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. '

It had also been a lot of other things besides illuminating, but Dazai isn 't going to reveal any of those right now.

His brain had tried to recognize him as Chuuya Nakahara, PMR executive and professional rival. His heart had just gone

there you are

(it remains to this day the most useless organ in his body.)

.

It had been perhaps the worst and most excruciating dichotomy he 'd ever been exposed to.

If you wanted a negotiation you could have gone to Mori. Or Kouyou. Or literally anyone else,

Chuuya had said, accusing Dazai of trying to piss him off. In reality, Dazai hadn 't even made a choice. The second he 'd decided things had escalated enough he needed to go to PMR he 'd known Chuuya would be the one he sought out.

He can 't decide now if he regrets the decision or not. Dazai had gotten the intel he 'd needed to help the ADA and Atsushi. He should be thinking of it as a definitive win. Instead, he feels like he 'd just torn off the bandaid of a wound he 'd deluded himself into thinking had healed and is bleeding all over the place.

Thankfully he 's not enough of a mess that his coworkers can see how much he 's reeling. It helps that Dazai had taken the long way back to the office, walking with the ocean beside him as he 'd left PMR (he 's supposed to absolutely loathe the place, not feel nostalgic about the salty air and sounds of the waves.)

Anyway, these are all deficiencies that he can address later, when he 's alone. Dazai will keep his shit together for the rest of the day. Then when he 's by himself in his apartment later he can torture himself by analyzing and replaying the encounter over and over again in his mind, should be a fun evening.

But right now, the ADA needs him. So Dazai winks at Atsushi as the boy looks up at him with wide eyes before turning to smirk at a bewildered Kunikida. He seems to be wavering between being shocked and being annoyed.

'You just walked right in there? ' asks Kunikida, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

'PMR isn 't actually interested in signing Atsushi, ' announces Dazai, ignoring the question. He shifts to a more serious tone (his ADA version of serious, much lighter than his PMR one had been). 'All of the pieces are falling into place now. It didn 't make sense why they were so adamant about signing an unknown artist who wasn 't interested. They have tons of other artists, one failed recruitment shouldn 't matter to them. '

None of his coworkers interrupt him (which is a rare occurrence), but Dazai guesses they might still be surprised about his willingness to go to PMR and that he 's openly talking about them this much. Ordinarily whenever the record company comes up Dazai just makes a disgusted face and whines until they change the subject. He 's had to speak about them more this past week and a half since he 'd met Atsushi than he had in his past 2 and a half years at the ADA.

'But PMR was asked to negotiate a contract on behalf of The Guild, ' continues Dazai, 'So it would reflect very poorly on them if they were unsuccessful. ' He keeps his face impassive as he delivers the news, observing his coworkers reactions.

Ranpo doesn 't look very surprised, not that he ever does. He simply nods, taking in the new information thoughtfully. Tanizaki has the sour expression he always wears whenever PMR comes up. Kenji has his head titled in contemplation, a bit more serious than usual but still carefree for the most part. Atsushi 's expression is more difficult to understand. He seems to have some conflicting emotions, but he ends up looking down at the table and frowning slightly.

'Why is The Guild so interested in him? ' asks Kunikida. He seems to be taking the new information in stride, though Dazai can tell he 's slightly uncomfortable.

'That I don 't know, ' says Dazai with a shrug. 'I 've only met F. Scott Fitzgerald a handful of times. Not that I 'd have wanted to interact with him more, his pompous and elitist attitude is nauseating. '

'And why would The Guild go to Port Mafia Records instead of just trying to recruit Atsushi themselves? ' asks Tanizaki. He looks less sour now and more confused.

'A very good question, Tanizaki, ' says Ranpo. He puts down his empty chip bag and crosses his arms while leaning back in his chair.

'Did your 'contact at PMR give you any more details? ' asks Kunikida. He tries to keep his face blank, but he can 't stop his small frown.

'Even getting that much out of them was a chore, ' says Dazai, whining dramatically. 'We 're not exactly pals, Kunikida. '

'I 'm going to speak with the president, ' says Kunikida. He walks towards the hallway that leads to the president 's office. 'I 'll update him on the situation and see if he has any thoughts about The Guild 's motivations. '

Dazai doubts he 'll know anything, but he doesn 't try to stop him. He kind of feels like this whole day is happening to somebody else and he 's just watching. He clutches the chair in front of him a bit tighter to fight off the feeling.

'You all have work that you could be doing, ' calls out Kunikida as he exits the room, fixing them with a grave look.

Tanizaki and Kenji take his advice, moving over to Tanizaki 's desk to look at one of the songs for Light Snow, which has mostly taken a backseat since Atsushi has arrived. Tanizaki is handling it better now than he would have when Dazai had first joined the ADA. He seems a little disappointed, but he isn 't letting that stop him from helping Atsushi.

Ranpo pulls out his phone and starts tapping on the screen. Dazai always has trouble figuring out if he 's playing a game or working on a song, both options are equally likely.

Dazai exhales a little sharply and walks over to the coffee pot in the break area, pouring himself a large cup. He 's not physically tired right now, but he 's emotionally exhausted.

'Want a cup, Atsushi? ' Dazai asks him while glancing at him over his shoulder. He 'd noticed he 's still looking down at the table with a forlorn expression.

'Is there any tea? ' asks Atsushi, shaking his head slightly. He stands up and walks over to join Dazai at the counter. 'Or coffee is completely fine if there isn 't any. '

Dazai can 't fight off the automatic frown. He 's so on edge even a

beverage

is making him lose it. 'You 're a tea drinker? ' He manages to keep his voice mostly neutral as he grabs a tea bag and fills a mug with water to heat up in their ancient microwave.

'I, uh, read it was good for the vocal cords somewhere once, ' says Atsushi sheepishly.

'Never understand why people want to drink stupid grass water, ' mutters Dazai under his breath. He hands Atsushi the mug with a bright smile though after it 's done heating up.

'Thanks, ' says Atsushi softly. He dips the tea bag in the mug to steep it absentmindedly. He doesn 't move to drink it while it 's boiling hot though (which is another unpleasant memory Dazai has to shove down forcefully, this day feels like a god damn

century

).

Dazai turns his attention towards Atsushi 's obvious distress instead. He hasn 't known Atsushi very long, but the kid isn 't very subtle about his emotions. He tends to wear his heart of his sleeve. Dazai can tell he 's clearly upset about something but trying to put on a brave face.

'Something wrong? ' asks Dazai easily, keeping his voice low enough that nobody else in the office can hear him.

'What? ' asks Atsushi, blinking rapidly. 'No, nothing 's wrong. '

Dazai finds some amusement in how different his own and Atsushi 's abilities differ when it comes to lying. He fights off a smile though to keep his face neutral. 'Are you sure? '

'It 's just ', ' says Atsushi, staring into his tea instead of looking at Dazai. 'You guys have done so much for me, and I feel terrible that I 've caused the ADA so many problems. And Port Mafia Records didn 't even really want to sign me. ' His voice grows quieter on his last sentence, just the slightest tremble in the words.

Dazai frowns and drums his fingers against his coffee cup as he contemplates Atsushi 's words. For the ADA, it 's a good thing that PMR isn 't invested in Atsushi. It will make dealing with them simpler. For Atsushi, it 's a bit more complicated.

He 's not sure if Atsushi is sharing his feelings with Dazai because of Dazai 's own experiences with PMR or because he trusts him the most out of everyone. Atsushi has been sticking pretty close to Dazai since Dazai dragged him here after his attempted robbery. Either way, Dazai can help to put his mind more at ease. He might not be able to fix his own horrendous mood, but he can help Atsushi with his.

'Ogai Mori is a lot of things, ' says Dazai, looking Atsushi right in the eyes. 'But there is no one I know with better instincts about which musicians are going to be successful. It 's frankly a little frightening how he always manages to find the most talented people. ' He gives Atsushi a small grin. 'I 'm not sure why The Guild went to PMR to recruit you, but I know Mori would never get involved in a business deal that he thought would make Port Mafia Records look bad. He never would have agreed to it if he thought you weren 't capable. '

Atsushi 's eyes are a little bright as they look back at Dazai, his mug is shaking the slightest bit. Then he ducks his head and says softly, 'Thanks, Dazai. '

'I 'm just telling the truth, ' says Dazai with a shrug.

'It 's not that I wanted to sign with them, ' says Atsushi, clearing his throat to sound steadier again. 'I don 't. I just ' '

'You don 't have to explain yourself to me, ' says Dazai brightly. He smiles at Atsushi widely.

'I 'm going to do my best to make it up to you, ' says Atsushi, tone more earnest than melancholic now. 'To all of you. You took a chance on me when you had no reason to. '

'I wouldn 't say we had no reason to, ' says Dazai, smirking a little. 'We did get a new singer out of it. '

Atsushi smiles at him, shaking his head. Then he glances around them and his expression shifts to a more worried one. Dazai internally sighs, preparing himself for more self-doubt, which is why Atsushi 's question catches him so off guard. 'Are you okay? '

Dazai almost chokes on his coffee. He swallows roughly, then fixes Atsushi with a blank look, raising an eyebrow. 'Why wouldn 't I be okay? '

'You said you went to see someone from Port Mafia Records to get the information, ' says Atsushi, concern evident in his voice. 'From what everyone has said, it sounds like you aren 't on very good terms with anyone from there. It must have been uncomfortable. '

'Eh, it was nothing, ' says Dazai flippantly, trying to brush him off without being rude. He smiles lightly. 'I 've had paper cuts that have bothered me more. '

'Alright, ' says Atsushi, accepting Dazai 's lies easily. 'Thanks for the tea. ' He gives Dazai one last smile before going to join Tanizaki and Kenji, offering to help them with the song they 're working on.

Dazai watches him go, keeping a cheerful expression on his face. Then he turns and faces the counter again, setting down his coffee and cleaning up the slight mess he 'd made while preparing the drinks (which is wildly out of character for him, but he needs a moment to himself right now.)

Now that there isn 't anyone who can see him, he allows his expression to drop. Once he 's done tidying up Dazai picks up his coffee again and stares into it blankly, his throat catching pathetically despite his earlier resolutions to keep his shit together.

What would he have said to Atsushi if he were being honest?

Actually, it was hell. My former partner made it abundantly clear how much he loathes me. Despite everything that 's happened, I feel the exact opposite towards him.

But while Dazai is equally touched and disturbed by Atsushi 's concern, he certainly isn 't looking to unload his problems on anyone, especially not a timid kid with his own issues. Dazai is determined to fight down these feelings. He will not allow himself to falter, not now when the ADA actually needs him.

Dazai chugs the rest of his coffee then sets the mug down on the counter roughly, leaving the dirty cup sitting there (to make up for his earlier cleanliness). He then fixes a smile on his face as he walks over to join Atsushi, Tanizaki, and Kenji to try and give them some guidance on the song they 're working on.

Three days after Dazai had strolled into Chuuya 's office and turned Chuuya 's entire life into a fucking shit show, Mori calls an executive meeting. The atmosphere is incredibly tense in the room. Even Ace isn 't his usually arrogant self, he 's sitting quietly in his chair with a neutral expression.

In other circumstances, Chuuya might find that amusing. In the present, Chuuya has never been further from laughing.

After he 'd been able to breathe normally after Dazai had left his office (which had been much longer than Chuuya would like to admit) he 'd gone immediately to see Mori to tell him everything. Or rather he 'd told him the details that were relevant to PMR and kept the nasty personal business to himself.

Mori hadn 't seemed surprised about Dazai showing up after four years of radio silence. If anything, he 'd looked less stressed than when Chuuya had spoken to him on the plane. But Mori had just thanked Chuuya for updating him and then moved on to discussing their next move.

Mori had asked Chuuya to take over some of Mori 's work for the time being so that Mori could focus on dealing with the current situation. People 's faces had been pretty bewildered when Chuuya had been the one to walk into meetings Mori had been the one to set up. Chuuya has just been jumping straight into business though, he never explains why the boss isn 't there. No one has questioned him on it so far.

It 's a good thing Mori 's workload is fucking astronomical (Chuuya has no idea how the man does it all regularly) because it keeps Chuuya from having time to think about Dazai.

Chuuya had never fooled himself into believing he 'd gotten over what had happened with Dazai. But he 'd been able to push it aside, he hadn 't been letting it hold him back. But seeing him in person, hearing his voice and witnessing his ridiculously fake expressions, he 'd been forced into acknowledging all the feelings he 'd tried for so long to bury.

Chuuya is still angry, in fact he 's more pissed off than ever that Dazai had waltzed right into his life and asked Chuuya for information so casually. But the strongest feeling he 'd felt from that encounter hadn 't been anger. If anything, he 's most angry with himself. He 's the not the same person he 'd been four years ago, he 's changed. But his feelings for Dazai haven 't changed at all. If anything, seeing him again made his absence burn more than it had in years.

Chuuya isn 't going to allow his control to slip now though. He 's missed Dazai for years, just because it 's stronger now doesn 't mean he has to let it affect him. Chuuya is determined to take down those bastards from the ADA, Dazai included. He keeps reminding himself not to let his personal feelings get in the way. This isn 't about him, it 's about PMR.

'Thank you all for rearranging your schedules, ' says Mori to begin the meeting. His facial expression is difficult to make out. It 's not his fake cheerful one, but it 's not his calculating one either. 'I appreciate your dedication these past couple weeks. PMR is lucky to have all of you. '

Chuuya is barely able to fight off giving the boss an incredulous look. Mori isn 't one to waste his time on compliments, not unless he wants something. And usually if he does give one, it 's targeted towards the person he needs something from. It 's unusual for him to praise all of them at once.

Chuuya glances quickly at Kouyou to gauge her reaction, and he can see she is also wary. He quickly looks back to Mori as he continues speaking though.

'The deal with The Guild is off, ' announces Mori, keeping his tone devoid of all emotion. 'We no longer have any interest in Atsushi Nakajima. I 've informed Ryuunosuke of this and instructed him to focus on his upcoming tour exclusively now. '

Chuuya once again has to work to keep his expression blank. They were giving up? That is so unlike Mori it 's insane. He also should probably check on Akutagawa later if he gets a chance, he 's probably livid.

'Fitzgerald wouldn 't have stood for that without some sort of penalty, ' says Ace. Ace doesn 't hide his own shock and displeasure. Chuuya is almost impressed he 's willing to openly ask Mori about this when the man is exuding such a dangerous energy.

'I can handle Francis, ' says Mori, smiling for the first time. It 's sharp rather than cheerful though. 'It 's nothing any of you need to worry about. '

No one speaks up this time. They all just nod deferentially.

'Our focus now is the success of Port Mafia Records, ' says Mori. His tone is finally gaining its calculating edge, which is insanely relieving. 'Akutagawa and his upcoming tour are a priority. I 've also made the decision that Kyouka is to start working on an album. '

'I don 't believe she 's ready for that, ' says Kouyou. Her expression is neutral, but her eyes are cold as she looks at Mori.

'I wasn 't aware that I was asking for your input, Ozaki, ' says Mori flatly. He returns Kouyou 's look, challenging her to disagree with him further.

Kouyou 's entire body goes rigid, but she nods and fixes her gaze at the table instead of at Mori.

'Excellent, ' says Mori, switching to a bright tone. 'As you 're so close with her, you can assist her with it. I 'm sure you 'll make fast progress. ' The words are heavy with expectation.

'Of course, ' says Kouyou. To most, she sounds perfectly calm and agreeable. But Chuuya knows her well enough to see how she 's absolutely outraged under the surface. Mori probably can too, but he either ignores it or doesn 't care.

'I look forward to seeing the end result, ' says Mori easily. 'Those were the major announcements I wanted to cover. I don 't want to keep you from your work. It 's a critical time for Port Mafia Records. We can 't afford any screw ups. '

It 's a dismissal and an order. Kouyou gets up to leave almost immediately. She 's perfectly poised as she exits the room, and Chuuya winces as he watches her go. He 'll have to go talk to her later too.

She 's fiercely protective over Kyouka, even more so than she had been over himself when Chuuya was a teenager. If anyone other than Mori had done this Kouyou would have eviscerated them. Actually, Chuuya is a little worried she 's going to do something stupid to defy the boss anyway. He is not looking forward to having that conversation.

Ace also leaves the room, but Chuuya doesn 't. He stays in his chair and waits until the door shuts behind Ace so that he and Mori are alone.

'Did you need something? ' asks Mori. He crosses his arms and leans back in his chair.

'Just trying to understand something, ' says Chuuya mildly, 'Because it seems to me like you 're happy that The Guild called off the deal. '

It takes Chuuya a moment to realize that the sound coming out of Mori 's mouth is laughter. He 's never heard the boss laugh before. Mori is smiling widely as he chuckles.

'It 's a relief to no longer have to pretend to play nice with everyone, ' says Mori, still grinning. 'But now we can simply destroy the people who are trying to challenge us. '

'How are we going to do that? ' asks Chuuya, more confused than ever. They 'd just pissed off one of the most powerful people in the music industry. There is sure to be consequences. Not to mention there 's still the ADA to deal with.

'You can leave that part to me, ' says Mori confidently. 'I 'm going to need you to stick around in L.A. for a while though and take over the music projects I 'd been working on. We won 't win this without the help of everyone. I could also use your assistance keeping Kouyou in line. '

'I 'm sure she 's going to do her best to help Kyouka, ' says Chuuya, forcing the words to come out casually with extreme effort. He would never say anything bad about Kouyou, not even to Mori.

'Of that I have no doubt, ' agrees Mori. 'But that 's not what we need right now. '

'I can offer to help her with Kyouka, ' says Chuuya, barely fighting off a sigh. Now he 's dreading talking to Kouyou even more than before. The last thing he wants right now is to get in the middle of some kind of turf war between Mori and Kouyou. Hopefully he can somehow steer them away from a conflict.

'In ordinary circumstances I would have allowed Kouyou to dillydally until she arbitrarily decided the girl was ready, but we can 't afford that kind of delay right now, ' says Mori with a small frown. He leans his head against one of his hands. 'The girl is ready vocally, and things are about to get very complicated soon. We need a strong showing a force right now that Port Mafia Records is steadier than ever and capable of producing successful artists. '

'Has The Guild made a move yet? ' asks Chuuya, not able to hide the concern in his voice. He 's never been this worried about PMR before. They 've always seemed infallible ever since he 'd signed here when he was fifteen. He had never doubted they could make it though anything unscathed. He 's extremely unsettled by the possibility they could be entering a real challenge to the company he thinks of as his home.

'Not yet, ' says Mori. He smiles, more violently than cheerfully. 'This is a preemptive move. It 's often said that whoever strikes first is the one to win in war. '

Mori 's savage enthusiasm helps to put him as ease. There 's no one else he 'd rather have in charge of steering PMR through this. The boss has never lost before. Chuuya will do whatever it takes to support him so they make it through this.

'Then we better be sure to strike hard, ' says Chuuya with a dark smile of his own.

