Dazai's Childish Predicament

Chapter 18

"Is anyone here not useless?!" The sound of paper slamming against the table echoed throughout the meeting room. "I task you all with planning our mission and you neglect to inform me that Nakahara is scheduled to be away on the day of our attack! "

The men and women seated around the table refused to meet the man's eyes, hoping they didn't get singled out to explain.

"You surely know that I have a boss to report back to and she won't be happy to hear this."

"But boss, can't we just kill Dazai while Nakahara is away?" One man piped up, bravely.

"Yeah it'd make taking down the Port Mafia a hell of a lot easier, that's for sure," Another woman added.

"Exactly! Without Nakahara to get in the way, taking down the rest should be at least a little easier,"

More people voiced their opinions, emboldened by the first few.

"QUIET!"

The room went silent.

"You may all be crucial members to our little group but that does not mean you can question my decisions. Firstly, even without Nakahara, it'll take everything we have to bring down the Port Mafia. Have you forgotten about Kaiji and his bombs? Akutagawa and his ruthless ability? Tachihara? Hirotsu? Kouyou? Mori himself? Nakahara is the least of your worries given he currently can't use Corruption."

"We didn't know he'd be away..." A voice broke the silence.

"And why not? Sleeping at your post again? We have the place bugged there's no way you couldn't have known. Missions like this aren't planned overnight."

"He agreed to lead the mission not two hours ago, boss. We had no way of knowing he'd be added so late."

Silence settled over the room for a few moments then the man sighed and rubbed his temples. "I suppose that can't be helped then..." He sat down in his chair and thought to himself for a moment, not noticing the subtle relaxing of everyone else in the room. "I'll have to approve this with the boss, but it seems like we'll have to push the date back. She seems fairly adamant to have Chuuya around when we make the attack, though I have no idea why..."

The meeting was cut short after the sudden news and everyone got back to work proposing new dates and drawing up new plans, leaving the man to deal with his boss.

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"So, he's going away for a week?" The young woman said disapprovingly as the news was relayed to her. "How annoying..."

"It is a major setback, but maybe this way we'll be a little more prepared?"

"I would hope we're more prepared given we now have an extra week to make sure nothing goes wrong. If we're not I'll be severely disappointed in all of you."

"Then I'll personally make sure we're ready then, boss...uh...if I may ask...how will you factor into our plans?"

"Surely that's obvious."

"O-Of course it is! I just want to make doubly sure so nothing is unexpected."

"Chuuya is mine to deal with. I will keep him busy and take him out while the rest of you focus on bringing down the Port Mafia and capturing Dazai. If Chuuya turns out to be an absolute pushover then I'll go for Dazai myself. Clear enough for you?"

"Yes, thank you, boss!"

"You are dismissed."

The man left the room and the young woman picked up a pen on her desk, making it levitate a few centimetres above the tip of her finger.