as he playfully pat Chuuya's head, making Chuuya groan and almost kick him. His eyes curved as he stared at the redhead tenderly before his lips crept into a chilling, calm smile.
"Pay attention to your safety next time, kitten."
They went out of that place. They talked about other things to divert their attention from what just happened. Dazai ordered another batch of cola as well. Thankfully, Christmas time is coming, and there will be no classes for the upcoming weeks. They won't see those bullies for a while, and Chuuya’s pretty sure that both he and Dazai can still plan for good pranks against those bullies.
Little did Chuuya know that they won't ever see those people again.
If there is a mysterious murder case that follows some days later where the victims are three people with their tongues cut off— say, those three people study in the same educational institution as him— Chuuya wouldn't know.
He never heard of those three bullies again.
Days passed like a wind, and it's finally Christmas Eve.
Hirotsu prepared a feast for the kids. The entire day went well. Dazai and Chuuya walked into an arcade and played almost the entire day. Around evening, the other butlers had already decorated the entire house with lights and designs. The two kids were the ones who decorated the Christmas tree in return. The living room becomes a mess, but with the sight of the beautiful tree with lots of Christmas balls and decorations, everything is worth it. The mess is cleaned up by multiple butlers afterwards.
After dinner, Dazai and Chuuya play a lot of video games in the living room as they let themselves dwell in entertainment with each other's company.
While the two kids are playing video games, Hirotsu walks down the forbidden hallway towards the Master's office— the unknown person who adopted Chuuya— to organize a few documents inside. In his hands lay golden spare keys that only he, beside the Master themselves, held. The office door is equipped with a variety of locks. As he enters the room, he plays the expensive music cassette in the corner, and the relaxing sound starts filling the room.
It is peaceful and cozy Christmas jazz. The same music is playing in the living room as the two kids are enjoying themselves.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight.
On the walls of the office hang different paintings of roses, and a huge library area where piles of books are located. Hirotsu walks towards the huge wooden table. There are a lot of organized papers placed above it. There is also a golden nameplate with the "Master's" name engraved on it. Hirotsu remains calm as he gets the latest black folder to check the contents inside it. Beyond his spectacles, his eyes read the report written on them.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
Next year all our troubles will be miles away
The Mysterious Tongue-Thieve Murder
On December 20 of the current year, 16-year-old Glen Harson, 16-year-old John Kenedy, and 17-year-old Dane Wigate were murdered in Cabin 24 at the Kee Resort, Yokohama. It was discovered later that all of the victim’s tongues were missing in relation to the tragic methodology of murder. Their jaws are bruised, and their remains were found in the resort’s comfort room. The investigation into finding out who the murderer is remains unknown.
Once again, as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Will be near to us once more
Hirotsu sighs as he continues to read the reports inside. After a while, he put all those documents neatly on the table. The master will arrive after a few hours. The two kids outside are well entertained, and that's what matters most. He didn’t give the folder another glance as he took his strides out of the room, locked the door, and left the cassette continuously playing.
The lights within the mansion shine with vibrant colors. The music is filled with joy. From afar, Hirotsu saw Dazai and Chuuya now sitting curiously beside the extremely huge Christmas tree. There are gifts underneath that the kids prepared for themselves. The old man smiled to himself. At least, the kids are well occupied and enjoying this Christmas Eve. He turned around and walked away.
Someday soon we all will be together
If the fates allow
Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now
"We would always put up a Christmas tree like this in the orphanage and decorate it with the other kids while the headmistress bakes us cookies," Chuuya mumbles while staring at the green tree in front of him, "It has changed."
Dazai remains silent as he looks at the redhead who is gazing up with his face lighting up from the Christmas balls hanging on the tree.
"Then, the other kids would run around the house and it would be so messy, but then, before the night ends, everything will end up quite beautiful. On Christmas eve, the head mistress would prepare the long table. There will be a lot of food for everyone. Oh, there are also hot chocolates and baked pie. Shirase would take a lot on his share, but for once, no one disagrees because there’s a lot of share for everyone."
Thinking about it, this is Chuuya's fifth Christmas in this mansion. On his first Christmas, he didn't go outside at all. Thankfully, Dazai has been very understanding about that. He stayed inside his room while Dazai brought some warm milk and cookies. The two of them didn't decorate a Christmas tree or even exchange gifts. They just stayed there in silence as they waited for the night to end.
Now, it’s different.
Chuuya wants to, at least, pay back his friend for all his sacrifices and patience back then. That is why, even when he misses and longs for the people in the orphanage so much, he wants to try and celebrate Christmas with his friend beside him. It’s the least he can do for Dazai.
The calm music from the house echoes around softly.
Chuuya's eyes stare at the lights in which his ocean blue gaze glimmers. In those eyes, a small moistness appears. If it's just his eyes or there's an upcoming tear that wants to pour down, no one will know. He misses everyone so much, and he’s still in the process of acceptance.
There is a slight silence.
And as he drifted to the memories of the past, his mouth suddenly asked something, "Dazai, do you think I should've died instead?"
Chuuya mumbles those words as he looks at the kid sitting beside him. Dazai stares at him as if the man can see through all the pain inside his soul. It's as if Dazai's gaze can penetrate what's inside his head. Unknowingly, Chuuya sees the pain in the other kid's eyes. Dazai seems to understand and sympathize with him as well.