Early April, Six Years, Two Months, & One Week Since the Release of Corruption

Things have been going eerily smoothly for almost two weeks now. Right after Dazai had suffered through the ordeal of going to PMR to get information (an experience that still plagues him more than he 'd like), PMR had seemingly decided to pull back. They hadn 't had any contact with them since. Akutagawa hasn 't been anywhere near the place with his insulting and ineffective recruitment strategies.

Dazai 's coworkers think it 's a good thing. They 've been in good spirits with the new state of things. Atsushi is starting to settle into the ADA, though he still tends to hang around Dazai the most. Everyone is doing their best to welcome him and get him into the groove of things at the ADA.

Everyone thinks their dealings with PMR are behind them. Everyone, that is, except for Dazai.

Because Mori has never given up on

anything

in his entire life, and Dazai highly doubts he would start now.

The more time that passes without them hearing anything from PMR, the more unsettled Dazai becomes. He keeps his apprehensiveness to himself though. He doesn 't want to ruin things for everyone on the off chance he 's being paranoid. He doesn 't have anything concrete to back up his theory beyond his personal experiences with PMR, and that 's still something he can 't bring up easily (even though he 'd been drilled on information about them the previous couple weeks).

Dazai is sitting at his desk currently, tapping his pen against the wood to help him deal with a chorus that 's giving him some trouble and to annoy Kunikida (a double whammy). Ranpo and Atsushi are sitting at Ranpo 's desk while Ranpo is giving Atsushi a beginner 's lesson on songwriting (it 's a lot more bragging than actual instruction.) Tanizaki and Kenji are in Yosano 's office doing some edits (Tanizaki 's expression had been very grim as they approached the door.)

Dazai smiles when he feels Kunikida rip the pen that he 's tapping out of his hand.

'Stop that, ' commands Kunikida. 'That never actually helps you when you 're struggling. It 's just noise. '

'I find it therapeutic, ' argues Dazai, crossing his arms. 'The noise keeps me from thinking too hard. '

'I don 't think any of us have ever worried about you thinking too hard, ' says Kunikida snippily.

That gets a laugh out of Dazai. He can always rely on Kunikida to be himself even when Dazai is jittery and trying to hide it. He allows Kunikida to steal his pen and lets out a dramatic sigh.

'You look at it then, ' whines Dazai, tossing the sheet music at Kunikida so that it almost hits him in the face. Kunikida snatches it out of the air before it can though.

He glares at Dazai and opens his mouth to start delivering what is sure to be a long and winding series of complaints when the sound of the door to the office being flung open cuts him off.

Dazai seriously wonders if they should start locking the thing.

A very tall man with short platinum blonde hair strolls into the room. His tan suit is high-end, as is everything else he 's wearing. He glances around the room as he walks towards them, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

'Jesus Christ, this place is a

dump

, ' says Francis Key Scott Fitzgerald. His words are dripping in condescension. His looks at the space with a combination of amusement and pity. He smirks at no one in particular. 'I mean, I 'd heard it was

small

, but this is so much worse than anything I 'd imagined. '

He continues looking around before snapping his fingers and pointing a finger gun at Atsushi, moving towards him with a huge smile. 'There you are! Atsushi Nakajima, right? I 'm Francis Key Scott Fitzgerald. ' He reaches Atsushi and sticks out a hand confidently. 'CEO of The Guild. '

'Um, Mr. Fitzgerald, ' says Atsushi awkwardly. 'What are you-. '

'I 've been looking forward to meeting you, kid, ' says Francis, cutting him off with another wide grin. He takes back his offered hand and places it on his hip smoothly. 'You 're quite the vocalist. '

'What are you doing here, Francis? ' asks Fukuzawa, appearing in the doorway that leads to his office. His tone is hard but not impolite, and he 's giving Francis a stern look.

'Yukichi! ' calls out Francis, turning to give him a wink. 'Still rocking the traditional look I see. It 's been too long, old sport. You 're getting old and grey! ' His voice is light and cheery with an undercurrent of mocking everyone can hear.

Fukuzawa 's expression doesn 't change. 'I believe I asked you a question. '

'Still such a spoilsport, ' says Francis, shaking his head. 'I 'm here to meet Atsushi, of course. I made the mistake of having Mori try to set up the initial meeting, a blunder on my part. ' He sighs dramatically. 'Never send a rabid dog to do a man 's job, eh, Yukichi? '

'Atsushi has signed with the Audio Detective Agency, ' says Fukuzawa. His voice and face stay calm as he walks towards Francis. 'I think it would be best if you left. '

'Ah, you see, ' says Francis holding up a finger and cocking his head, 'I don 't think that contract will hold up. Because Atsushi, the dear boy, is only seventeen. And I don 't believe you got parental consent. '

'I 'm an orphan, ' Atsushi speaks up, frowning at Francis. 'I don 't have any parents to consent. '

Francis turns towards Atsushi and gives him a pouty look. 'Now, what would poor Nick Carraway think if he heard you say that? ' he asks, a slight smirk on his face. Atsushi freezes in place. 'He 's been worried sick about you, running away from home. But fret not! ' Francis smirks fully now. 'I told him I 'd tracked you down. He was so relieved to hear you were alright. '

'He kicked me out, ' says Atsushi angrily, a side of him Dazai has never seen before. He practically spits the words at Francis. 'He 's

not

my parent. '

'That 's an interesting story, ' says Francis with a shrug. He pulls a document out of his suit jacket and holds it up, pointing to a signature on it, the name

Nick Carraway

clearly visible. 'But I have a feeling mine 's the one that 's going to hold up in court. '

'I asked you to leave, ' says Fukuzawa. He no longer looks calm. He 's giving Francis one of the coldest looks Dazai has ever seen from him. 'I won 't ask again. '

'Ugh, why is this even a problem? ' asks Francis, turning back to Atsushi. 'I 'm offering you a silver platter here, kid. You should be jumping up and down to take it. '

'I 've signed with the ADA, ' says Atsushi. He gives Francis a cold look of his own.

Francis sighs again, running a hand through his hair. 'You want to be a singer, don 't you? I can make that happen, make you rich beyond your wildest dreams. '

'I can be a singer here, ' says Atsushi, not backing down at all. Dazai is impressed with the glare he 's giving him. It 's a surprise coming from the timid boy Dazai 's known these past few weeks.

Francis barks out a laugh. 'You think you 're going to be successful

here

? ' He gestures around the room in disdain. 'Do you even know anything about these people you 're working with? '

'Yukichi Fukuzawa, ' says Francis, pointing at the president, 'Who plays the part of an

honorable man

these days when he 's frankly lucky not to be in jail for what he 's done in the past. '

'Ranpo Edogawa, ' continues Francis, flicking a hand at Ranpo, who 's watched the entire exchange from on top of his desk with a small frown that 's now growing larger. Ranpo is actually paying full attention for once. 'The only thing bigger than the list of songs he 's written is his ego. Yet no one is ever going to care about him because he has absolutely no musical talent himself whatsoever. '

'Failed child star Akiko Yosano, ' says Francis, twirling to face her. Dazai hadn 't even noticed her and the others entering the room, he 'd been too caught up in the spectacle. She looks like she wants to tear Francis limb from limb, her eyes boring into him and her arms crossed.

'I guess she can be proud she didn 't end up working on the streets or with a drug addiction like some of her other washed up counterparts, ' says Francis with a shrug. Tanizaki grabs Yosano by the arm to keep her in place.

'Doppo Kunikida. ' Francis says the name with pure contempt as he gives Kunikida a disparaging look. 'The musical equivalent of watching paint dry. He 's never going to be anything other than opening act material. '

Francis turns again, but then pauses with a frown. 'And I 've literally never even heard of the rest of you. '

'You will, ' says Tanizaki shortly. He 's glaring just as much as Yosano.

'Doubt it, ' says Francis with a snort. He holds up a finger as if he 's remembered something. 'Oh, except for you, Osamu. ' He faces Dazai and gives him one of his widest smiles. 'You know, I saw your parents a few months back in Morocco. Although they didn 't mention

you

at all. ' He shrugs. 'Ah, well, you are a little forgettable. Haven 't done anything worthwhile since you were seventeen. '

Nobody else has lost their temper at Francis 's taunts, and that is the only thing that keeps Dazai from taking back his pen from Kunikida and jamming it into the slimy asshole 's eye. Instead, he just gives Francis a huge grin in return.

'Though it is a bit of an upgrade that you 've ditched that street urchin Nakahara, ' continues Francis, shaking his head. 'What an uncouth brute. I try not to judge, but new money can be so

tacky

in the hands of those unprepared for it. '

'Say hi to your daughter for me, Francis, ' says Dazai, not thinking before the words come out. He 's smiling with all his teeth.

Francis loses his smug air for the first time, slipping into an enraged expression. He opens his mouth to reply when Fukuzawa cuts him off.

'I believe we 've all made ourselves quite clear, ' says Fukuzawa, raising his voice just the slightest bit. It 's so out of the ordinary it makes the whole room listen. 'You may have Atsushi 's former guardian 's signature, but you don 't have Atsushi 's, which is the most important one. Leave this office. '

'Fine, ' says Francis shortly. 'Do your best to make Atsushi a

star

. I 'd love to see what you come up with. It 'll be entertaining to watch you fail. This is far from over. '

Francis straightens his suit jacket haughtily and walks out of the office with the same arrogance he 'd walked in with. He leaves the door wide open as he leaves (which is possibly one of the funniest displays of disrespect Dazai has ever seen, but he 's too furious to appreciate it.)

It 's quiet for a moment after he 's gone. They 're all looking towards the open doorway, most of them glaring or with expressions of disbelief.

'He 's lying, ' says Atsushi to break the silence. He no longer sounds determined but distressed. His hands are trembling a little. 'I didn 't run away. They kicked me out. '

'We believe you, Atsushi, ' says Dazai, surprising himself by speaking up. But Francis has awoken a fire Dazai hasn 't felt in ages (funny, he hadn 't noticed how lacking in motivation he 'd been without his hatred towards Mori spurring him on.) 'We 're not going to let him walk all over us. '

'Indeed, ' says Fukuzawa, giving Atsushi one of his rare smiles. Then he turns towards Dazai with a less kind expression. 'Though we don 't have to stoop to his level with cruel personal matters. '

'Sorry, ' lies Dazai easily. Ranpo snorts in the background. Dazai has to resist giving him the finger.

'What are you talking about? ' asks Tanizaki, giving them a confused look.

'Francis 's daughter was in a terrible accident years ago, ' says Kunikida, giving Dazai his own disappointed look. 'She 's been in a coma ever since. '

Dazai could point out that Francis started it but holds his tongue. He just puts on a blank expression and looks towards the president, waiting for their next directions.

'When 's your birthday, Atsushi? ' asks Fukuzawa.

'May 5th, ' answers Atsushi, looking surprised at the change in subject.

'Good, ' says Fukuzawa. 'That 's not too long from now. Once you 're eighteen, we 'll have you sign a new contract. I doubt Francis will get very far before then. '

'He 's a powerful man, ' says Kunikida, frowning and adjusting his glasses. 'I 'm not sure it would be wise to not take his threats seriously. '

'He 's powerful from a certain point of view, ' says Fukuzawa, crossing his arms. 'I don 't see having money as power. I judge a man based on his talents, his virtues, his accomplishments. By those measures, Francis is no threat to us. '

'That being said, ' says Fukuzawa with a sharp nod. 'That doesn 't mean I 'm going to allow him to disrespect us or our company like that. ' His eyes are full of determination. 'We may not be as big or as have as many resources as places like The Guild or Port Mafia Records, but we know music. That 's what 's important. ' He turns to look at Atsushi. 'Our new top priority is starting to work on Atsushi 's debut single. '

'A single? ' asks Yosano. She crosses her arms. 'Not a full album? '

'Eventually, we 'll put together a full album, ' says Fukuzawa. 'But we need to make a strong showing of force as soon as possible. Speed is of the essence in conflict, whoever strikes first wins. '

Dazai almost falls out of his chair at the unexpected words, having flashbacks to hearing Mori say the exact same thing practically verbatim. He 's never been able to puzzle out exactly what type of relationship Fukuzawa and Mori had in the past (not that he 's wanted to examine it all that closely, anything having to do with Mori is best kept at a distance in his book.) The president looks over at him because of the noise and meets his gaze steadily.

'Atsushi is a talented singer, but he 'll need some fairly intensive vocal training to get to a professional level, ' says Dazai, voicing his opinion partially to hide his surprise and because it 's the truth. 'He 's not ready to put out anything with the state his voice is in now. '

Usually Dazai would sugarcoat his opinion more to sound less abrasive, but right now bluntness seems like the best course of action when they were up against someone like Francis. And Mori, who Dazai is more sure than ever isn 't going to take Francis 's dismissal without some sort of countermeasure.

Fukuzawa doesn 't look surprised, he nods in agreement. 'That 's why I 'll need you to train him, Dazai. You 're familiar with the effective training methods Port Mafia Records uses, and you 've got an ear for inaccuracies in tone and pitch. I 'm confident you can help him get his voice in recording shape quickly. '

Dazai takes his new assignment in with a mixture of shock and pride. The president doesn 't place his trust in others easily. He 's placing a large amount of stock in Dazai 's abilities. He 'd never requested him to work with Tanizaki or Kenji on their singing (even though they honestly both could really use it.)

Fukuzawa is also silently requesting something else of him, for him to be a mentor to Atsushi. It 's clear the boy needs some help with things beyond vocals. Dazai has tried to skirt around his obvious lingering issues from his old home life and pitiful levels of self-esteem, but now he 'll have to face them head on. It 's almost impossible to create worthwhile music while you 're in a state of inner turmoil, Dazai has witnessed that first hand (which is not a time in his life he 'd like to revisit now or ever, ideally.)

It 's a lot of pressure, for a multitude of reasons. If he fails, Atsushi could lose the second chance he 's been given at the ADA. The Guild isn 't as nasty as PMR, but Dazai actually wants him to stay here. He 's surprised how invested he is in the future of this random kid he 'd picked up off the beach on pretty much nothing but instinct. He wants to help him grow into a successful singer.

Another reason it 's a big responsibility is that Fukuzawa is staking the reputation of the whole ADA on this. It could be disastrous for the whole company if Dazai fucks this up. It 's a huge contrast to the cold way the man had declared he didn 't trust him when Dazai had first joined the ADA. It 's clear Fukuzawa trusts him now.

Then the last reason Dazai feels apprehensive towards this new task is that this will be the first time he 's tried to mentor someone since Ryuunosuke Akutagawa, one of Dazai 's greatest failures. He 'd done a terrible job then, professionally and personally. He 'd taken out his own frustrations with his career and relationships on Akutagawa, and the boy 's constant refusal to progress had infuriated him.

In the end, he and Akutagawa had been nothing but mutually destructive towards each other. It 's why he 's never offered to help out the younger artists at the ADA in a substantial way. That experience had been a dark part of his life that Dazai isn 't looking to repeat.

It 's another confrontation of Dazai 's former self and who he 's trying to be now. They seem to be popping up all over the place lately. First Akutagawa had literally barged back into his life, then he had that torturous confrontation with Chuuya that he 's still shamefully brooding over, and now he 's being offered a second chance to take a stab at the task that had obliterated his career when he was eighteen.

'I won 't let you down, sir, ' says Dazai lightly. He gives the president a huge smile then turns to give Atsushi the same grin.

Dazai has been letting his past rule his present far too often lately. He might not be able to tackle all of his own unresolved issues with PMR and everyone from there, but he can help Atsushi navigate his own problems. He 'll make a real singer out of him, help him to be the best musician he can be. The kid gloves are coming off.

'I know you won 't, ' says Fukuzawa simply. He then turns to Tanizaki, who 's trying to look like he 's not crushed about the current situation. 'We 're not going to give up on Light Snow, Tanizaki. I still want you to keep working on it, it 's shaping up to be very impressive. I 'm assigning Kunikida to help you. '

Tanizaki looks so relieved it 's almost comical. 'Thank you, sir. '

'We 'll get it done, ' promises Kunikida confidently. He gives Tanizaki a nod of support.

'Ranpo, we 'll need you to continue to keep the ADA in good standing with your expert songwriting, ' says Fukuzawa, facing the boy who 's been uncharacteristically quiet since Francis left. Fukuzawa gives him a serious look. 'You are one of the greatest assets this company has, and anyone who doesn 't recognize that is a fool. '

'You don 't have to tell me that, Mr. President, ' says Ranpo with a huge smile. It 's clear how much the words mean to him though, his body language is a thousand times more at ease. 'I 'm the greatest songwriter in the world! '

'Of course, ' says Fukuzawa with just the slightest hint of amusement. He addresses the room at large then. 'I detest quarreling between record companies. It detracts from the music in a distasteful way. But that doesn 't mean I won 't fight back when someone brings the fight to me. I 'm sorry this situation has arisen, but I am confident that we will conquer this challenge. I have the upmost faith in all of you. '

Dazai can see how touched everyone is by the man 's words. The president is a fairly serious man, but he cares deeply about people. He also doesn 't say things he doesn 't mean.

Dazai lets a small, honest smile on his face. Their adversaries are nothing to scoff at, but he 's glad they have someone like Yukichi Fukuzawa at the helm to guide them. Dazai might not agree with him on everything (Dazai still thinks rules are made to be bent deep down), but the president is not someone he 'd like to go up against.

'Let 's get to work, ' says Fukuzawa solemnly.

Everyone springs into motion at his words. Dazai beckons Atsushi to join him. He 's surprised when Fukuzawa walks towards his desk too.

'Dazai, could you call Taneda? ' asks Fukuzawa once he reaches Dazai 's desk. 'I 'd like his opinion of the legality issue with these contracts. '

'It 's not really his area of expertise, ' points out Dazai. Despite never taking an active interest in Santoka 's work, he 's absorbed the details of it inadvertently over the years, just like he 'd absorbed Santoka 's strange taste in books and affinity for canned tomato soup.

'But he probably knows someone who would have a better idea, ' adds Dazai after thinking about it. Santoka is well-liked by a great deal of the LAPD. Plus Dazai doesn 't mind calling him even if he doesn 't know anything. He 's one of the only people who ever manages to make Dazai feel more settled even when they don 't really talk about anything.

'Thank you, ' says Fukuzawa with a nod.

'Should we take a moment to consider our options before acting hastily? ' Kunikida asks the president before he leaves. 'The ADA is already in a precarious position when it comes to competing with other record companies for stadiums and venues. Wouldn 't it damage our reputation if a legal matter like this comes out? '

'There are some times when doing what is technically right and doing the right thing do not coincide, ' says Fukuzawa, tone serious but not unkind. 'This is one of those times. '

Kunikida doesn 't look fully convinced, but he doesn 't raise anymore protests. He 's frowning a little at the ground as the president walks away to go back to his office.

'Who 's Taneda? ' Atsushi asks him. His facial expression is complex, a hundred different emotions at war with each other. Fear, distress, and eagerness are some of the frontrunners.

