𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒊𝒅

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟡 - 𝕆𝕓𝕛𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕟𝕕 ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕠𝕤𝕒𝕝

"No."

One word that made her baffled, and her face contorted with a frown. "What?"

"I said no" Haruko sternly responded.

She hadn't expected Haruko, of all people, to respond to her intention to be involved with the government alongside Dazai when she returned to Yokohama. She had imagined that he would simply nod in agreement, as he used to do, and applaud her choices, which she believed were the best course to follow. When she came face-to-face with Haruko in their apartment, his brows knitted together until they creased as he vehemently objected to what she had just said. She could only look at him baffled at the moment, all questions were clearly written on her visage

"We are currently happy here, Nee-chan. You now want to join the government. What if they find out your true identity?? Isn't that too much of a risk for you to take?!" He was able to yell out, but not loud enough for others to hear.

For safety precautions, she had already created a barrier to elude the possibility that someone might eavesdrop, which went unnoticed by the young boy while he was blinded by his own enraging thoughts.

"Haruko..." her eyes dilated with surprise, but she realised why he opposed the idea.

He was afraid of her being beheaded. Her former crimes would also be a result of her being beheaded or other usual procedures for executing a criminal, no matter the status and age a person must have. Rumor has it that a dangerous individual will be imprisoned in a place where no outside contact will be made with the criminal. He might have thought that she would be branded as one of the most dangerous, that it would be more difficult to communicate with her, and he would highly oppose that to happen. The government and the secret organization that was to monitor ability users would know of her existence and would probably not be hesitant to deprive her existence through the law they had implemented. In their eyes, she is none other than a criminal from the Port Mafia.

In spite of his own rigid thoughts, he forgot the purpose upon Dazai's abrupt yet early return.

"Haruko." She called him with her composure in place, trying not to tremble or leak any of her bafflement as she understood what he was coming with. Haruko looked at her in the eye, not averting them, and his eyes were filled with anger and worry. She understands his concern, but she must do this.

For his sake and the others.

"You must have known the particular reason upon Dazai-nii's return. It's already been obvious that the matter of him settling underground had been completed. Therefore, our past will be deprived from society. Even the government would have to deal with such adversity by digging through the suspicions of the eradicated records of our past." Her words are cold and stern, looking at Haruko like she had known what he thought. He stiffened and was unable to aggravate longer due to her overwhelming intimidation she gave off.

"Taking a job that is relevant to the government would restrain any further activities from my capture, if that claim of ours is accurate." She stated her eyes remained cold, which could send shivers down one's spine when they aren't used to her tendency to be austere. She would often be this serious, despite her usual aloof demeanor. It doesn't seem that she wanted to be cold and make others cower in fear. Unless she had a reason to be stern, and this was one of those times.