Withering moon lit rose

Chapter 31

"So your name is Izumi Kyoka?" Atsushi questioned, it had been a few hours since Dazai had informed the pair of the plan. They decided their best option was to have Kyoka befriend Atsushi and eventually hack away at the damage that had been done. They were unaware how long it would take but promised they would succeed.

"So you're gonna become a stalker now?" Yosano questioned as she was about to enter the infirmary, but saw the man staring at Atsushi from the slightly ajar door.

"Not a stalker." He sighed while walking away from the door, he collapsed into his desk chair with his head resting on the back, eyes closed. Yosano perched herself on the edge of his desk.

"You know you could ask Kyoka to put in a good word for you? See how it goes. If it works great! If not, well you'll just have to wait a little longer." Akutagawa shook his head at her words. The look he'd given him in that alley had stuck in his mind. No matter how much of a 'good word' Kyoka put in he wouldn't want to speak with him.

"God you really can be doom and gloom, your sister was right about you. It's a shame I can't just use my ability to heal him. But it's manipulation not injury so my ability is of no use." Yosano hopped off the desk then patted her skirt down for any dirt. Although there was none as she had wiped off any dirt earlier when she sat on the desk earlier conversing with Gin. Sadly she had to get back as Ichiyo would be back soon and she had promised she'd make dinner for all four of them.

Yosano began to make her way into the infirmary and remained there for the next 2 hours. When she left she was accompanied by Kyoka. But the man behind Kyoka caught Akutagawa off guard.
"Atsushi has contacted his employer and told them he will be having some time off." Yosano announced to everyone in the agency, Akutagawa tried to hide himself behind his computer. To no avail. Atsushi still glanced at him, it wasn't the same look as before but he still tightened the grip he'd had on his arm.

"Atsushi, I know you don't trust us as one of our members had an unkind method of bringing you to us..." She trailed off and looked towards Akutagawa. "What did you expect me to do, beg him to come with me?" Akutagawa thought.

"But we have some things we wish to show you. Our boss would like to have a word with you if that's okay?" Atsushi nodded in agreement, he had a small smile on his face but his eyes looked devoid of a smile. Anyone could see it.

Atsushi made his way into Fukuzawa's office alone, he was greeted by the man and another person.

"Wow Atsushi! You sure have changed a lot in 3 years?" The man questioned.

"My apologies but do I know you?" Atsushi raised an eyebrow as he stepped backwards slightly in fear of the man.

"Oh right. My name is Ranpo Edogawa," He crossed his legs on the desk as he was in Fukazawa's seat. "But you can just call me the world's greatest detective." Atsushi smirked slightly at the man's nickname for himself.

"It is very nice to meet you detective Edogawa. This must be your boss beside you, am I correct?" Fukuzawa nodded in agreement.

"Yes, It's good to see you again, Atsushi. I am aware of your current predicament," Atsushi was confused by the man's words but sensed no threat from the man so allowed him to continue. "If you'd like, I could show you something that proves you worked here in the past." Atsushi's jaw slackened slightly. He'd worked here? Not possible. The minute he set foot in Yokohama three years ago he'd been hunted at every turn. The one time he'd found a relaxing time he'd witnessed a girl's suicide. Well not really suicide as she was in the room next door. He nodded slowly, if he had proof he'd want to see it.

Fukuzawa turned his back to Atsushi to gather two photos in frames. One photo was of the day Kyoka joined the agency officially, the other was a photo of a few of the agency members in the small cafe downstairs it was the week after Atsushi had joined.

"Do you recall either of these photos being taken?" Fukuzawa asked as he presented them to him. Atsushi stared at them bewildered for a few seconds. That was him. Really him!

He was genuinely smiling in the photos. Although he had to admit his clothing looked a lot better than what he currently was in. A grey shirt, with black trousers linked to some black suspenders.
He looked so depressed, like some emo kid.

He even had a black coat to go with his clothes but he'd discarded that in the infirmary. He reached out to pick up the photo but stopped himself, he briefly looked at Fukuzawa who nodded at him to take it. He had a small thought cloud his mind that this was edited, that this was some elaborate plan to convince him to join another organisation. But he knew somehow that this was real. What he held in his hand was genuine, untouched since the day it was taken. But something was wrong, he felt like there was something he couldn't grasp from the photos. Something that had happened just after these photos were taken. He just wasn't sure.

"Also I've seen that Mafia dog sitting at someone's desk for a while now. Aren't you going to chase him out?" He questioned while still admiring the photos. Ranpo tilted his head in confusion.

"You mean Akutagawa? He works here. Why would we chase him off?" He then moved to open a drawer and pulled out a lollipop which he quickly plopped in his mouth. Fukuzawa shook his head at the boy's addiction to sweets, he never changed.

"What? But I killed him? How could he work here if I killed him?" Atsushi's words started to become erratic. Nothing was making sense to him anymore, the suicide bomber never died? He never killed the Mafia dog? He worked at this company? He had friends who accepted him despite his past?

"It's simple really." Ranpo answered finally, Atsushi's mind was still in turmoil.

"You never killed him. And there's a lot more your going to want to know." He spun around in the chair now facing the window. Ranpo had said what he wanted and now he was bored. Fukuzawa shook his head at Ranpo's rudeness but quickly realised Atsushi was holding onto the picture tightly.

"If you'd like you can keep it. I can always get another. And it looks like you need it a lot more than I do right now." Atsushi smiled in thanks. His eyes were still dull but the slightest bit of light was present. He quickly left the office and made his way back to the infirmary which he's deemed his room at the current time. He sat with the bed covers pooled at his feet, the frame to his right and curled up with his knees up to his chest. God he hated this. He hated not knowing anything. He decided what was best was to try and think back on all the memories he believed to be his own. If he could find an error or something that didn't line up he'd know where to start.