"My old roommate, ' says Dazai with a smile. 'Let 's head to the music room, Atsushi. I want a room with good sound quality to run some scales. '

Later that day he and Kunikida are the only ones left in the office. Dazai had sent Atsushi along after a full day of listening to him do a number of scales and some simpler songs. Atsushi had been trying his hardest, and Dazai had tried

his

hardest to point out the numerous flaws without discouraging him. Luckily, Atsushi had seen his shortcomings as motivating rather than demoralizing.

Dazai had stuck around under the pretense of coming up with a vocal training schedule for Atsushi (something he could do in his sleep, really.) In reality, he wants to talk to Kunikida once they 're alone. He 's been giving off quietly disgruntled vibes all day.

Dazai doesn 't bring anything up though. The best way to approach a disgruntled Kunikida is to let him come to you. Dazai might take a lot of pleasure in messing with Kunikida, but that 's all lighthearted fun. Having serious conversations with him is much more difficult.

Kunikida finally cracks half an hour after everyone else has left and Dazai is starting to run out of fake typing to do.

'What are you doing here so late? ' asks Kunikida from his spot at the desk next to Dazai 's. He giving him a suspicious look. 'What are you up to? '

'Who says I 'm up to something? ' asks Dazai lightly, turning to face Kunikida fully. He raises an eyebrow.

'When are you not up to something? ' asks Kunikida, crossing his arms.

'Are you still fretting about Francis 's threats? ' asks Dazai, keeping his tone as neutral as he can make it. He keeps his expression free of judgement as well.

'Don 't ask questions you already know the answer to, ' says Kunikida shortly. He frowns slightly.

'There are many things that you could be sulking about, ' says Dazai with a half smirk. 'Perhaps your favorite stationary store stopped selling your brand of pen. '

'Those people still give me dirty looks when I go in there, ' says Kunikida, his frown growing more pronounced. 'I have no idea how you offended them so deeply when you only bought a gift card. '

'Those people are even more uptight than you are, ' says Dazai, waving a hand dismissively. Then he switches to a more serious voice. 'Francis is not to be taken lightly, but neither should Fukuzawa. '

Kunikida sighs and shuffles in his chair a bit. 'I 'm not saying I don 't think we should help Atsushi, ' he says, a conflicted expression on his face. 'He seems like a good kid, a few troubling self-esteem issues, but kind. I just don 't want to the rest of us to go down with him if that 's who they 're aiming for. '

'I don 't think anyone would disagree with your desire to protect the ADA, ' says Dazai, words much kinder than he usually delivers them. The 'but ' is very clearly implied though.

'I feel like I 'm the only one seeing the situation logically, ' says Kunikida, frustration obvious in his voice. 'Organizing the joint tour for Spring Birds and Once More With Feeling took months of hard work and persistence, and one of the reasons we were able to do it was because of the ADA 's image as reliable. Without that I 'm not sure we would have been able to get the venue contracts we needed, even with the boost in recognition we got from the success of both those albums. '

Kunikida adjusts his glasses as he continues. 'What if next time we try to set up a tour we 've lost that image? What if Tanizaki never gets a chance to play for a live audience? What if we lose everything in our carelessness? '

'Those are fair concerns, ' says Dazai, nodding his head. 'And I 'm not going to deny that there is a possibility that those things could happen. ' Dazai looks Kunikida directly in the eyes. 'But I think the world is a bit less rigid than that. Not everything is black and white. Personally, I 've done things that were reprehensible to attain success, and with much less noble reasoning. '

Kunikida 's eyes widen. It 's rare that Dazai will openly talk about the things he 's done at PMR. It 's not that he 's ashamed of them exactly. He doesn 't have that strict of a moral code. His issues with the deal with Mimic Industries mainly stem from who got caught in the cross fire. If it hadn 't been Odasaku, there 's a chance that Dazai might still be working for PMR. Not that he 's upset with how things have turned out. He 's satisfied with the path he 's chosen.

'Our actions matter, ' continues Dazai steadily, 'And our bad choices aren 't wiped away by our good ones. But people are complicated, and they are more than one single decision. Signing one seventeen year old without parental consent doesn 't change who the ADA is at its core. Francis might be able to stir up some controversy due to his name and his finances, but I think others will be able to recognize who 's in the right here regardless of the law. '

Kunikida sighs even deeper this time. 'Those are also fair points, ' he says evenly. 'And deep down I do believe helping Atsushi is the right thing to do. I just don 't want to have this company suffer because of the backlash. '

'Your dedication to the ADA is admirable, ' says Dazai honestly. There is no teasing in his voice.

Kunikida looks even more surprised than when he 'd talked about his former indiscretions. Dazai isn 't very free with his compliments, but he is sincere about this one. Kunikida seems touched by the praise.

'I want this company to succeed, ' says Kunikida, his expression shifting from frustrated to determined. 'But I suppose the best course of action is to put my faith in it and my coworkers instead of doubts. That would be the more useful to everyone. '

'Now he gets it, ' says Dazai obnoxiously, smirking widely and throwing up his hands in celebration. 'You sure took your sweet time, Kunikida. '

'You 're much easier to deal with when you 're not putting on a show, you know, ' says Kunikida, rolling his eyes. 'I hope you have people who you can drop all these acts with. '

Dazai 's smile slips a little. He does have people who he can be himself around. Santoka, Odasaku, even Kunikida himself once in a while. But he 'd lost the only person who he 'd ever been able to be fully honest with. Dazai has done a remarkable job of not thinking about Chuuya today after his taunt to Francis over his rage at him and his insults towards Chuuya.

But Kunikida 's words hit him like an unexpected knife to the heart. It 's ridiculous how he 's been more upset about Chuuya this past month than he had been in years. Not that he

hadn 't

been upset these past years, but it feels inescapable now no matter what he does to distract himself.

(

It 's because you saw him,

whispers his mind traitorously.

You were subjected to everything you long for, and now you can 't deny the longing hasn 't lessened with time.

)

Dazai chooses to change the subject rather than subjecting himself to more of that unbearable topic. 'You don 't need me to cheer you up about the whole musical equivalent of watching paint dry thing too, do you? ' he asks lightly. 'I have to give Francis points for creativity but his deductions for inaccuracy outweigh them heavily. '

Kunikida scoffs. 'Like I care what some rich boy thinks of my music. At least I didn 't buy my way into a recording contract. '

Dazai actually bursts out in laughter at that. It 's not often that Kunikida will openly insult someone who isn 't Dazai. Kunikida can 't fight off an answering smile.

'Vicious, Kunikida, ' says Dazai in approval, still chuckling a little. 'So let 's work to take him down together, okay? '

'I 'm in, ' says Kunikida with a nod. He drops the smile for a more serious expression. 'The Guild won 't know what hit them. '

For Kunikida, it truly is as simple as that. Once he sets his mind to something, he does not waver in his commitment. Dazai is relieved he 's no longer conflicted about it. The ADA will have the best chance of winning if all of their players are in top shape.

'They won't indeed," says Dazai with a smirk.

'

There are people who it is insufficient to say that they are unforgettable

, ' sings Atsushi earnestly. The song sounds distinctly different in his higher voice than in Kunikida 's deeper one, although not in a bad way. '

People who have helped you in some significant way. Those who have sworn no oath to you, who owe you no affection. To them you are a stranger, but there are some people in this world that you can just never forget. '

Atsushi is standing at one of the microphones in the ADA 's music room while Dazai listens from his spot sitting at the table in the room and jots down notes. The page is also filled with doodles that Dazai draws while Atsushi has to repeat lines in order to get them right.

The song he 's singing currently isn 't all that challenging vocally, and Atsushi is doing an adequate job with it. They 've been at this a few weeks now, and Dazai is pleased with the amount of progress he 's made in that time. Atsushi 's voice has a fairly impressive range, he just has to be less afraid to go for the higher notes. It 's impossible to hit them if you don 't approach them believing you can do it.

Dazai figures the best thing he can do for Atsushi is to be honest with him about his abilities. He doesn 't have any experience dealing with this kind of issue. Dazai has never had problems with confidence in his own singing, and it 's laughable to consider Chuuya doubting his singing prowess. But he knows that it isn 't enough for Dazai to

tell

Atsushi he 's good enough. What really matters is that Atsushi himself believes he is.

So Dazai is open with him about his successes and his failures. The first time he 'd tried to sing

The Hell of Mirrors,

a popular song Ranpo had written, he 'd been upfront that the song was beyond Atsushi then and they should try something else. But he 'd also made sure to let him know his version of

The Fiend With Twenty Faces,

another of Ranpo 's song that he 'd sold to Arthur Conan Doyle, was even better than the original.

Overall, Atsushi seems to be slowly coming into his own. It 's not a simple thing, confronting the parts of yourself you find lacking, and Dazai recognizes that. He attempts to lessen the load for Atsushi, but he 's mostly just running on instinct. Atsushi hasn 't complained at all. He 's dedicated to getting his voice into recording shape as soon as possible.

However, choosing Kunikida 's song

Mist on the River

might not have been Dazai 's best choice. The lyrics are poking a little too close to thoughts that Dazai would rather avoid while he 's working on music. It 's annoying how someone can ruin a song for you simply by association.

Atsushi finishes the verse and doesn 't continue with the rest of the song. 'Sorry, ' he says, sounding a little awkward. 'I think I need a water break. '

'No problem, ' says Dazai easily. He stands up and grabs a water bottle from the stash they keep in the music room. He tosses it to Atsushi who catches it with a grateful smile. Dazai smiles back and sits back down.

Dazai is trying not to be harsh with Atsushi, but he had been adamant with him about being upfront about his voice 's limits. He 'd told him that if he was going to ignore and abuse his instrument they 'd never get anywhere and that he should never hesitate to ask for a break or admit when something felt wrong. He 'd said that singing is just like training any other skill, if you push your body beyond what it can do it 'll actually hamper your progress.

Atsushi is following his orders, though he still looks apologetic about it every time he speaks up about something. Dazai counts it as a win. Even if Atsushi is a little uncomfortable at least he isn 't pushing himself too hard.

Dazai really doesn 't think Atsushi needs a different personality to be successful as a musician. He 's met all types of artists throughout his career, and there isn 't only one way to act. Atsushi 's kindness and consideration for others isn 't a weakness. The only thing that needs to change is his reluctance to acknowledge how talented he is. Dazai has no interest in forcing him into being someone he isn 't.

Atsushi takes a long drink of his water, letting out a content sigh as he puts the cap back on the bottle. He walks over to take a seat next to Dazai at the table. 'How was that? '

'Just the slightest hint sharp on the second chorus, ' says Dazai plainly. 'But good tone and pitch throughout the rest of the song. '

'Good to know, ' says Atsushi, nodding in thought. 'Would it be okay if we tried something different? Not that I have a problem with Kunikida 's music, ' adds Atsushi quickly. 'It 's all very good! But his voice is a lot deeper than mine, and I 'm not as familiar with the songs. '

Dazai could point out that singing something out of his range is kind of the point, but he 's too intrigued and excited about Atsushi actually asking for something he wants to give it a chance. 'What did you have in mind? '

'Would you mind if we used some of your music? ' asks Atsushi, hands fidgeting a little with nerves.

Dazai has to fight off a victorious grin. He is so going to work into conversation with Kunikida later than Atsushi had wanted to sing his music rather than Kunikida 's. He 'd tampered down his competitive streak a bit since he was a teenager, but this is too good an opportunity to pass up.

'I 'm flattered, Atsushi, ' says Dazai mildly. He pulls out his phone to bring up the sheet music. 'What song from Once More With Feeling were you thinking? '

'Actually, I, um, meant your older stuff, ' says Atsushi, flushing and looking even more nervous. 'Double Black songs. '

Dazai has to bite his tongue so he doesn 't let out a wild laugh. One day, he 'd like to just go

one fucking day

where he doesn 't have to think about his old partner. Dazai hasn 't seen or heard anything about him since he 'd spoken to him in March, yet he 's always waiting in the recesses of his mind.

Atsushi seems to pick up on his less than enthusiastic response despite his attempts to maintain an unaffected expression. 'We don 't have to, ' he says worriedly. 'Forget I said anything. '

'It 's not a big deal, ' lies Dazai with a steady voice. 'It 's just everyone else around here tends to avoid music from PMR like the plague. People don 't often ask to sing any of it. '

'I don 't really get that, ' says Atsushi with a small frown. 'They 've put out some of my favorite songs. I know they 're our rivals, but it seems weird to completely ignore all their music. '

'I 'd say it has more to do with personal reasons that professional ones, ' says Dazai, shrugging a little. 'I agree PMR 's music is some of the best out there. But I tend to keep that opinion to myself. '

'Does everyone hate The Guild now too? ' asks Atsushi. Dazai is surprised by how annoyed he sounds. 'Because I really like some of their artists too.

Moby Dick

is a classic. '

Dazai also wouldn 't have anticipated Atsushi to be a Herman Melville fan.

Moby Dick

came out way before Atsushi had been born, before Dazai had been born. Dazai supposes he 's never really asked Atsushi about his taste in music before. It had never come up. That may have been an oversight on his part.

'I would never tell you which music you should like, ' says Dazai, keeping his tone light. 'That 's completely up to you. But part of being in the music business is dealing with all of the extra stuff beyond the music, even when it goes against your personal opinions. '

'I guess that makes sense, ' says Atsushi, still looking disheartened. 'It 's going to be strange to have to get used to though. '

'I 'm open to working with music from PMR, ' says Dazai calmly. 'I 'm obviously familiar with it as well. There 's a lot of material to pick from, but I think we should stay away from Double Black songs. ' He crosses his arms and tries to keep his voice free of emotion. 'It would be hard for me to be objective about them after hearing them in Chuuya 's style so many times, and I don 't think you 're ready to go up against him vocally. '

Dazai had made that mistake when he 'd been working with Akutagawa. It had not panned out well. Akutagawa is talented, but he 'd never been able to measure up to Chuuya 's singing. Dazai had kept pushing him to try and force him to, but it had never worked. Instead Dazai had just gotten frustrated the person who was singing wasn 't Chuuya, and Akutagawa had been sullen he wasn 't able to live up to Dazai 's expectations.

Dazai does not want to go through that again with Atsushi. He 's already thinking about Chuuya much more frequently than he 'd like to these days. He is not looking to add even more fuel to that fire.

Atsushi doesn 't seem upset by his refusal. He nods and takes another drink from his water bottle.

Dazai is starting to think about which of PMR 's songs would be best for Atsushi to practice with when Atsushi speaks up again.

'Can I ask you something? ' asks Atsushi, tone a little hesitant. He looks Dazai right in the eyes though. 'Why did Double Black split up? I heard it happened before you left Port Mafia Records. I always wondered what happened. '

It 's honestly a very good question, one that Dazai isn 't completely sure of the answer to. So many things had happened simultaneously. It 's hard to pinpoint one single thing to explain it all. It had been Mori, and Arthur, and Odasaku, and Dazai not getting on that fucking plane to Japan. But it was also Chuuya leaving and never looking back until he snuck a test on Dazai that he 'd failed because he

didn 't even realize it was happening.

Dazai isn 't going to try and wade through that mess with Atsushi though. He 's surprisingly not as annoyed with the question as he would have expected to be. Atsushi has probably asked him more about his personal life in the time he 's met him than his coworkers have in the the past couple years. His interest is personal rather than professional.

It 's a perplexing phenomenon, how Dazai seems to attract all these kind people all while not being very kind himself. There 's a part of him that 's confused as to what he 's done to deserve it.

'It 's a little complicated, ' answers Dazai eventually. He keeps his voice neutral. 'I guess you could say it came down to creative differences. '

Atsushi accepts his answer with a thoughtful look. Then he thankfully changes the subject. 'How do you feel about trying something by Motojiro Kajii? '

This time Dazai can 't hold back his snort. He has quite a few opinions on the man. He focuses on his musical ones though.

'That 's a good choice, ' agrees Dazai, trying to smother his amusement at Atsushi unknowingly still picking Chuuya 's music. 'How about

Beneath the Cherry Trees

? '

April 29th, Six

Years & Three Months Since the Release of Corruption

'I can 't believe we 're in the literal desert this year instead of at the beach, ' says Higuchi from her lounge chair. Her eyes aren 't visible through her sunglasses, but Chuuya just knows she 's rolling them.

'I can 't believe you 're still bitching when we literally rented out the entire pool area of one of the nicest hotels in Las Vegas, ' snaps Tachihara from the chair next to Chuuya. His eyes

are

visible as he rolls them and brings his colorful drink up to his mouth to take a long sip.

'Princess Maple is just upset that her beloved Akutagawa isn 't here, ' says Kajii from the chair in between Chuuya and Higuchi. He 's smirking widely.

'Poke fun at Canada one more time, Lemon Boy, ' says Higuchi, lifting up her glasses so he can see the full force of her glare. Chuuya isn 't convinced she won 't try and tackle him. 'I

dare

you. '

'You gonna call me a hoser? ' taunts Kajii happily.

'You guys are annoying Chuuya on his birthday, ' says Gin flatly. She sits up from her spot next to Tachihara to give them all an unimpressed look. 'Chuuya, let 's swim. '

Chuuya laughs at her bluntness and gets up to follow her into the pool. 'Right behind you. '

The original plan for his twenty third birthday had been for his friends to meet him in Tokyo and for them to do their usual beach celebration. Obviously that hadn 't worked out when Chuuya was called back to L.A. indefinitely.

Normally, Chuuya wouldn 't mind being asked to stay at home. He loves L.A. He still gets homesick for the stupid city when he 's gone for too long. Chuuya always feels more at ease with his favorite ocean by his side and the sounds of L.A. around him.

But things aren 't exactly normal right now.

Chuuya has always been a hard worker. He 's never minded putting in long hours. He 'd rather spend time on a project getting it right than put out something not up to his standards. But Chuuya 's workload has gone up staggeringly since March. Although most of it has been things he 's enjoyed working on.

Mori has saddled him with overseeing a bunch of PMR 's albums in development. He 's never worked on so many at the same time before. For the most part everything is going pretty well. Hakushu Kitahara 's new album Heretics is set to release next month. Sakutaro Hagiwara is putting the finishing touches on Principles of Poetry. Chuuya has a bunch of other artists who are on track with their albums, writing, and recording.

There is one glaring exception that isn 't going well, Kyouka Izumi.

Chuuya 's fears about Kouyou resisting Mori 's decision for her to start working on an album had not been unfounded. The first time he 'd gone to speak to her about it she 'd told him there was no way she was letting him force Kyouka into something she wasn 't ready for. Chuuya had tried to reason with her, but it had just turned into a nasty argument. She hadn 't been interested in hearing his opinion on the matter.

Mori has shown no signs of changing his mind. He is determined for this album to happen, with or without Kouyou 's support. He 'd asked Chuuya to be the main producer on the album. Then he 'd asked Hirotsu to assist them as well. Mori asks for progress updates regularly and his impatience with their lack of results is very evident.

