i was screaming your name through the radio. | skk

Chapter 8: For One Night, and One Night Only

January 25th, Three Hours Since the Release of Arahabaki

Dazai is severely regretting his decision to never get a driver's license of his own as he power walks from the ADA office towards the direction of Port Mafia Records. He's trying to keep his emotions in check, but he's having a hard time when his pulse is racing and his mind is going even faster than that.

If Chuuya had done this because of him, because of the things that Dazai had said in his fury in August or October, he will never forgive himself. He hadn't meant it, not a single word. He'd just been so angry and frustrated. He'd wanted to strike back at Chuuya after he'd taunted him with perfectly delivered barbs.

Dazai would never have imagined Chuuya would take his words seriously enough to release the song that had been so damaging to himself at sixteen, the song he'd reviled even more than Corruption.

Dazai dials a phone number as he walks, drumming his fingers against the case impatiently as he waits for the person to pick up.

"Just because you helped me with Kyouka does not mean you have permission to use this number," says Kouyou when she answers.

Dazai ignores that completely. "Where's Chuuya?"

There's a pause before she responds. "Why do you want to know?"

"Where is he?" repeats Dazai, barely keeping a calm tone.

"He's in his apartment," says Kouyou with a sigh. "He said he wanted the morning to himself."

"Which is where?" asks Dazai, losing his grip on the calmness a little bit now.

"In the same building he's lived in since he was fifteen," says Kouyou irritably. "Top floor now. You need the key code to get in."

"Kouyou Ozaki, if you do not give me the code I swear you will regret it," declares Dazai, not even caring about sounding calm anymore.

Kouyou gives him the code, though she sounds extremely put out about it. She starts to say something else, but Dazai hangs up on her.

Late March, Nearly Six Years and Two Months Since the Release of Corruption

Dazai swings open the door enthusiastically as he walks into the ADA, and it hits the opposite wall with a satisfying thud. He has a bright smile on his face as he strolls inside. (It might be the fakest expression he's ever worn in the vicinity.)

Most of his coworkers are in the main office, surrounding the large table Kunikida had dragged into the center of the room to serve as their "strategy center" since this whole fiasco began. Ranpo calls it their war room and uses it to store his snacks on (much to Kunikida's ire).

Ranpo is eating a bag of chips in a chair at the far end of the table, and he waves a hand lazily as Dazai walks into the room. Kenji and Tanizaki are sitting on one side of the table, and Atsushi is sitting across from them. Their heads all turn to face Dazai when they hear the bang of the door against the wall.

Kunikida is standing up near the head of the table, having clearly been pacing. He stops and looks up as well when Dazai enters, though his facial expression is much darker than the others.

"And where, exactly, have you been?" demands Kunikida (Dazai should seriously have been keeping a running tab of how many times he's asked him that, it's got to be up in the hundreds by now.) Kunikida scowls and crosses his arms. "We all usually tolerate your frequent absences, but this is hardly the time for one of them. Particularly when you're the only one who knows anything that could potentially be helpful about dealing with Port Mafia Records."

"I stopped by PMR to see an old nemesis," says Dazai casually. He keeps his grin in place as he strolls into the room. He leans against the back of the empty chair next to Atsushi. "It was very illuminating."