Inhaling and clenching his jaw despite the innocence in his eyes, he added, "Do you think— do you think I should've died with my family?"
Dazai's eyes soften, and Chuuya gasps inevitably as he sees a single drop of tears sliding down Dazai's cheek while staring at him.
Surprise plastered on Chuuya's well-being. Why is Dazai crying now? He should be the one shedding tears here, but he can't. He can't cry anymore. He's been crying for the past few years in grief. He makes sure to keep his emotions and the monsters of the past sealed inside him to prevent being an inconvenience to others, especially to Dazai. But right at this moment, Dazai is the one shedding the tears that he can’t let go personally.
Dazai is crying for him.
"I value your existence, kitten."
He doesn't know how he should feel about that. Dazai, his friend, values his existence. It’s more than enough to make him feel better. Just the idea of someone valuing his existence amidst the guilt that he’s living with is more than enough for him to continue living.
He's glad that despite what happened, through the "Master" who adopts him, and Dazai himself who’s always with him, it's as if he never loses his family. As long as Dazai is there with him, that's what matters most.
Finally, a small smile appeared on his lips before he moved closer to his friend, and he delicately wiped Dazai's tears with his own hands. Dazai looks at him with innocence but he pauses with his sudden movements.
Chuuya smiles widely.
"Crying doesn’t suit you, but thank you, Dazai."
Dazai's eyes soften even more, and his lips curve slightly into a small smile. He reaches his hands and pats Chuuya's head gently.
"Merry Christmas, Chuuya."
The day is over.
The light in Chuuya's room is bright as the kid is sleeping peacefully on his bed. Dazai calmly stares at the smaller one before he pulls out the soft and warm baby blue blanket that he gave Chuuya earlier as a gift to tuck it on the man. He calmly sighs as he sees how Chuuya is sleeping gently without any fear.
Chuuya is now at peace with him.
Far from the chaotic life that he's been through before.
Dazai reaches out his hand to gently caress Chuuya's hair with care, as if the kid were the most precious porcelain in his life. Chuuya’s cheeks look soft, and his eyelashes are long. He’s also softly snoring. Such an angelic scene filled Dazai’s heart with affection.
"You're safe now, kitten." Dazai whispered before he took a step backward. After a moment, he exhales thinly and turns around, leaving Chuuya sleeping peacefully in his room.
At around past midnight, Hirotsu walks back to the master's office. The owner of this entire mansion has finally arrived. His footsteps echo throughout the hall. The entire mansion is filled with silence. As he stood in front of the wooden door, Hirotsu fixed his suit properly as a sign of respect.
He turned the metallic knob, and he easily opened it since it was no longer locked.
He's indeed here.
He presses the button that he always has inside his pocket to summon the remaining maids and butlers who take care of this mansion. Such maids and butlers are people who are experienced in martial arts and are good at fighting. They are enough to protect everyone in this mansion if any inconvenience were to happen. After just a few minutes, everyone is now waiting with him outside the door.
"We're coming in, Master."
He opened the door and they entered inside. The seat where the owner should sit isn't empty anymore. The maids and butlers bow at the owner with all their respect. Hirotsu, on the other hand, bowed as well before walking in front to give the person the documents he had prepared accordingly. It’s a black folder that was lying earlier on the table.
The person they called master gazes at everyone with calm and calculated eyes. He observes everyone’s face as if he’s analyzing people’s intentions in their entirety. He eventually accepts the documents and puts them aside as if he already knew all the contents inside.
"Tell me," The voice of the owner whispers calmly, "How are things going so far in this mansion?"
Hirotsu politely answers, "Everything is going smoothly, Master."
The man's eyes remained impassive, "I'm asking for your deliberate insight, Hirotsu."
"Very well," Hirotsu nods, and one of the butlers stands up to give him another document, "Here is the report with all the detailed necessities that you need, Master."
The man's lips remained calmly pressed against each other but his eyes were hollow and manipulative. No one could read what lingers behind those pairs of eyes. Hirotsu handed the document filled with documentation on all of Chuuya's movements and character development within the span of the week. It is very detailed. There is a lot of important information like what was the best and worst food that he tasted, what he did last Tuesday in the garden, all of it.
The man smiles calmly— but that smile hides a hidden danger.
"Thank you."
There's not even a glint of genuine gratitude within those words, but they are believable nonetheless as if it is a sweet poison injected into anyone's veins. Hirotsu's eyes landed on the set aside document about the murder case that just happened recently with a specific title. He had read about it earlier, but it seems as if the Master himself changed something about its name.
Pest Annihilation: Case 42
His gaze lowered and later landed on the Master's name carved on a golden bar:
| Osamu Dazai. |
A jolt of danger and fear ran down his spine as he looked up again and met the kid's calm gaze. He looks innocent and carefree but Hirotsu knows best. He knows what this child is capable of. He knows every single danger that lurks behind the kid’s tender eyes and gentle expression.
With deep respect, obedience, and subordination, Hirotsu kneels on one knee. The others did the same. Osamu Dazai, on the other hand, impassively looks at everyone kneeling in front of him. The silence inside the room was later on broken when Hirotsu finally spoke.
"Is there something else that we have to take care of again, Master?"
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