Chuuya is caught between two people who he both cares for and greatly respects. It 's fucking terrible. Every time he tries to push Kouyou into some sort of compromise she completely shuts him down. They 've had more terse interactions these past couple weeks than they 've had in ages. It 's making Chuuya extremely irritated.

'You 're letting your grudge about having to release music when you were younger cloud your judgement, ' Chuuya had snapped at her one day when they were in Kouyou 's office alone and having the same conversation for the hundredth time this month. 'Kyouka isn 't you. '

'Because your career and relationships weren 't affected at all by releasing music at such a young age, ' Kouyou had thrown back in a calm tone, her voice full of mockery.

Chuuya had needed to storm out of the room in order not to shout something hurtful back in return. It had stung though, and Kouyou had never apologized. They 'd just continued with the new coldness that had settled into their relationship these days.

In his honest opinion, Kyouka is vocally ready for an album. She has a strong voice for a fourteen year old girl. He thinks she could easily pull off making a really good record, if she gave it her all.

She is decidedly not giving it her all.

Chuuya isn 't sure if it 's due to Kouyou 's influence or Kyouka 's own feelings, but she 's been dragging her feet about making real progress on the album. They try out song after song but nothing ever seems to work. He can 't bring it up to her either because Kouyou is always there, and Chuuya may be frustrated with her but he isn 't looking to burn the bridge between them for good.

It is also absolutely the worst timing for Kouyou to be pulling this stunt. On the surface, nothing at Port Mafia Records has shifted. But he and Kouyou are both know what 's really going on.

F. Scott Fitzasshole has been doing everything he can to sabotage Port Mafia Record 's reputation. It 's been extremely subtle. Francis isn 't an idiot, he hadn 't put out a public message about the dispute between The Guild and PMR. Instead, he 's using his connections to sour the relationships between PMR and their partners from all sides of the music industry.

Merchandise suppliers they 've worked with for years are suddenly demanding to negotiate new contracts. Concert stadiums they 've booked with ease, and have kicked other artists off the schedule when they 've had to, are starting to reject their offers. It seems like there is a new crumbling partnership almost every week to deal with.

As Kouyou is largely the one in charge of their business relationships, she is very aware of this. Yet she continues to try and stall Kyouka 's progress at every opportunity. It 's infuriating. Chuuya sympathizes with her reasoning, but not when it might come at the expense of the entire company.

Chuuya doesn 't get exactly what Mori is plotting to rectify the situation, but the boss seems to be deeply involved in some strategy these days. Chuuya rarely sees him. When he does see Mori it 's very brief. Mori isn 't interested in discussing much unless it 's something that needs his direct attention.

Chuuya has been surprised that he misses getting to talk through work things with him. He 'd never been absent enough for Chuuya to notice before. And every time they do talk Chuuya has to navigate the tricky balance between being honest about where Kyouka is at but not throwing Kouyou under the bus. Chuuya might be annoyed with her, but he 'd never say a bad word about her.

Chuuya had danced around the fact that Kyouka hadn 't been putting in the full amount of effort she could be, but Hirotsu had been blunt about it the first time he 'd been asked after he 'd been put on the project.

'She 's not trying, ' the old man had reported plainly. 'That 's why we 're not getting anywhere. '

Chuuya couldn 't be mad at Hirotsu for telling the truth, he 'd just been doing his job. But Mori had been very displeased that Chuuya had tried to skirt around that fact. He 'd never said anything directly, but there 's a new tension to their conversations about the project that hadn 't been there before.

To sum it up, he 's having a shit fucking time right now, and it 's all due to one stupid little album (or lack of album). By attempting to placate both Mori and Kouyou he 's just made both of them more pissed off, and Chuuya really has no idea what the best way forward is. It 's not like he can ask his friends for advice either really. The information about what 's going on with The Guild is being kept under wraps, and without that knowledge the importance of Kyouka 's album doesn 't really make sense.

The Black Lizards are still in limbo right now without a singer, and Chuuya has also been getting pressure to fix that as soon as possible as well. But he 's been able to put it off by pointing out the band couldn 't keep changing singers every couple years and expect to maintain a following. Mori had accepted that reasoning, but he 's still annoyed at how long it 's taking to find a suitable replacement.

Not to mention that on top of all of his problems as work, ever since he 'd seen him in March Chuuya is constantly thinking about Dazai. It 's like seeing him in person had been the gust of wind that had taken down the house of cards he 'd built around his feelings for him. He 's on his mind more than he 'd been in years.

Chuuya 's anger and darker feelings towards him haven 't lessened, but it 's harder to pretend that isn 't all he feels. He

misses

him, pathetically so. Especially with his recent clusterfuck of issues at work, he misses the days when everything had been so simple. He and Dazai had been at each other 's throats a fair amount, but not with music. Music had always been the one thing they were in perfect sync about.

Chuuya hadn 't been paying attention to his upcoming birthday. After he 'd called off the Tokyo trip he hadn 't expected them to do anything. He really hasn 't had much time to spend with any of his friends lately. He 'd been surprised when Tachihara and Gin had burst into his apartment this morning without any warning.

'Get moving, birthday boy, ' Tachihara had called out loudly. 'We 've got a plane to catch. '

Chuuya had been standing in his kitchen making himself tea before he went into work. 'What the fuck? '

'What he means to say is happy birthday, ' Gin had said, elbowing Tachihara in the stomach. 'And that we 've got a surprise for you. '

Chuuya had opened his mouth to protest that he had to go into the office today but Tachihara had cut him off before he could.

'You appear to be under the impression this is an offer, ' Tachihara had said with a huge smile. 'It 's not. This is a kidnapping. You 're coming with us. '

'It 's true, ' Gin had said gravely.

Chuuya had laughed and gone along with them to the PMR jet for the short flight to Las Vegas. Kajii and Higuchi had been waiting for them when they 'd arrived. Akutagawa had been absent for the first time due to being on tour (Chuuya is surprised how much he wishes the jerk were here.)

After throwing their stuff in their suite when they 'd gotten to their hotel they 'd gone straight to the pool, each with a ridiculously fruity cocktail in hand. It had probably been the first time in a long while Chuuya had been this relaxed.

Chuuya jumps into the pool after Gin with a large smile on his face. He 's missed his friends. He 's extremely grateful they 'd done this for him. It had been the best kind of surprise.

'So how long have you been planning this? ' asks Chuuya once they both come up for air.

'It was mostly Tachihara 's doing, ' says Gin. She floats almost effortlessly in the water. 'He 's been obsessing about it for weeks. ' She does a very unflattering imitation of Tachihara 's voice. 'Gin, do you think Las Vegas is too lame a destination? Gin, do you think I picked the right hotel? Gin, do you think I 've drummed so hard I 've lost all my brain cells? '

Chuuya almost gets a mouthful of pool water he laughs so hard. 'Classic Mich. '

Gin smiles softly, a look she doesn 't wear often. 'Yeah. '

She quickly stops smiling when Tachihara cannonballs into the pool right next to her, splashing her directly in the face with water. She glares at him once he comes up to the surface.

'Thought I 'd join you guys, ' says Tachihara brightly, ignoring her glare completely.

'Seven out of ten cannonball, ' says Chuuya with a smirk. 'Points off for shoddy technique. '

'I can do it again, ' says Tachihara with an answering smirk. He then lets out a cry as Gin slaps water into his face.

They squabble for a moment while Chuuya relaxes in the water. It 's not the same as the ocean, but he 's still having fun. Although he greatly prefers the smell of salt to chlorine.

'You having a good time? ' asks Tachihara after he and Gin have stopped fighting. He tries to keep his tone casual, but it 's clear how invested he is in the answer.

'This is perfect, ' says Chuuya honestly. 'Seriously, thanks. '

Tachihara looks thoroughly relieved. 'Good, ' he says while nodding. Then he sighs deeply. 'Are you doing alright, man? '

Chuuya stops floating and stands up in the water to look at him properly. 'What do you mean? '

'You 've just seemed a little 'on edge lately, ' says Tachihara carefully.

'I told him not to say anything, ' says Gin, shaking her head.

Chuuya mulls over his response. He is on edge, more so than he can ever remember being. He imagines saying everything he 's actually feeling.

Mori and Kouyou are at war while I 'm caught in the middle. I 've got more work than I 've ever had before in my life. And I 'm still agonizing over the same bastard I 've been stuck on since I was sixteen.

'Work is pretty intense right now, ' says Chuuya, figuring that 's as much as he can reveal. 'But it 's not anything out of the ordinary. '

'Anything we can do to help? ' asks Tachihara. Gin nods in agreement, offering his services as well.

'You are helping, ' says Chuuya with a smile. 'This is helping immensely. I needed a fucking break. '

Tachihara smiles back. 'At least you haven 't broken any phones in a while. '

At that Chuuya is the one to splash him in the face. Gin laughs next to him while Tachihara sputters in outrage. Chuuya laughs too, the most carefree one he 's had in a long time.

Tachihara is distracted from retaliating when a loud shriek comes from where they 'd left Higuchi and Kajii. Kajii has Higuchi over one of his shoulders, and she is pounding on his back with her fists and scrambling to get away from him.

'Put me down, you maniac! ' screams Higuchi as Kajii ignores her and walks over to the pool calmly. 'Let go of me or I will-. '

Higuchi stops talking to let out a squeak of panic as Kajii tosses her in the pool. He then jumps in right after her with a wide smile on his face.

Chuuya is prepared for Higuchi to start yelling at Kajii the second she resurfaces. It 's clearly what Kajii expects too. They 're both shocked when she instantly throws herself at him to dunk him instead.

'Take a breath, ' she says viciously as she allows him to come up for air for a moment before shoving him under again.

The rest of them burst out in hysterical laughter. Higuchi starts to smile as well despite herself. She stops trying to drown Kajii and settles for punching him as hard as she can in the arm.

'Ah, killer punch, Gucci, ' says Kajii, rubbing his arm. 'You taking lessons from Baby Red? '

'You just bring out the worst in people, ' says Higuchi, but she 's still smiling, and there isn 't any real heat to her insult.

Kajii sticks his tongue out at her, and it 's peaceful just for a moment as they all cool off in the water. For not being that far from L.A, Vegas is way hotter. Chuuya 's glad they have the space to themselves. He can 't imagine dealing with a crowd today.

'I am not complaining this time, ' says Higuchi, pushing her wet bangs out of her face. 'But I 'm just saying there are pools in L.A. '

Kajii groans loudly. 'I will drag you out of this pool so I can throw you back in. '

'I was just curious, ' says Higuchi sharply. She does swim a little further away from Kajii though.

'This place is amazing, ' says Gin loyally. Tachihara beams at her. 'We always go somewhere for Chuuya 's birthday. '

'The beautiful city of Las Vegas was chosen for its luxurious accommodations and plentiful entertainment options, ' adds Tachihara, doing a voice that makes him sound like an air headed tour guide. Then he drops to a more normal voice. 'Plus Chuuya hates being in L.A. on his birthday. '

Next year we will be in L.A,

supplies Chuuya 's mind automatically before he can fight it off. He has to hold back a scowl. He 's twenty three now, but he feels like he 'll never grow out of being an idiot who can 't let the past die.

'Higuchi is just trying to complain enough to make up for Akutagawa 's absence, ' says Chuuya to change the subject. It gets the reaction he 'd been hoping for. Higuchi pouts and crosses her arms while the others snicker.

'It 's not like we have anything better to do back home right now, ' says Tachihara, rolling his eyes. 'We mostly just dick around on our instruments. We 're in musical lockdown until we get a new singer. '

'I 've been able to keep Mori from shoving a placeholder in the band, ' says Chuuya with a slight frown. 'But I don 't think I 'll be able to hold him off forever. Finding someone sooner rather than later would be better. '

'If you guys are looking for a singer, ' says Kajii, raising an eyebrow at the group, 'Why would you not ask the original lizard? '

The atmosphere of the group changes immediately. It goes from lighthearted to brimming with tension. Chuuya sees Tachihara, Gin, and Higuchi all freeze in place. Chuuya stares at Kajii with wide eyes, because if he 's joking around about this he thinks Kajii might end up getting punched for real.

'That 's not funny. ' Gin is the first to speak up. She 's giving Kajii one of the coldest stares Chuuya has ever seen from her. Tachihara has a hand on her shoulder for support.

'Who says I 'm kidding? ' asks Kajii, dropping the mockery from his tone and crossing his arms.

'You fucking dropped us to go solo without question, ' says Tachihara angrily. Actually, he 's possibly holding onto Gin to keep himself in check. 'Why the hell would we want you back? So you can just ditch us again when it suits you? '

'Okay, are we pretending like I 'm not the one who started the fucking band? ' asks Kajii, going from sincere to annoyed.

'You lost any claim you had to it when you left, ' says Tachihara cooly. His eyes are hard as they look at Kajii. It 's a stark contrast to how much they usually get along.

'I 'm not sorry I went solo, ' says Kajii plainly with a shrug. 'It was what I wanted. The fame, the people screaming my name, getting to be in full control of the music, the awards, I loved every second of it. '

'This is very convincing, ' says Higuchi, tone extremely callous. While she 's been snippy with Kajii all day, there 's a deeper level to it now. She isn 't messing around anymore.

'If you would fucking let me finish, ' snaps Kajii before exhaling harshly. 'Yeah, going solo was awesome. I don 't regret it at all. But honestly, I had way more fun back when I was playing with you guys. '

'And you 've suddenly realized this now? ' asks Tachihara, clearly not moved at all. 'Because we 've been without a singer for practically an entire god damn year, and you never said a thing."

'What, are you going to make me fucking

beg

? ' demands Kajii. Tachihara just looks at him blankly in response.

'I mean, I could do another solo album, ' says Kajii, tone full of barely contained frustration. 'And it 'd be another bestseller, no question. I could tour the entire world again. ' Then Kajii loses his bravado and speaks with uncharacteristic earnestness. 'But if I had the choice, I 'd rather play the music I love with my best friends than go at it alone. '

It 's quiet for a moment as everyone lets that sink in. Chuuya isn 't sure if he feels like he 's intruding. If it were him, he 'd have let up already. But this isn 't his band on the line. He remembers how pissed Tachihara got at him when he 'd pulled Akutagawa out of the band, he 's not looking for a repeat of that by getting involved.

Still, Kajii 's sincerity is making Chuuya feel for him. Chuuya 's always been lucky that the music he loves to make has been wildly successful. But if he had to make a choice, he 'd rather make the music he wanted over success.

Chuuya is a little surprised Kajii doesn 't want to be solo anymore. He 'd seen how full of energy he 'd been when The Literary City first came out. But looking back, he really hadn 't put forth a major effort towards a second album since he got back from his insanely long tour for it. Chuuya has been fairly preoccupied with his own shit lately, but he kind of feels like a crap friend for not picking up on it.

'Well, Gin, should we put him out of his misery? ' asks Tachihara, a half-smirk on his face as he leans in close to her and flicks his eyes back and forth between Gin and Kajii.

'If you even

think

about abandoning us again, ' says Gin darkly, pointing a finger at Kajii threateningly, 'I will remove your vocal cords so you can never sing again. '

'Why isn 't anyone asking me what I think? ' asks Higuchi haughtily.

'Sounds fair, ' says Kajii, looking at Gin and ignoring Higuchi entirely. She bristles in rage but then stops when Kajii places his hands on her shoulders and leans forward to look her directly in the eyes.

'You and me are bandmates now, Princess Maple, ' says Kajii solemnly. 'But just because I 'm your singer now doesn 't mean I can have you fawning over me like you did the Little Gecko. Don 't get me wrong, you 're a hot little number. But it 's for the sake of the band. '

Higuchi screams in outrage and goes back to trying to drown Kajii with more enthusiasm than before. Chuuya laughs before turning to see Gin and Tachihara 's reactions. They aren 't paying attention though.

'Looks like we 're finally getting out of fucking musical quarantine, freak, ' says Tachihara brightly, his tone practically bursting with happiness. He 's grinning with almost all his teeth visible.

'Thank god, ' says Gin flatly, but her smile is just as big. 'If I had to listen to any more of your drum solos I was going to go insane. '

'Shut up, ' says Tachihara warmly, shoving her away from him. He turns to face Higuchi and Kajii then. 'Hey, Guch, don 't kill our singer. We kind of need him. '

'Fine, ' says Higuchi with a sigh, tone full of whining. She lets Kajii come up for air properly this time. She glares at him as he coughs and tries to suck in air.

'The Black Lizards are back, baby! ' shouts Kajii once he catches his breath. 'This is now a double celebration. ' He 's full of violent enthusiasm. 'I 'm actually surprised Baby Red didn 't try to step in and be the hero and offer to sing. '

'Oh, he did, ' says Tachihara, smirking and raising his eyebrows. 'I shut him down. Kid just doesn 't have the voice for rock. '

Kajii cackles. 'He really doesn 't. Such a talented little songbird, but such a

soft

one. '

Chuuya keeps a calm expression on his face while the others laugh. Then he flings himself at Kajii to dunk him underwater himself.

May, Six 'Years, Three Months, & Two Weeks Since the Release of Corruption

Dazai is mulling over his next best course of action as he eats a (fairly large) piece of cake leftover from Atsushi 's birthday a few days ago (he 'd feel worse about the size of it if Ranpo weren 't next to him and eating an even bigger one.)

They 're sitting at the table in the center of the main office that Kunikida still maintains that they need to keep there until their ongoing conflicts resolve. The rest of the office have pretty much just been using it to eat at and to store random things on. Right now Yosano is sitting at the other end and painting her nails.

'It should be somebody 's birthday every week, ' says Ranpo contently as he eats the last bite of his cake and tosses his empty plate back on the table. If Dazai hadn 't been used to him he would have been alarmed at how fast he 'd eaten that amount of cake.

'We are allowed to get cake when it 's not somebody 's birthday, ' points out Dazai. He pushes the last bits of his own cake around on his plate absentmindedly.

'It tastes better when there 's a reason, ' says Ranpo with a shrug.

For one of the best songwriters Dazai knows, Ranpo has a multitude of these nonsensical beliefs that nobody calls him out on. It 's best for everyone when Ranpo is in a good mood. It 's extremely awkward when he 's upset. He gets very quiet, and it freaks everyone out.

Dazai sighs, not about Ranpo 's nonsense, but about having to ask him for advice. 'Are you sure you can 't just write it? '

'I would have already offered if I thought that would work, ' says Ranpo as if it were obvious, raising an eyebrow at him. 'Sun Tzu does not actually apply to all situations. ' Ranpo frowns and looks around them. 'But don 't tell the president I said that. '

Dazai sighs again, even more dramatically. He finally finishes off the last of his own cake while pouting. Ranpo rolls his eyes and shows him no sympathy.

Dazai throws his plate on top of Ranpo 's in revenge, standing up and putting a big smile on his face as he walks over to Atsushi 's desk. Atsushi has a pair of headphones in and jumps when he notices Dazai standing there.

'Sorry, ' says Atsushi quickly, pulling out one of his earbuds. 'Did you want to go back to the music room? '

'Whatcha listening to? ' asks Dazai brightly, pulling the headphones out of the computer so his music plays out loud for the whole room.

You cannot escape gravity,

rings out Chuuya 's voice.

It pulls us all down and apart. It rips away-.

The song cuts off abruptly as Atsushi frantically pauses it. His face is possibly redder than Dazai has ever seen it. 'Um, ' he says blankly.

Dazai bursts out in laughter, having to clutch onto Atsushi 's desk to steady himself. 'Oh, Atsushi, ' says Dazai in between laughing. 'Your face. '

'Don 't let Dazai bully you, ' says Yosano, coming up to join them and shoving Dazai lightly. She gives him a disapproving look. 'I doubt there 's anyone in this room who hasn 't listened to that song a million times. He 's just being an ass about it to rile you up. '

'You never told me you were a fan, Yosano, ' says Dazai with a smirk.

Yosano scoffs. 'I didn 't want to make you uncomfortable. It 's uncool to shower your new coworker with compliments. ' Yosano smirks back at him. 'And I 've been a Chuuya fan since he played with The Sheep. '

'You know who The Sheep are? ' asks Dazai in shock, raising both eyebrows.

Yosano laughs. 'I 'm not that much older than you, ' she says shaking her head. 'I 'm from L.A. Me and my friends used to listen to The Sheep all the time back in high school. '

'Ugh, not me, ' says Ranpo loudly from his spot at the table. 'I

hated

The Sheep. I couldn 't stand to listen to them. '

'Who are The Sheep? ' asks Atsushi, still slightly red in the face but intrigued.

'Pop band, ' says Ranpo, voice full of contempt. 'Like, the worst kind of pop band. '

'You snob, ' accuses Dazai, putting a hand to his chest in mock offense.

'If that isn 't the pot calling the kettle black I don 't know what is, ' says Yosano with a snort.

Dazai is about to defend himself when Kunikida opens the door to the office and immediately glares at all of them.

'Is there a reason all of you are lazing about? ' asks Kunikida sharply. Tanizaki walks in behind him.

Yosano rolls her eyes but starts walking back towards her office, blowing on her nails as she does. Ranpo completely ignores Kunikida, staying exactly where he is and pulling out his phone. Dazai goes over to his own desk and shuffles papers around to look busy.

Once Kunikida is in conversation with Tanizaki and distracted Dazai leans towards Atsushi.

'Hey, Atsushi, ' whispers Dazai conspiratorially. 'Let 's ditch. '

Atsushi automatically frowns. 'Shouldn 't we be doing vocal training? '

'Creativity dies when it 's confined, Atsushi, ' says Dazai passionately but still quietly enough that no one else (i.e. Kunikida) can hear them.

If it had still been March, Atsushi probably would have gone along with whatever Dazai said. Now that they know each other a little better, Atsushi gives him a very skeptical look. Some of it is probably due to Kunikida 's influence. Luckily he 's come around from his initial hesitation to help Atsushi and has shifted to nagging Dazai to stop teaching Atsushi his bad habits.

Kunikida hadn 't even faltered when the legal papers were delivered to the office from Francis 's lawyer. Dazai doesn 't know much about the legal system, and his brief experiences with it through PMR had taught him that the winner is often the one who pays off the jury. But Fukuzawa maintains Francis has no case and that they should spend their time focusing on their music. The only one he discusses it with is Haruno, who spends the majority of her time working with the president.

Atsushi has grown in leaps and bounds vocally since they first started. Dazai wouldn 't say he 's reached recording shape yet, but it 's a near thing. So now they need to shift to actually start working on his single. They need to have a delicate conversation, and Dazai would rather not have it in the middle of all his opinionated coworkers. If he has to scheme a little to make it happen, so be it.

'Fine, ' says Atsushi, relenting. 'Let 's go. '

'Excellent, ' chirps Dazai, grabbing Atsushi by the wrist and pulling him towards the door.

'Atsushi and I have important music business elsewhere, ' calls out Dazai as they leave, a bright smile on his face. 'See you later! '

'Dazai, wait-, ' Dazai hears Kunikida start to say but he doesn 't stop and continues leading the way out of the building. Atsushi sighs quietly but doesn 't fight against Dazai 's hold. He does pull away once they get outside though.

Dazai starts towards his destination, expecting Atsushi to fall in step with him, which he does.

'I have a hard time believing you two write music together, ' says Atsushi, a perplexed expression on his face.

Dazai laughs lightly. 'We don 't really write together actually. We mostly steer the other in the right direction. '

'It 's still hard to picture, ' says Atsushi while shaking his head.

Dazai hums but doesn 't reply, letting them lapse into silence as they walk. Dazai has grown to be somewhat fond of the area of L.A. the ADA is in the past few years. There 's a bunch of strange local places that Dazai frequents. He drags Kunikida with him sometimes, or Ranpo if they sell sweets. His favorite is the coffee shop below the ADA, mostly because they let him put whatever he buys on his ever growing tab (which he could technically pay off if he had access to his old PMR bank account, but the chances of him ever getting that are quite slim.) But it is rather far from the beach, which is annoying.

'Where are we going? ' asks Atsushi after some time has passed. He sounds curious rather than complaining about them leaving work now.

'We 're going to the bus stop, ' says Dazai matter of factly. They 're almost there, and Dazai starts searching his pockets for his bus pass.

Atsushi brings out his own pass, giving Dazai a flat look. 'Where are we taking the bus? '

'Where 's your sense of adventure? ' asks Dazai, pouting at him. "You 've only been eighteen a couple days. You should be enjoying your youth. '

'Shouldn 't you be more serious then since you 're older? ' asks Atsushi, raising an eyebrow.

Dazai fights off a snort. He really is rubbing off on the kid. It 's good to see. A month ago he would have never goaded Dazai like that. It 's been a while since an insult has made him this happy.

'I did the whole workaholic thing once upon a time, ' says Dazai, waving a hand dismissively. 'It 's overrated. '

'Oh, ' says Atsushi a little sheepishly. 'Right. '

The bus arrives, and Dazai leads the way to a spot standing near the rear. It 's luckily not that packed in the middle of the day. Dazai sometimes seriously regrets never learning to drive when he was younger. He 'd never envisioned having to take the bus when he 'd decided against it back when he was sixteen. He can appreciate the irony.

It 's too loud to talk without raising their voices, and Atsushi is too polite to do that, so they don 't talk as they ride away from the inner city. Dazai hums a little under his breath, an old song by Murasaki Shikibu,

The Tale of Genji.

She remains one of the few artists Dazai genuinely enjoys listening to (and yes, Yosano had been totally justified in implying he was a snob, but it was the principle of the matter.)

Eventually they get to a stop a couple blocks from the beach, and Dazai 'd rather spend the least amount of time on the bus as possible, so he and Atsushi get off there. Atsushi calls out a thank you as they exit, another reminder that Dazai is putting in all this effort for someone who actually deserves it.

'Are we going to the beach? ' asks Atsushi as he once again falls in step with Dazai. He has a small smile on his face.

'We are indeed, ' says Dazai, smiling back. 'I used to not care much for the ocean when I was younger. I thought the sand was uncomfortable and that the salt water stung too much. '

'I 've always loved the beach, ' says Atsushi, that love clear in his voice. 'It 's free, so it was one of the few places the orphanage brought us to. Some of my happiest memories from growing up were there. '

'It 's one of the best things about L.A, ' says Dazai. Memories are something he and Atsushi has in common about the beach. Dazai 's are somewhat bittersweet though. But it 's possible Atsushi 's are too, his descriptions of his time at the orphanage have not painted a pleasant picture of the place. Nick Carraway has earned a spot in Dazai 's most hated. If Dazai didn 't have so many top tier enemies he 'd be up much higher.

'So what made you change your mind? ' asks Atsushi, bringing Dazai back to the present.

'Change my mind about what? ' asks Dazai. They reach the edge of the sand and Dazai takes off his shoes and socks to carry them. He 's admittedly still not the biggest fan of all the sand.

'About the beach, ' clarifies Atsushi, taking off his own shoes. 'You said you used to not like it. '

'Ah, ' says Dazai, fighting off a frown. That 's not a question he feels like poking at too hard. 'Mostly I got over being a precocious snot. '

Atsushi laughs, accepting his explanation. They walk closer to the waves but stick towards where there are only a few people.

Dazai takes off his coat and throws it down on the sand to sit on, patting the ground next to him for Atsushi to sit too. Atsushi doesn 't hesitate to sit in the sand, immediately digging his toes into it.

Dazai wrinkles his nose a bit. It 's probably a normal habit, but the majority of Dazai 's experiences at the beach revolve around one person. Now is not the time to be prodding that particular wound. He isn 't here to watch the waves, although that is something he enjoys doing when he 's stressed. But he came here with a task in mind.

'Someone once told me the ocean is like a form of music, ' says Dazai lightly. The words lead to the topic he wants to discuss, but they catch in his throat a little. 'That the waves are its own sort of chorus. '

'I like that, ' says Atsushi sincerely, looking at the ocean instead of Dazai. He seems content, sitting there.

Dazai 's throat tightens again, even more than before. It 's strange, because on the surface, Atsushi and Chuuya are nothing alike. Chuuya had walked into every situation he 'd ever been thrown into with effortless confidence. He was practically fearless, in music and in life.

But the more time Dazai spends with Atsushi, the more Dazai sees the similarities between the two. They both love tea and the ocean. They both actually want to get to

know

Dazai despite how difficult Dazai makes it for them to. But more than anything, it is music where Atsushi reminds him of Chuuya the most.

He 's never met someone who loves music as much as Chuuya. Chuuya had lived and breathed music. He 'd played, he 'd sang, he 'd always have something on in the background. He had a new favorite song practically every day. Dazai had mostly listened to music for work, rarely listening to anything when he was on his own. Chuuya had always been the one to bring music into Dazai 's life, in more ways than one.

Atsushi also deeply loves music. Even when he 's not listening to something, Dazai catches him tapping his fingers or bobbing his head lightly, the music playing in his head instead of out loud. Dazai could hear how much Atsushi loved so many of the songs he 'd had him practice with, his adoration bleeding into the notes.

It had made Dazai both excited (because it was hard to fake that kind of energy, and it added so much more to a song) and uneasy (because everything attached to Chuuya has always been a double-edged sword, but lately the edge pointed towards Dazai feels like a rapier while the other is the length of a dagger.)

'You 've come a long way vocally since we first met, ' says Dazai, which is the truth but he 's mostly saying it to put Atsushi in a good mood. 'I think you 'll be ready to sing at a professional level sooner rather than later. '

'Really? ' asks Atsushi excitedly. He turns to face Dazai with a huge grin. 'I couldn 't have done it without your help, Dazai. '

Dazai winces internally. As much as he usually basks in praise thrown his way (or pretends to), he wants Atsushi to be focusing on his own accomplishments, not anyone else 's.

'So I think it 's time to start talking about your debut single, ' says Dazai, dropping all the fake cheeriness from his tone. He looks Atsushi directly in the eyes. 'I think you should be the one to write it. '

From Atsushi 's facial expression, you would think Dazai had just slapped him, that 's how hard he recoils at Dazai 's words (which Dazai had anticipated, but it 's still hard to witness.) Atsushi opens his mouth but takes a moment to speak.

'I have no idea how to write a song, ' says Atsushi when he finally is able to get his words out. They come out rapidly and somewhat frantically. 'There 's so many amazing songwriters at the ADA. Why would you want me to be the one to write it? '

'I 've been working in the music industry for a long time, ' says Dazai with a shrug. 'I 've found that singers often deliver their best performances when they 're working on something that, for whatever reason, they connect to. And the easiest way to connect to a song is to be the one to write it. '

'I 'm not a songwriter, ' says Atsushi softly, still full of doubt.

'You 've never written a song, ' corrects Dazai, smiling a little at him. 'If you spend your whole life comparing your music to other people 's, you will always find someone better. It 's much better to focus on what

you

can do. '

'What I can do, ' repeats Atsushi, tone contemplative.

'It 's not like you 'll be on your own either, ' points out Dazai. 'I 'll help you. Ranpo is always willing to critique someone else's songwriting. And despite his rigid antics, Kunikida can be surprisingly helpful when you 're stuck with a song. ' He grins widely at Atsushi. 'So, what do you say? Will you give it a try? '

Atsushi swallows and frowns deeply, and Dazai internally worries about him shutting him down, fighting to keep his smile in place.

'I 'll do it, ' says Atsushi though, still sounding hesitant. 'If you really think that 's what we should do, I 'll do it. '

On the inside, Dazai is throwing up his hands in celebration. Atsushi 's lack of enthusiasm could be changed, but in order to do that Dazai first needed to get him to agree to take a stab at songwriting in the first place. Once they got started he could start nudging him in the right direction.

(Dazai honestly tries to be less manipulative when he tries to get his coworkers at the ADA to do what he wants them to than he 'd been at PMR, but it 's just so

useful

sometimes.)

'Although I have no idea where to start, ' adds Atsushi with a frown.

'What 's your favorite song? ' asks Dazai, tilting his head inquisitively.

Atsushi blinks a little, startled by the question. '

Treasure Island

by Robert Louis Stevenson. '

'What do you like about

Treasure Island

? ' asks Dazai. He brings his knees to his chest and rests his head on them. He pointedly does not point out that he thinks

Treasure Island

is fun but

ultimately nonsensical trash.

'It 's been my favorite for a long time, ' says Atsushi, running a hand in the sand and looking at his fingers instead of Dazai. 'I guess I liked the idea of going on a crazy adventure on a pirate ship, it seemed way better than the life I was living. '

'I would never advise you to copy someone else 's style, ' says Dazai, turning to face the waves. It settles something inside him, being here. He 's glad he came here today, regardless of how he 'd been able to get Atsushi to agree to write a song. 'But you can pull inspiration from them.

Treasure Island

is a song that tells a story. So maybe you can write a song that does that. '

'A song that tells a story, ' says Atsushi, nodding a little in thought. He 's facing the ocean too. 'What 's yours? '

'Huh? ' asks Dazai, facing Atsushi again.

'Your favorite song? '

'Oh, ' says Dazai lightly. He smiles brightly. 'I don 't have one, ' he lies, shrugging casually. He 's not going to mention The Sheep again after who one of their members had been was brought up earlier. He also has the feeling Atsushi will ask him why it 's his favorite song, and answering that sounds about as fun as drinking bleach. 'I am a snob, but don 't tell Yosano. ' Dazai points a warning finger at him.

Atsushi laughs a little and shakes his head. 'Sure thing, Dazai. '

'Are you busy? ' asks Mori, despite the fact that he hadn 't knocked and is already walking towards Chuuya 's desk.

Chuuya muffles a snort. Of course he 's busy, and of course Mori knows that. And of course they both know he 'll drop anything in order to talk to Mori.

'What 's up? ' asks Chuuya, trying to sound upbeat. He gives Mori the most sincere smile he can muster up.

'I 've decided to pull Kouyou off of Kyouka 's album, ' announces Mori, his tone free of emotion. His facial expression is also blank.

Chuuya has to fight off a wince. 'If I could just have a little bit more time-. '

'I have given you plenty of time, ' says Mori, cutting him off and giving him a cold look. He crosses his arms. 'We can 't afford any more delays. ' He sighs. 'I 'd rather not piss off Ozaki, but she 's not leaving me with much choice. '

'Please, ' says Chuuya, bowing his head slightly, his hands in fists underneath his desk. He cannot do this to Kouyou, no matter how bad things have gotten between them lately. 'I can fix it, I swear. Even just a week. '

Mori stares at him cooly for a long moment, raising an eyebrow. He sighs again, more deeply this time. 'One week, not a second more. If anyone else had asked I wouldn 't have even entertained the thought. '

'Thank you, sir, ' says Chuuya, quietly letting out a long breath in relief. 'I won 't let you down, I swear. '

'It 's not you who I doubt, ' says Mori. His expression shifts to a more calculating one. 'How is everything else going? Anything to report? '

'As smoothly as can be expected, ' says Chuuya, running a hand through his hair. His hat is sitting on the edge of his desk, a visible reminder to keep his head even when he 's struggling. 'The Black Lizards are doing well with Kajii rejoining. But it 's hard to say how fast they can put together another album. '

'I was surprised Kajii went back, but it 's worked out in our favor, ' says Mori, nodding in approval. 'Right now we have to focus on our artists who are closer to release though. '

'How are things going on your end? ' asks Chuuya hesitantly. Executive meetings have been put on an indefinite hold, and Chuuya sees Mori even less than he had last month. His fake cheeriness is even less sincere than usual when he does. Mori seems to meet with Ace more frequently than the rest of them, though Chuuya has no idea why. It doesn 't really concern him, so Chuuya doesn 't ask him about it.

'As well as can be expected, ' says Mori. He leans back in his chair. 'Word around town is that I 've lost my edge, can 't handle a simple recruitment. Port Mafia Records isn 't even strong enough to stand up to an insignificant independent label. '

Mori delivers the words calmly, but his rage is very apparent. His words make Chuuya just as angry if not angrier.

'That 's fucking bullshit, ' declares Chuuya, slamming a hand against his desk.

'It 's rather well done on Francis 's part, ' says Mori, smiling violently. 'He 's even better at this game than I expected him to be. '

Chuuya takes a deep breath. 'Yeah, but he 's a novice compared to you. '

'I could care less about my own reputation, ' says Mori, smile getting even bigger. 'A leader of an organization is someone who acts as both its king and its servant. They gladly put themselves through all manner of filth and tribulation. But he made a mistake when he decided to challenge Port Mafia Records. '

'I 'll fix the Kyouka thing, ' promises Chuuya, now even more determined than before. This isn 't just about Kouyou, this is about PMR. He can 't fail.

'Yes, see that you do, ' says Mori lightly, standing up to leave. 'I do appreciate all the other work you 've been doing, Chuuya. It 's been excellent. '

'Thank you, Boss, ' says Chuuya sincerely. He 's not even sure if Mori 's complimenting him to manipulate him or not.

'I 'll check back in with you next week then, ' says Mori as he leaves. He doesn 't look back or wait for a response from Chuuya.

Chuuya moves to leave as well, grabbing his hat and plopping it on his head. He 'd gotten the time he 'd asked for. Now he has to make it worth it.

He finds Kyouka in one of PMR 's practice rooms with Hirotsu. Kouyou is no where in sight, which is a stroke of good luck. Kyouka is standing by a microphone while Hirotsu sits in a chair nearby and takes notes. For a second Chuuya gets a sense of d 'j 'vu, he 'd been in Kyouka 's place in a room like this with Hirotsu once upon a time.

Normally when Chuuya walks into a practice room someone is playing music. But it 's silent as he makes his way into the room.

'Chuuya, ' says Hirotsu when he notices him. His voice is neutral, but Chuuya knows him well enough to hear he 's glad to see him and also frustrated. 'Are you here to assist us? '

'Actually, I 'm here to talk to Kyouka, ' says Chuuya, giving the small girl a friendly smile. 'I 'll be out of your hair soon. '

'Very well, ' says Hirotsu, going back to his notes and giving them some relative privacy. He always has been an extremely perceptive old man.

Kyouka Izumi looks up at him with blank eyes. 'What did you want to talk about? '

Kyouka is perhaps the most serious fourteen year old he 's ever met. Her facial expression rarely shifts, in either happiness or sadness. Her face stays the same when she sings too. Her voice is amazing, but looking at her you 'd think she was some kind of musical robot.

She 's short (although he 's barely taller, but that 's neither here nor there). Kyouka tends to wear traditional Japanese kimonos rather than Western style clothes. Chuuya knows that she had lived in Japan for most of her life then moved to the States a couple years ago. She almost always wears her long hair in pigtails, her hair color so black it looks almost blue. Today her hair ties have little white flowers on them.

On the outside, she looks like your average teenage girl. But Chuuya had never met a teenage girl who 'd made him feel as unsettled with their flat eyed stares before.

Chuuya really hasn 't gotten the chance to talk to her one on one much. He 'd dropped in on tea with her and Kouyou back when she 'd first signed with PMR, but even then she 'd been practically silent. He and Kouyou had done most of the talking. He 'd always tried his best to be nice to her, but she 'd been borderline cold and polite back.

He 's been approaching Kyouka 's album by trying to convince Kouyou to change her mind, but he doesn 't have the time to tiptoe around her feelings anymore. Now he 's going to go straight to the source.

Luckily, he has a lot of experience with seemingly emotionless people to draw on (perhaps one of the only benefits of being so attached to all those memories.)

'Are you free tonight? ' asks Chuuya, keeping his tone somewhere between casual and business-like. 'There 's a work thing I 'd like you to come to. '

Kyouka 's one eyebrow raises slightly, but she doesn 't question him. 'I 'm not busy tonight. '

'Great, ' says Chuuya, walking away before she has a chance to change her mind or ask more questions. 'I 'll pick you up around seven. See you then. ' He turns to call out to Hirotsu, 'Later, geezer. '

Hirotsu rolls his eyes but smiles and waves. Kyouka watches him go with the slightest hint of a frown.

Chuuya starts walking back to his office, pulling out his phone to send out a text as he does.

[9:13am Chuuya]: What are you doing tonight? '

He gets a reply almost immediately, which makes him frown because she 's

supposed

to be in class right now.

[9:13am

?

Elise

?

]: omg please tell me we 're doing something!!! i haven 't seen you in FOREVER

Chuuya knocks on the door of Kyouka 's dorm a couple minutes before seven. It 's on the second floor of the PMR dorm building, not too far from his old dorm. Chuuya fights off the sting of the nostalgia as Kyouka opens the door.

She hasn 't changed from earlier, in clothes or expression. Kyouka nods in greeting and joins him in the hall, locking her door behind her. Chuuya isn 't sure if she 'd always been polite or if Kouyou had drilled it into her. Kouyou had tried with him, but he 'd already been a lost cause by the time he 'd met her.

Kyouka doesn 't comment on his own outfit of dark jeans and a plain grey sweatshirt, his usual choker and hat left in his apartment. He 's pulled his hair into a loose ponytail. Chuuya hasn 't gone out in something this casual since April when he 'd literally been dragged into his birthday celebration.

It is very clear Chuuya is not dressed for a work event. But, well, he 'd picked up a couple things from others over the years. A tiny bit of manipulation could sometimes be justified.

'Let 's get going, ' says Chuuya lightly, smiling at Kyouka and leading the way towards the exit. She falls in step beside him, her sandals flopping against the floor.

The dorm building is only a couple doors down from the office, and Chuuya heads towards the PMR parking lot. He brings out a set of keys (that don 't exactly belong to him, but old habits die hard), and presses the unlock button to find which van he 's borrowing (he 's an executive now, who the fuck is going to complain anyway?).

If Kyouka thinks it 's strange they 're taking a random PMR van in the evening, or that any of Chuuya 's behavior is odd, she doesn 't voice it. Hopefully by the end of the night Chuuya will be able to coax

something

out of her.

Chuuya flicks on the radio as he drives out of the parking lot and towards their first destination of the evening. Kyouka looks out the window, watching the city as they drive. Chuuya taps his hand on the steering wheel along to

The Sound and the Fury

as he drives, he 's always liked Faulkner.

The houses around them get progressively nicer as they get closer to the entrance to Elise 's extremely expensive (and frankly pretentious) private school. She 's already waiting out front when they pull up, scrolling on her phone. Her face lights up as she realizes who 's driving the van parking next to her.

Elise doesn 't hesitate to open the door of the van and jump into the backseat. Her smile is huge as she leans over the driver 's seat to give Chuuya a quick hug, which is not easy for how she has to twist her body to accomplish it. Her long blonde ponytail ends up shoved into Chuuya 's face but he 's too excited to see her to complain.

'You have got to stop stealing PMR 's vans some day, ' says Elise as a greeting, pulling back and shoving Chuuya 's shoulder lightly. 'You have your own car. '

Chuuya does, it had been yet another extravagant birthday present from Kouyou from when he 'd turned twenty one. She 'd gotten him a signed copy of Po 'mes saturniens this year, calling a one day truce in their ongoing feud.

'What? ' asks Chuuya with a smirk. 'You going to tell Mori on me? '

Elise rolls her eyes and moves to the backseat again. 'Hi Kyouka, ' she says lightly.

'Hi Elise, ' says Kyouka, tone a little less put together than usual. She 's giving Chuuya a somewhat bewildered look, as if he 's hit her quota for weird before she can 't fight off a reaction.

Elise had not been thrilled when he 'd called her and told her his plans for the evening earlier and who was going to be coming with them.

'Kyouka Izumi? ' she 'd whined. 'Why? She hates me. '

'What? ' Chuuya had asked in disbelief. 'I highly doubt that. '

Elise had sighed heavily. 'Chuuya, I was

ecstatic

to finally have a girl somewhat close to my age at PMR to hang out with when I 'm stuck at the office. I literally tried embarrassingly hard to befriend her. She shut me down so hard. I don 't know why, but she hates me. '

'She 's just shy, ' Chuuya had said. Kyouka had never seemed to genuinely dislike the people around her. Not from Chuuya 's observations anyway.

'That 's just what people think when a teenage girl ignores someone, ' Elise had said, pout clear in her voice. 'Do you know how many people I don 't like think

I 'm

shy? '

Chuuya had laughed a little, because Elise is probably the furthest thing from shy there is. Then he 'd changed to a more serious voice. 'Could you try one more time? I 'd really appreciate it. '

'Ugh, you 're lucky I love you, ' Elise had said. But she hadn 't raised any more protests. She 'd jumped straight back into being excited.

She keeps up a constant stream of chatter as they drive to their second destination, mostly about school and her friends there. Chuuya listens and chimes in now and again. Kyouka looks back and forth between them, not adding anything but clearly paying attention.

Chuuya eventually parks the van not too far from the bar and restaurant Chuuya had picked out after some internet searching and prior experience. Not that he 'd ever been to the place he 'd chosen before, but he 'd spent a lot of time in this neighborhood back when he 'd played with The Sheep. It 's a decent area, not fancy but not shabby. It 's the perfect kind of place to go to have a good time without being bombarded with people.

Chuuya leads the way towards the door of the place, Elise and Kyouka following behind him. He opens the door for them when he reaches it, the sign on the door advertising

Wednesday Karaoke Nights!

Elise walks in first, going right up to the hostess to ask for a table for three. Kyouka 's eyebrows are slightly furrowed as she follows her. Chuuya smiles widely at her.

Someone is already on stage, singing an enthusiastic if not on key version of

The Grapes of Wrath

(which Chuuya

used

to like before he 'd sworn off all music by those stupid Guild motherfuckers). Chuuya follows the hostess to a table somewhat near the stage, taking a seat on one of the benches and stretching out enough so Elise and Kyouka have to share the other one. Kyouka takes the inner seat while Elise sits on the end.

'Can I get you anything to drink? ' asks their hostess as she gives them some menus.

'A water is good for me, thanks, ' says Chuuya. He starts flipping through the menu so that she won 't pay attention to him. He usually doesn 't mind getting recognized, he usually expects it actually, but it 's not how he wants to start tonight.

'Same for me, ' says Elise.

'I 'll have one as well, ' says Kyouka.

'Sounds good, ' says the hostess. 'Your waitress will bring those with her. '

Chuuya lowers his menu as she walks away.

'You 're a master of disguise, ' says Elise sarcastically.

'Shut up, ' says Chuuya, rolling his eyes. 'If you 're hungry you can get something. '

'I didn 't think we came here to eat, ' says Elise, smirking a little.

Chuuya gives her a flat look. 'How perceptive of you. Mori would be so proud. '

'Are we here to sing? ' asks Kyouka, surprising Chuuya by speaking up. Her tone is still fairly flat. But there is the slightest spark of interest in her eyes.

'I have an assignment for you, ' says Chuuya, looking at Kyouka and leaning forward on the table with his elbows. 'I 've heard you in the studio, now I want to hear you out in the wild. '

'What did you want me to sing? ' asks Kyouka, accepting his strange task without missing a beat.

'That 's for you two to decide, ' says Chuuya lightly.

Both girls turn to look at each other for a second before turning back to face Chuuya.

'For us two to decide? ' asks Elise mildly, but her eyes are clearly saying

you did not mention this.

'Yup, ' says Chuuya, smiling widely. 'You two are going to do a duet. Take as much time as you want picking your song. '

He leans back against the bench and crosses his arms. Kyouka is biting her lip lightly, looking at Elise out of the corner of her eye.

Elise takes a deep breath then turns to Kyouka with a fake smile (Mori would actually probably be proud of that). 'So, what kind of music do you like? '

'I 'm not picky, ' says Kyouka, but there 's just a hint more emotion to her tone that usual, possibly nerves.

'Oh, come on, ' says Elise encouragingly. 'You 're a musician. You 've got to have

some

sort of opinion. '

Kyouka blinks and swallows. 'We could do

Golden Demon

. '

She looks towards Chuuya to gauge his reaction, but he keeps his expression free of judgement. Kyouka turns back towards Elise then.

'I love that song, ' says Elise, more sincere now than before.

'Perfect, ' says Chuuya with a nod. 'Go sign up. '

Elise gives him another look that says

I do not take order from you, Chuuya Nakahara.

But she puts another smile on her face and walks towards the stage where the person with the clipboard is signing people up.

'I didn 't warm up at all, ' says Kyouka, the tiniest hint of a frown visible.

Chuuya can 't hold back a sigh. 'That 's fine, Kyouka. Just have fun up there with it. '

Kyouka 's frown grows slightly more pronounced, but Elise gets back to the table and beckons a finger towards Kyouka.

'We 're in luck, ' she says, leaning against the table. 'Nobody else in line. Let 's do this thing, Kyouka. '

'Right, ' says Kyouka, getting up to follow Elise to the stage. She looks tiny compared to Elise as they walk, Elise could probably rest her elbow on Kyouka 's head.

Elise grins at the room as she walks onto to stage, no nerves at all. She grabs one of the microphones and hands the other to Kyouka, who is standing slightly behind her.

'Hey, everyone, ' says Elise into the microphone, tone light and airy. 'My name 's Elise and this is Kyouka. We 're going to sing

Golden Demon

for you. '

Kyouka doesn 't add anything, and Elise signals for someone to start the music. The beginning of the song is familiar to Chuuya after hearing it so many times, he can 't help but smile.

'

Congratulations on your engagement,

' sings Elise, taking the lead. '

Everyone says that it 's a smart match

. '

Chuuya remembers Elise expressing her fears about not having any musical talent a few years back, practically almost crying about it. But she doesn 't hesitate to sing in front of this small crowd of people, despite the fact that she really is not a great singer. She 's not

bad

, but when you work in the music industry you 're used to hearing people who know what they 're doing. Compared to the music Chuuya usually listens to, Elise is honestly mediocre.

But she clearly doesn 't care, singing the lyrics with heart and swaying a little to the music.

'

You 've traded your heart for quite a sum

, ' sings Kyouka, her voice drastically different than Elise 's. It 's clear and powerful, the notes coming out almost flawlessly. There 's a couple cheers from around the restaurant. '

I hope you're satisfied with your catch. '

Elise gives Kyouka a huge smile, not bothered at all by their difference in skill.

And then it fucking happens, Kyouka smiles back. Not a big one, but her lips turn up just

slightly

at the corners, and Chuuya doesn 't remember the last time he 'd felt this victorious.

His own smile is humongous. He lets out a loud cheer from his spot at the bench, getting a couple of disapproving looks from the people around him. Chuuya completely ignores them.

I thought it was love, but it was all lies

But a heart can 't regenerate once it dies

So you 've got your money and I 've got my freedom

Never thought I would be victim to a golden demon

They sing the chorus together, Elise bopping along the stage happily. Kyouka starts to move a bit to the music too. And it really shouldn 't work, their voices are not a good match, and they don 't hit a single harmony. But they make it work just by clearly enjoying themselves.

By the time the second verse starts, Kyouka 's smile is big enough that the whole restaurant can see it. Chuuya leans back in his seat, satisfied and proud. He listens to the rest of the song the same way. Once they finish he leads the applause.

Elise grabs Kyouka 's hand and forces her into a bow with her, and Kyouka doesn 't resist her. Elise doesn 't let go once they stand up. She thanks the crowd and tugs Kyouka along back to their bench where Chuuya is waiting.

'Well, Executive Nakahara, ' says Elise as she sits down on the inner seat this time. She 's the slightest bit breathless. 'How did we do? '

'I was thoroughly impressed, ' says Chuuya, passing her one of the waters that had arrived while they were singing. He gives Kyouka one as well, smiling at her. 'You did a great job. '

'Thank you, ' says Kyouka, surprising him by speaking up first. There 's a flush to her face, and she takes a long sip of water.

'I was terrible, ' says Elise with a laugh. She turns to face Kyouka. 'But you, you 're

good. '

Kyouka shrugs and takes another drink of her water.

'No, seriously, ' says Elise. She drops all joking from her voice. 'I 've listened to a lot of music in my life, more than I really wanted to. You 're amazing. '

'Thank you, ' says Kyouka again, clearly a little flustered by all the praise.

'Oh wow, ' says Elise. 'You

are

shy. I thought you were just a bitch. '

Chuuya 's jaw drops and he 's about to tell her off, but then Kyouka

laughs.

She 's the happiest Chuuya has ever seen her since he 'd met her. Even though that had been Chuuya 's goal, it makes him insanely glad.

'Now, ' says Elise, leaning towards Kyouka and whispering loudly, 'What do you think we should do to get Chuuya to sing? '

'I 'm not singing, ' says Chuuya flatly. He gives Elise an unimpressed look.

'It 's been so long since I 've heard you sing, ' says Elise, pouting at him. 'Do it for me and Kyouka. ' She gives the other girl a nudge.

'It 's not fair if we had to sing but you don 't, ' says Kyouka, challenge clear in her voice. Elise looks delighted, holding up her hand for a high five. Kyouka returns it.

'Fine, ' says Chuuya, rolling his eyes. His smile gives away how he 's not annoyed at all though. 'Kyouka, what 's your favorite song? '

'Oh, ' says Kyouka, tapping her hand on the table awkwardly. 'I 'm not sure. '

Chuuya decides not to push her on it. She 's already given so much tonight. He turns to Elise instead. 'What 's

your

favorite song? '

'

Corruption

, ' says Elise with a smirk. The worst part is that she 's telling the truth.

'Suck up, ' accuses Chuuya anyway, pointing a finger at her. 'Second favorite? '

Elise 's smirk grows even wider. '

Twilight.

Stephanie Meyer. '

Chuuya rolls his eyes. 'We will discuss that later, ' he promises her. But he moves to get up, smirking a little himself as he walks towards the unoccupied stage.

The man signing people up for karaoke stares at him as he approaches. 'You 're Chuuya Nakahara, ' he says, awe clear in his voice.

'No, I 'm not, ' says Chuuya flippantly, smiling widely at him.

'Um, okay, ' says the man, clearly not believing him but not knowing whether he should argue. 'Did you want to do a song? '

'You guys have

Twilight

? ' asks Chuuya, smiling lightly.

To the man 's credit, he does not bat an eye at his song choice. 'Sure do, ' he says with a nod. 'You 're up. '

Chuuya nods in thanks and walks onto the stage. Despite the size and the setting, a small thrill goes through him as he walks up to the microphone. It 's been a

long

time since he 's played for a crowd. Chuuya can 't even remember when the last time had been, maybe back with Kouyou when they 'd done the

Golden Demon

anniversary duet. But they 'd basically only performed for a couple interviews, never for a real audience.

This group of people might be minuscule compared to the numbers he 's played for, but Chuuya started out playing in people 's basements and garages. He 's never cared how many people there are. He loves to sing whatever the circumstances.

It 's strange to resist slipping into his stage persona. He has to bite back a

Hello, Los Angeles.

Chuuya doesn 't fight the huge grin from coming out though.

'Hey, everybody, ' says Chuuya into the mic, the equipment hilariously low quality compared to what he 's used to. He hears whispers of his name around him, but he ignores them. 'This song goes out to the two brats I came here with. Here 's

Twilight

. '

The song opens with a slow piano playing. Chuuya snorts a little and shakes his head. But he 's never half-assed a performance, and he 's not about to start now. He sings the ridiculous lyrics with everything he 's got.

Seventeen and nobody special

Moved up north to get away

Didn 't know it would lead to something existential

How fast I fell for you is a cliche

The restaurant cheers him on as he moves around the stage, raising a hand to his heart dramatically. It makes Chuuya go even harder on the chorus.

Twilight, the end of the day, the return of the night

But without the dark we 'd never see the stars

I know that I want to be with you forever

I don 't care what people say, this love is ours

Chuuya twirls around the tiny stage, the restaurant hoots and hollers for him. He eats it up, feeling more alive singing this ridiculous song that he has in ages. He 's never given a shit if the music he plays is the best or most intricate, some of the best times of his life had been playing absolute shit with The Sheep.

Chuuya jumps off the stage as the next verse starts, serenading this random restaurant in Los Angeles with a song he barely knows, having the absolute time of his life.

He 's still in a good mood when they drop off Elise later. She 'd kept bursting out in laughter after Chuuya finished his song, saying she couldn 't stop picturing it. He 'd stuck his tongue out at her and rolled his eyes.

'Thanks for tonight, ' says Elise as they pull up to her school. She leans forward to give Chuuya another hug. He returns it the best that he can with their awkward positioning. 'I had a great time. '

'Thanks for coming, ' says Chuuya quietly. Then he uses a normal volume. 'And don 't blame me if you get caught texting in class. '

'Yeah, yeah, ' says Elise dismissively. She surprises Chuuya by reaching over to hug Kyouka too.

Kyouka is equally surprised, an awkward expression on her face as she hesitantly pats Elise on the back.

'See you, Kyouka, ' says Elise brightly as she pulls away. 'I 'll text you. '

She flashes them one more huge grin before getting out of the van. Elise walks towards her school, raising a hand in goodbye as she goes.

Chuuya snorts a little and turns to Kyouka. 'You hungry? There 's a good crepes place on the way back. '

(Chuuya knows crepes are Kyouka 's favorite food. Chuuya has had to schmooze a million industry people for his job, he knows what he 's doing.)

'That sounds nice, ' says Kyouka, a little more subdued than earlier but leagues better than this morning.

'Cool, ' says Chuuya, tone casual. He turns up the radio again, letting the music play. He 's surprisingly content for how terribly his day had started. He 's been so caught up in everything with PMR. He 'd planned this in order to give Kyouka a break, but it might have been even better for himself than it 'd been for her.

Chuuya is just starting to think he 's going to have to come up with a way to start the conversation again when Kyouka speaks up.

'Why did you ask me to come tonight? ' asks Kyouka. The question is more curious than anything.

'I usually know the artists who I work with on albums fairly well, ' says Chuuya. He glances at her before looking back towards the road. 'Some better than others of course. I think it 's easier to make music with people once you understand them a little, if you know their style. But it 's been practically two months, and I still feel like I don 't know you very well. '

'Plus I thought this would be fun, ' adds Chuuya, giving Kyouka a quick grin.

'It was, ' says Kyouka. She hesitates before her next words. 'What do you want to know? '

'This isn 't an interrogation, ' says Chuuya gently. 'You don 't have to tell me anything you don 't want to. '

Kyouka hums in agreement but doesn 't say anything else. She 's staring at her hands.

'How old were you when you started singing? ' asks Chuuya, starting with something hopefully simple. 'You 're way beyond most people your age. '

'I would have thought Kouyou would have told you these things, ' says Kyouka, voice back to its blank and emotionless version.

'I 've known Kouyou a long time, ' says Chuuya, smiling despite how sour their relationship has been recently. 'One of my favorite things about her is that if you tell her something, she never tells anyone else. '

'Oh, ' says Kyouka, a little surprised. She clears her throat. 'My mom loved music. '

Chuuya instantly picks up on the word

loved.

He had not been expecting that. It also hits a little close to home with his own past.

'Oh, ' he says carefully. 'I seriously didn 't mean to pry. If you 're only telling me because I 'm your boss or whatever it 's really not necessary. You can tell me to fuck off. '

'Kouyou has mentioned you have a swearing problem, ' says Kyouka.

Chuuya snorts. 'She 's not wrong. Here, let 's get some crepes. '

They pull up to the small creperie Chuuya had found online (after learning what the fuck a creperie even was). Chuuya has no idea what to order, so he just copies Kyouka, who fires off her order with ease. He ends up with something that looks too sweet for his own tastes with tons of fruit and whipped cream. They decide to eat them in the van instead of staying in the tiny restaurant.

Chuuya picks at his food once they 're back in the van, wondering if he can give Kyouka the rest of his after she finishes hers. He 'd been right, it 's disgustingly sweet. But Kyouka is happily nibbling on her own.

Chuuya has been trying to fight off the association, but it 's strange how much a fourteen year old girl reminds him of Dazai. Liking sweets is just one of the little things. It has way more to do with their personalities. They both go to extremes to hide how they really feel, Dazai with fake cheerfulness and Kyouka with blankness. Yet just like Dazai, Chuuya can tell that deep down Kyouka feels a lot more than she lets on.

Instead of making him colder to Kyouka, it 's endeared Chuuya to her even more. Dazai 's acts had always put him off, and Chuuya had always wanted to make him realize he didn 't need any of that bullshit. He 'd thought he 'd been making progress until everything had gotten fucked up.

But with Kyouka, he has another chance to possibly get it right. He 's under no delusions that he can 'fix ' her or whatever, it 's not like she needs to be fixed. But if he can be someone she can be a little more honest with, if he can show her there are people who will accept her if she doesn 't hide what she 's thinking, Chuuya would consider that even more important than her putting out a bestselling album.

'You don 't like it, do you? ' asks Kyouka. She 's nearly halfway done with her own crepe while Chuuya 's only taken a couple bites of his.

'I don 't, ' admits Chuuya, smiling and shaking his head. 'You can have mine if you want. I only brought you here because I heard you like crepes. '

'You 're different than I thought you would be, ' says Kyouka. Her tone makes it hard to tell if that 's a good thing or not. 'I would like your crepe. '

Chuuya looks at her, wondering what else he can ask her while respecting her privacy. The first question that comes to mind makes him have to try not to laugh.

'Okay, I have to know, ' says Chuuya, smiling and raising his eyebrows at her. 'What the hell did Ryuunosuke Akutagawa say to you to get you to sign with PMR? I 've asked him a million times, but he 'll never fess up. '

'He wasn 't very kind, ' says Kyouka, frowning a little. 'But he was very honest. '

'Honest about what? ' asks Chuuya.

'Ryuunosuke told me how before he worked for Port Mafia Records he and his sister were squatting in an abandoned apartment in one of the run down areas of L.A, ' says Kyouka, turning to face Chuuya with a serious expression. 'He told me that they used to play music in the city to earn money for the things they needed. He said that Port Mafia Records saved his life, and that it could do the same for me. '

'Oh, ' says Chuuya dumbly for the second time this evening. His stomach drops, feeling a pang of hurt for the younger Akutagawas. He 'd been aware of their situation, but he 's rarely heard either of them mention it so explicitly. Akutagawa 's reluctance to spill what he 'd said to recruit Kyouka makes a lot more sense now. Although he can 't help but wonder how the fuck he had screwed up the exact same assignment with Atsushi Nakajima then.

'I 'd heard a lot of bad things about the company, ' says Kyouka, shrugging, 'But I figured a place that could do that couldn 't be all bad. '

'I 'm not going to bullshit you and say it 's a perfect place, ' says Chuuya. He hands her his barely eaten crepe as she finishes off hers. 'And PMR didn 't rescue me exactly, but they 've been like family to me ever since I was fifteen. All of the negative shit doesn 't compare to everything I 've gained. '

'My mom didn 't want me to be a singer, ' says Kyouka lowly. Chuuya thinks he didn 't hear her right for a second.

'Why not? ' asks Chuuya, voice as kind as he can make it. He 's surprised Kyouka is bringing her up again when she 'd seemed so reluctant to talk about her earlier.

'My mom loved music, she used to say it was the greatest form of storytelling, ' says Kyouka. Her hands are a little less steady as they bring the crepe up to her mouth. 'But she felt that it was more important to get an education. She didn 't want me to limit myself by pursuing music at a young age. '

Chuuya doesn 't really know how to reply to that, but luckily Kyouka keeps talking.

'My father died when I was very young due to lung cancer, ' says Kyouka. She stops trying to eat the crepe, but she continues to look at it instead of Chuuya. 'I don 't remember him very well. Then my mother passed away due to breast cancer two years ago, and I came to live with my uncle in Los Angeles. '

'God, Kyouka, that 's terrible, ' says Chuuya quietly. 'I 'm sorry for your losses. '

'Thank you, ' says Kyouka, voice equally quiet. Then she speaks at a normal volume again. 'My uncle is not a bad person, but he did not want a child. I was a burden to him. He saw my singing as potentially useful. He pushed me to sign with Port Mafia Records. '

'So, ' says Chuuya, things falling into place after months of having the puzzle pieces put together in the wrong way. 'You don 't actually want to do an album. That 's why you 're dragging your feet. '

'It 's not that I don 't want to, ' says Kyouka, voice slightly sharp. She looks up at Chuuya, her eyes full of emotion for once. 'But when I sing 'it makes me think of my mom. Whether she 'd be proud of my choices. And 'it makes me miss her. '

Chuuya considers that, biting his lip and letting out a small sigh. The similarities between their backgrounds are chipping away at a wall that Chuuya had constructed to push away those memories. But it feels like cowardice to avoid sharing his own story when it could possibly help Kyouka in some way.

'My mother was also the one who got me into music, ' says Chuuya. He can 't even think of the last time he 'd even said the words

my mother

. 'She had a lot of issues, issues that made it difficult for her to be a parent. ' He forces the words out, brushing over the nastier details. 'She died when I was seven. I don 't miss her when I play music, but sometimes it does make me think of her. '

Chuuya glances at Kyouka to see her looking at him with wide eyes. He takes a deep breath and keeps going.

'It 's true that music can be painful, ' says Chuuya, thinking of all those nights he 'd woken up from nightmares. 'There have been times in my life where I thought I would rather live in silence than face the feelings that music brought out. But I was never truly happier when I ran away from music. It 's a part of me, even the uglier parts. '

'But music has sometimes been the only thing in my life that has kept me going, ' continues Chuuya, smiling despite all the terrible memories he 's drudging up. 'I 'll be so lost, and then I 'll hear a song that just perfectly echos exactly how I 'm feeling. It makes me feel connected, less alone, even if they aren 't facing the exact problems I am. '

'I can 't tell you whether your mom was right or not, ' says Chuuya, shrugging slightly. 'Being a musician isn 't easy. But it 's up to you to choose what

you

want, not your mom, and not Kouyou either. '

Kyouka looks troubled by the mention of Kouyou. 'I know you two are fighting about it, ' she says, not making eye contact again. 'About me. '

'And that 's on us, not you, ' says Chuuya pointedly. 'Don 't worry about that. ' He crosses his arms. 'Look, I 'm not going to tell you what to do. I don 't regret my decision to release music at a young age at all, but I know that there are others who do. '

'However, ' adds Chuuya, giving her a determined look, 'I think you ' 'll have an easier time figuring it out if you actually try. '

'I have been trying, ' says Kyouka, an edge of stubbornness to her voice.

'Look me in the eyes and say that, ' says Chuuya flatly. When she doesn 't he sighs. 'I 'm not impartial because I

do

want you to make an album, and I think you could make something phenomenal. But I can 't force you to do it. '

Kyouka takes another bite of crepe instead of answering.

'Just think about it, ' requests Chuuya, turning on the van instead of waiting for a reply.

He starts driving back towards PMR. He feels a little wrung out, he hadn 't anticipated this when he 'd set out to get to the bottom of the Kyouka issue this morning. His mom has been in his thoughts as she always is this time of year, but he 'd been avoiding them rather than leaning into them up until now.

Almost sixteen years to the day she died, yet he hasn 't managed to detach from her or her words entirely. His doubts about his humanity still linger in the back of his head, where he tries to keep them. They don 't consume him like they had when he was younger, but once in a while he 'll find himself sitting in front of the nearest body of water instead of sleeping, the words of

Arahabaki

too loud to drown out.

Still, he 'd meant what he 'd said to Kyouka. The things music had given him far surpassed any pain it had brought. He doesn 't regret any of it, not even

Corruption.

He still avoids the song and everything to do with it as much as possible, but he wouldn 't erase the song from his life if that meant having to give up those moments on stage with Dazai when he 'd settled a hand against him to cut off his solo, his brown eyes always filled with an understanding they 'd never spoken aloud.

Kyouka keeps eating while they drive, and this time Chuuya isn 't interested in getting her to talk more. He 's thrown pretty much everything he has on the line. If it doesn 't work, Mori will do what he has to do. Chuuya truly wants Kyouka to give music a chance, but if she doesn 't there 's nothing more he can do.

'I 'd always been intimidated by Elise, ' says Kyouka after a couple minutes of silence, surprising Chuuya. 'I thought she was just being nice to me because someone told her to be. I didn 't think she actually wanted to be friends. '

Chuuya laughs a little. 'Elise is one of my favorite people in the world. It wasn 't easy for her, growing up with the CEO of PMR as her guardian. She didn 't have a lot of opportunities to make friends with people her own age. I can assure you no one told her to be nice to you. '

'I know that now, ' says Kyouka, just a touch haughtily. Then she softens. 'It was nice of you to invite her tonight. '

'It can 't be easy having no one your own age around PMR, ' says Chuuya. He 'd always had Dazai, but he remembers how miserable Elise used to be. 'I thought you two would get along. '

Kyouka hums and nods. Chuuya pulls the van back into the parking lot where he 'd found it, adjusting the seat so it was how it had been earlier.

Chuuya leads the way back towards the dorm building. It 's not that late, but he 's kind of exhausted. He 's not sure if he 'd been successful from a work perspective tonight, but he feels he at least accomplished something personally. He walks Kyouka to her door in mutual silence. She looks like she 's deep in thought, which he hopes is a good sign.

'

Aoto Zoshi Hana no Nishiki-e, '

says Kyouka when they reach her door. 'That 's my favorite song. By Kawatake Mokuami. I just didn 't think they 'd have Japanese music. '

'That 's an old one, ' says Chuuya, surprised both by her choice and her sharing it. 'Long too. ' He gives her a big smile. 'You have good taste. '

'I like

Twilight

too, ' says Kyouka, the words coming out a little guiltily. 'But don 't tell Kouyou. '

Chuuya laughs loudly. 'Your secret is safe with me, Kyouka. '

Kyouka gives him a shy smile back. 'Good night. '

'Night, ' says Chuuya warmly.

'What did you say to Kyouka yesterday? ' are the first words out of Kouyou 's mouth when she walks into his office the next afternoon. The words are part accusation and part demand. She 's giving Chuuya an icy stare as she stalks towards his desk.

'Excuse me? ' asks Chuuya in a neutral tone. He crosses his arms and meets her gaze steadily, not intimidated at all by her anger.

'What did you say to her? ' Kouyou repeats the question, tone even more irritated. 'Because suddenly this morning she 's like a completely different person. She 's settled on two potential songs for the album when up to this point she hasn 't liked any. '

It 's a mistake that Chuuya smiles over the news. Kouyou 's expression goes from angry to absolutely livid.

'She 's only

fourteen

, ' says Kouyou. She 's almost raising her voice, practically unheard of behavior from her. 'And you and Mori are manipulating her for your own purposes. '

'What the fuck do you think I said to her? ' demands Chuuya angrily. He stands up and shoves his chair behind him. He tries not to swear in front of Kouyou, let alone swear

at

her. But this is the last fucking straw. 'Seriously, what the hell do you think I did? Do you think that I would lie or try to intimidate her? ' Chuuya throws out his arms in outrage. 'Do you not know me at all? '

'I know how dedicated you are to this company, ' says Kouyou coldly, the words hitting Chuuya like a slap in the face.

His hands are trembling slightly. He and Kouyou have had their share of arguments over the years, but Chuuya has never been this furious with her before. The insinuation that he would try and force Kyouka into making an effort with her album through cruelty or lies makes Chuuya feel like Kouyou had just broken something between them.

'Every single time someone has

ever

said anything bad about you, I have stuck up for you, ' says Chuuya, somehow saying the words at a normal volume instead of yelling. Usually he screams and shouts when he 's angry, but right now his words are coming out like cold steel. 'Every single time. No matter who it was. ' He smiles without any joy. 'Even Mori. Every single time he asked why Kyouka wasn 't making any progress, I lied. I didn 't bring your name up once. And when he asked me about you, I stood up for you

every single time.

'

Kouyou opens her mouth to speak but Chuuya cuts her off before she can. 'But I don 't know why I bother. You clearly have a very low opinion of me if you think I would do something to hurt Kyouka in order to get an album out of her. Get out of my office. '

'Chuuya, ' says Kouyou, looking taken aback, her rage transforming into shock and possibly hurt. 'I-. '

'Get out of my office, ' repeats Chuuya a little louder, emphasizing each word.

Kouyou blinks in response. Her face goes through a complex series of emotions as she turns to leave. Chuuya refuses to let his eyes water until she walks out the door.

She doesn 't make it to the door though. Kouyou stops when she gets halfway there and turns around.

'When Dazai left PMR, ' says Kouyou, words just the slightest hint unsteady, 'Mori asked me if we should drop you too. He was worried you might try to follow Dazai. I told him letting you go would be the biggest mistake he ever made. I still feel that way. '

Now Chuuya is the one too surprised to respond. He had no idea that had happened. He can 't even really fault Mori for worrying about that, if Dazai had asked 'Well, he hadn 't, so it didn 't matter ultimately. Besides, he knows he 's earned Mori 's trust now.

But perhaps Chuuya had been too quick to think something had broken between him and Kouyou.

'I told Kyouka that even though music can be painful sometimes, it can also help you, ' says Chuuya, voice losing his earlier calmness. 'I told her that I also have trouble with memories of my mother and music, but that avoiding music had never made those problems go away. '

Kouyou starts walking back towards his desk slowly. 'She told you about her parents? '

'I didn 't force her to, ' says Chuuya, looking down at his desk instead of at her.

'I didn 't think you had, ' says Kouyou, tone uncharacteristically gentle. 'I 'm just surprised. She didn 't tell me about them until we 'd known each other a couple months. You have always been eerily good with people. '

'Not with the people who matter the most to me apparently, ' Chuuya can 't help but say, looking up but to the side of her.

'I apologize, ' says Kouyou, and that 's enough to make Chuuya look her in the eyes. Kouyou does not apologize lightly. She 's frowning at Chuuya. 'I 'm afraid I 've let my worry for Kyouka make me unreasonable. I know you 'd never do anything to hurt her or anyone else. I admit I 'm also a little strung out after these past couple months of endless negotiations. '

'I accept your apology, ' says Chuuya sincerely, smiling slightly. 'I also haven 't been my best self lately, especially to you. Kyouka 's a great kid, I get why you want to protect her. '

'She is, ' agrees Kouyou, smiling a little as well. Then she shifts to her business voice. 'This pointless squabble between us has taken up too much of both of our time, time that we don 't have to spare right now. We work best as a team. I trust you to have Kyouka 's best interests at heart. '

Kouyou extends a hand, and Chuuya doesn 't hesitate to walk around his desk so he can properly grab it and squeeze it.

'I agree, ' says Chuuya, voice filled with affection and relief. 'Whether Kyouka wants to be a musician or not should be left up to Kyouka. We should just do our best to support her. '

'Deal, ' says Kouyou resolutely. Then she surprises him by pulling him into a hug. She 's never been one for physical affection.

He hugs her back. 'Kouyou, seriously, ' he says softly. 'I 'm not mad. '

'I never want to lose you over something as insignificant as work, ' says Kouyou, her tone steady in comparison to how tightly she 's still holding onto him. 'You will always come first to me. '

'Me too, ' says Chuuya with a smile. 'But you 're kind of crushing me. '

Kouyou makes an annoyed noise as she pulls away, but there 's still a hint of a smile on her face. Her smile shifts into something more devious then. 'Now instead of wasting our energy focusing on each other, let 's show those imbeciles from The Guild and the ADA what Port Mafia Records is capable of. '

'I 've missed your ruthlessness when it 's not directed at me, ' says Chuuya with a smirk.

Dazai walks into work only about twenty minutes late. He 'd have even possibly been close to on time if he hadn 't stopped for coffee at the cafe downstairs. He 's not exactly sure what he 'd gotten, he 'd just told them to make it big and make it sweet (and because Dazai is a genius and makes sure to flirt with every single barista who works there his request had been fulfilled without any questions.)

Dazai takes a sip of his mystery drink as he opens the door to the ADA. They 'd met his request perfectly, he tastes a pleasant concoction of flavors, possibly something vanilla and coconut. He puts a wide smile on his face as he enters the office.

Kunikida notices him right away, automatically looking up at the sound of someone entering the office. He 's at his desk, and Atsushi is beside him holding some sheet music.

'You 're late, ' Dazai anticipates hearing, 'Why can 't you ever be on time? ' is another option, 'This is not the time to be slacking off, ' if Kunikida is having a bad morning.

He had not expected Kunikida to give him a slightly surprised look and say, 'I didn 't think you 'd be coming in today. '

Dazai takes a bigger sip of his coffee then he'd intended to, almost having to spit some out. He swallows roughly and quickly recovers though. He raises a hand to his chest. 'Kunikida, I am a dedicated employee of the Audio Detective Agency. I would never skip work. '

'You 're twenty minutes late, ' points out Kunikida, raising an eyebrow.

'Time is a social construct, ' says Dazai flippantly.

Kunikida makes a noise somewhat like a squawk. At least he 's not asking Dazai about why he would or would not be here today anymore.

Dazai turns to Atsushi before Kunikida has a chance to ask further questions. 'Did the songwriting bug bite? '

'I think I may have figured out the problem with the chorus, ' says Atsushi, a mix between nervous and hopeful. 'I was just showing Kunikida. '

'Spectacular, ' says Dazai brightly. He gestures towards the music room. 'Let 's go over it. '

'Sure, ' agrees Atsushi. He 's still looking at Dazai a little too closely though.

Dazai ignores this and takes another long sip of his coffee.

Ranpo walks into the office before they start to leave the room, flinging the door open wildly with one hand while he clutches a large box in the other.

'I got doughnuts, ' announces Ranpo with cheer (as if this is an out of the ordinary occurrence instead of something that sometimes happens more than once a week.) He raises an eyebrow when he notices Dazai. 'Oh, you 're here. I didn 't think you 'd be in today. I would have gotten that chocolate raspberry filled one you like. '

Normally, Dazai would be touched and impressed that Ranpo had paid enough attention to someone else to pick up on what doughnut they liked. Instead he has to fight to keep a smile on his face instead of a scowl.

'I love all doughnuts, ' says Dazai, waving a hand dismissively. He starts walking towards the music room at a normal pace, despite how his mind is telling him to rush. 'Grab one if you want, Atsushi. '

Dazai clutches his coffee so tightly it 's kind of hurting his hand as he opens the door to the music room, but it 's making him feel marginally better. He walks over to the table and settles into one of the chairs, leaning back and taking another long sip of coffee.

It is possible that he hadn 't slept much last night. Possibly due to the fact that a certain someone had been trending on social media so close to today 's date, and Dazai had possibly spent the entire night analyzing a shoddy camera phone video of said certain someone singing a ridiculous song in a shabby L.A. restaurant to try and figure out if that someone was okay.

(And how the hell Chuuya had managed to make Dazai enjoy the monstrosity that is

Twilight

is another conundrum. Another song ruined for him by Chuuya. He should start making a playlist.)

Dazai has never claimed to have perfect attendance at the ADA. Sometimes he misses a day here or there, never enough to get him in real trouble with anyone besides Kunikida. The days he 'd skipped were in no particular pattern, and he hadn 't expected his coworkers to notice that he 'd never come in on this particular day for the past three years.

He usually spends a portion of today at a particular grave. It doesn 't take up his entire day, but he 'd never felt up to being in the company of others after going there. He 'd preferred to be alone until he could collect himself again.

This year Dazai had felt he couldn 't justify skipping work when he and Atsushi are this close to finishing writing his single. If Dazai hadn 't been such a perfectionist, they would probably already be done.

But Dazai isn 't going to be satisfied until the song is perfect. Music that makes people feel lighter isn 't the goal this time. This time he 's going back to his roots. Music that people connect to, that makes them

feel

something, that is what he is aiming to achieve.

Beast Beneath The Moonlight

is almost there. Dazai will admit he 'd been skeptical when Atsushi had initially pitched the idea for the song to him.

'Have you ever heard the legend of the tiger man? ' Atsushi had asked a few days after Dazai had talked him into writing the song. He 'd started fiddling around with some melodies but had yet to write any lyrics yet.

'Tiger man? ' Dazai had repeated, keeping his voice perfectly neutral. They 'd been alone in the music room, Dazai had been looking over Tanizaki 's latest song from Light Snow that Kunikida has requested his assistance with. He 'd looked up from the sheet music with a politely interested expression.

'Yeah, ' Atsushi had said, leaning towards Dazai from his spot at the table. 'I 've been thinking about what you said, about writing a song that tells a story. ' He 'd looked Dazai in the eyes with a faintly excited expression. 'We didn 't have a lot of books at the orphanage, most of them were old and falling apart. So I read the ones we did have probably a hundred times. One of them was a book of old Chinese legends. My favorite was always the one about the tiger man. '

'What 's it about? ' Dazai had asked, putting Tanizaki 's song down to pay full attention. He 'd hoped it wasn 't something weird. He 'd hate to crush Atsushi 's very first idea.

'There 's a man walking along a road where a man-eating tiger is said to roam, ' Atsushi had said, not hesitating over the words at all. He 'd clearly known the story by heart. 'He comes face to face with the tiger, but then the tiger starts to speak to him. He explains he was once a man, and he 'd been an aspiring poet. He 'd lived in seclusion, working tirelessly to write something to compare to the legendary poets he respected. But he failed to become successful, so he quit writing and took a job as a government worker. His hatred of his new job drove him insane, and he transformed into a tiger. '

Dazai had maintained his neutral expression while Atsushi talked, but it hadn 't been easy. He had not known what to make of the story. Luckily Atsushi hadn 't been finished yet.

'The tiger explained that it was his cowardly pride and arrogant shame that caused his transformation, ' Atsushi had continued. 'His fear of failure and his inability to ask for help from others led him to waste his talent. ' He 'd half-shrugged. 'It 's ultimately a story about a man who lets his doubts consume his humanity. '

Dazai had felt uneasy over the word

humanity

but disregarded that to consider the story as a whole. Atsushi had watched him with a blatantly nervous expression. It had been clear it was more than just an old story to Atsushi. Dazai had heard his attachment to it in the delivery.

It had made sense, Atsushi latching onto a tale of why you shouldn 't let you doubts stop you from seeking your artistic dreams. Dazai had smiled genuinely as he pictured them adapting the legend into a song. It had the promise of being something truly substantial.

'Grab us some sheet music, ' Dazai had ordered brightly. 'Let 's talk lyrics. '

Since then they 'd almost finished the song. Dazai had made Atsushi do most of the work, mainly overseeing and telling him when something didn 't sound right. He 'd gone back to analyzing every note, every word of the music until everything flowed flawlessly.

Atsushi had put up with his endless revisions and extremely high standards. He 's just as determined if not more for the song to be successful. Dazai has noticed he barely listens to other music anymore, focusing on

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

completely.

If they can just finish tweaking a few final things they can start recording and schedule a release date. So Dazai had put her personal business on hold for the moment. He hadn 't anticipated being confronted about it.

'I grabbed you a doughnut, ' says Atsushi as he walks into the music room. He carries a pasty in each hand. He smiles at Dazai carefully.

'Thanks, ' says Dazai easily. He makes no move to take it when Atsushi sets it down in front of him. 'Show me your adjustment of the chorus. '

Dazai is able to dive into songwriting for the next couple hours and ignore his other thoughts. Atsushi 's proposal to fix the chorus ends up working, and Dazai is doing another run through of the song looking for errors but not finding any.

'We should have Ranpo look over it, ' says Dazai, turning to give Atsushi a small smile. 'If he doesn 't find anything, we might have our final version. '

'Really? ' asks Atsushi excitedly. 'That 's great. '

There 's a knock on the door, and Dazai is surprised to see the president stick his head in the door. He 's been even more absent than usual lately.

'Atsushi, ' says Fukuzawa with his usual neutral expression, 'Do you have a moment to discuss the legal-oh, Dazai. We didn 't think you would be coming in today. '

'Well, here I am, ' says Dazai in a tight voice. His smile is hard to maintain.

'I didn 't mean to interrupt, ' says Fukuzawa, not reacting to Dazai 's thinly concealed annoyance. 'How are things coming along? '

'If things work out how I think we should be set to record next week, ' says Dazai, voice going back to something more normal.

'That 's excellent news, ' says Fukuzawa, a light smile on his face. 'Good work you two. '

'Thank you, sir, ' says Atsushi gratefully, bowing his head a little.

'We can talk later, Atsushi, ' says Fukuzawa, withdrawing from the room. 'It 's not urgent. '

Dazai watches him go, curious what he 'd wanted to talk to Atsushi about. He 's still keeping the details of his legal battle with Francis to himself. Dazai isn 't sure if it 's because he doesn 't want the rest of them to interfere of if he truly has it handled.

Not that he 'd ever confront Fukuzawa about it. Dazai had already connected Fukuzawa with someone Santoka recommended and then the social worker Odasaku had worked with when he 'd fostered kids. There really isn 't anything more Dazai can do to help except make

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

be the ADA 's first number one single.

'Dazai, ' says Atsushi, and the concern he 's obviously been trying to hold back all morning is clear in his voice, 'If there 's somewhere you 'd rather be-. '

'There isn 't, ' snaps Dazai viciously, a tone he 's never used with Atsushi before. It just comes out involuntarily.

He instantly regrets it when Atsushi flinches and looks at the ground with a guilty expression.

'Sorry, ' he says quietly.

'That was uncalled for, ' says Dazai, his voice full of frustration instead of anger, rubbing his eyes. 'It 's true I usually spend today elsewhere, but that 's much less important than finishing this song. '

'We could take the song with us, ' offers Atsushi carefully, obviously still a little way that Dazai will snap at him again. 'Go where you usually spend the day. '

Dazai can 't help the bark of laughter that escapes him. 'It 's not the sort of place you want to write music. '

'Well, then we can give the song to Ranpo and take a break, ' says Atsushi, surprising Dazai by not backing down, a tenacious look in his eyes. 'You said we 're pretty much done on our end. '

'You don 't have to do this, ' says Dazai plainly, giving him a confused look.

'I know that, ' says Atsushi, some annoyance creeping into his voice. 'You know, the man in the legend didn 't turn into a tiger only because of his doubts. It was his inability to let others help him as well. '

Dazai can 't remember that last time he felt so called out. He looks at Atsushi with wide eyes, which Atsushi meets with a determined look.

'Okay then, ' says Dazai, dropping his cheerful act and displaying how much of a terrible day he 's having. He will allow himself this break, will allow this lapse in his defenses, just for today. 'I 'd prefer to go alone. '

Atsushi starts to scowl, but Dazai speaks up again and holds up a hand. 'Not because I don 't want you there. But where I 'm going would be an invasion of privacy of someone other than myself, the details are not mine to share. '

'Oh, ' says Atsushi, eyes and facial expression softening. 'Well, text me if you need anything. '

Dazai stands up, reaching over to ruffle Atsushi 's hair. 'Thanks. ' The word comes out gentle, honest.

For all the years that he 's been coming here, the graveyard never really changes. Dazai has yet to encounter another person any of the times he 's been here. It 's quiet as he makes his way to the grave he seeks. The sounds of the city are muffled here, and Dazai feels like his own thoughts are louder.

'Well, here we are again, Fuku, ' says Dazai as he reaches her grave. He feels they 've reached a first name basis after the time they 've spent together. He sits down, leaning against the headstone. Thats 's probably disrespectful, which bring a tiny smile to his face.

'I actually saw Chuuya this past year, ' says Dazai, closing his eyes. 'Just a couple months ago. He 's the same. Short, angry, more full of life than everyone around him. '

'I think I 'm giving up on getting over him, ' says Dazai, admitting it for the first time. He opens his eyes, looking up at the clear sky. The weather perfectly contrasts with how he feels. 'Nothing seems to work. Not time, not distance, not having him basically tell me to my face he can 't stand me. '

'So I think we 're stuck with each other, Fuku, ' says Dazai, laughing a little. 'I 'm always going to care about him, so I 'm always going to hate you. Your grave will never be forgotten, not while I 'm alive. '

Dazai sighs, standing up and kicking the grass over the grave a little aggressively (but not enough to warrant grave desecration charges, he can no longer afford those kinds of fees).

'Oh, I almost forgot to mention, ' says Dazai, raising a hand as if there 's someone there to see the gesture. He smiles widely at the headstone. 'You 're one of the worst creatures to ever inhabit this earth, and if the designation of nonhuman belongs to anyone it 's you. Stay toasty in hell! ' He starts walking away, calling over his shoulder, 'See you next year! '

June, Six 'Years, Four and a Half Months Since the Release of Corruption

Dazai has never been wrong with his predictions of what music is going to do well, but having

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

hit number one is absurdly relieving.

Recording the song had gone smoothly, and the whole office had come together to finish everything for the single in record time. It had been released the first week of June, and had been an immediate critical success.

It had been doing well commercially too, and Atsushi had done interview after interview to promote it. Dazai hadn 't been able to media train him as thoroughly as he would have liked to, but Atsushi 's kindness and sincerity had gone over well with the masses. He 'd started to gain a small following quickly.

But the thing that had really pushed the song into being a hit had been an interview with Ryuunosuke Akutagawa, who was asked about his opinion of the song.

'I think it 's mediocre, ' Akutagawa had replied flatly.

The song had exploded in popularity almost immediately after. Some things never change, people

always

love a good scandal.

Despite their focus on The Guild, Dazai is still always waiting for some kind of move from Port Mafia Records. They 've remained unnerving silent about everything. Although they have been pumping out an exorbitant amount of music lately, even for them. Dazai can 't even keep track of the number of albums that get released with Chuuya as one of the producers.

They 're definitely up to something, but Dazai has no idea what. Mori, unlike music, has never been easy to predict. Dazai still holds a strange begrudging respect for the man, as a businessman if nothing else.

He again keeps these reservations to himself. Everyone at the ADA is giddy about Atsushi 's success, and Dazai can admit he 's rather satisfied as well. It 's strange, he feels a little more attached to

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

than many of the songs on his own album.

Dazai also hasn 't been this genuinely content in a while. It 's been gratifying to see Atsushi come into his own, especially knowing all the struggles he 'd faced to get to this point. Dazai feels like he 's accomplished something beyond music. It had been one thing trying to make music that could help people but another thing entirely to try to help someone make music to help themselves.

Atsushi is in the office now after only being present sporadically the single had been released. His smile has almost never left his face for weeks. He 's sitting with Ranpo and Kenji at the long table (that still shows no signs of being removed) and drinking a cup of tea.

Dazai is at Kunikida 's desk with him and Tanizaki, going over a song called

The Tattoer

for Tanizaki 's album. It 's a little darker than Dazai would have expected from Tanizaki, but not in a bad way. Fukuzawa has estimated a fall release for Light Snow, so they have some time to get it right.

It 's getting late in the day, which is why it 's a surprise when someone barges into the ADA without warning (Dazai 's suggestion that they should start locking the door had not been accepted.) Francis has the same smirk on his face he 'd had two months ago, but he isn 't alone this time. A young girl with red hair in two braids trails behind him, looking around their office with disdain. The skirt of her dress swishes around as she walks into the room.

'Hello there, ' says Francis brightly. 'Yukichi in? ' The girl with him keeps surveying the room, glaring at anyone she makes eye contact with.

The easy going atmosphere of the room has vanished. They 're all looking at their 'guests ' with various levels of animosity. Even Kenji is giving Francis a disapproving look, which is practically stabbing someone coming from him.

'The president has better things to do than waste his time speaking to you, ' says Kunikida stiffly.

'That 's enough, Doppo, ' says Fukuzawa, walking into the room and giving Francis a flat stare. Yosano follows behind him, settling in to watch while leaning against the wall. 'What are you doing here Francis? '

'I

did

say I 'd be back, didn 't I? ' asks Francis obnoxiously. 'I am a man of my word after all. '

The girl who came in with Francis takes a seat on their break area couch, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. Dazai gives her a searching look, but he doesn 't recognize her. He 's fairly certain he knows who all of The Guild 's artists are. Another Mori philosophy from Sun Tzu, know thy enemy.

'You lost the court case, ' says Fukuzawa, crossing his arms. 'You have nothing left to gain by coming here. '

Dazai can 't help the surprised look on his face. He glances over at Kunikida to see a similar expression. So he hadn 't know either. Actually, surveying the room everyone looks stunned by the news.

'Yes, that was a shock, ' says Francis easily with a shrug. 'That social worker you brought in was a real firecracker. The court system has gone soft, caring more about the wellbeing of people than the actual law. '

Dazai smirks a little at that revelation. He 'll have to thank Odasaku for the referral the next time he speaks to him.

'Or they 've grown more honorable, ' says Fukuzawa, frowning at Francis with contempt. 'They recognize that there are cases where the law isn 't correct. '

'You didn 't use to be this sanctimonious when we were younger, ' says Francis, rolling his eyes. Fukuzawa 's scorn seems to roll right off him. 'Ogai must find being in your presence nauseating. '

'I wouldn 't know, ' says Fukuzawa shortly. 'I haven 't seen him in years. '

'I didn 't come here to talk about him, ' says Francis, placing a hand on his hip. 'Though he 'll get what 's coming to him. '

'Then why are you here? ' asks Fukuzawa pointedly.

Francis turns to face Atsushi, who is possibly giving Francis the look with the most revulsion in the whole room. 'Atsushi, do you really still believe you can be as successful here as you would be with The Guild? '

'In case you haven 't noticed,

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

is the number one song in America right now, ' says Atsushi, his tone filled with hostility.

'Yes, it has been rather amusing to watch you all fumble through releasing a song of that caliber, ' says Francis, smirking widely. 'If you knew more about the music industry you 'd be embarrassed how poorly of a job your record label is doing for you. '

'The ADA have fully supported me, ' says Atsushi, crossing his arms.

Francis snorts. 'Of course. That 's why you released your single without any kind of comprehensive marketing plan, no major interviews, and artwork that looks like it was drawn by a five year old. If that head case Akutagawa hadn 't publicly mocked you then your song would have dwindled into obscurity. '

'What do you seek to gain here, Francis? ' asks Fukuzawa, obviously losing patience. 'Atsushi has made his decision, you 've lost. Move on. '

'I just wanted to see if Atsushi still held the delusion this company is capable of offering him the same level of success as mine, ' says Francis lightly, and there 's something in his tone that automatically raises Dazai 's suspicions.

'It 's clear that he believes that we are, ' says Fukuzawa. His expression is also wary.

'Do you care to put that theory to the test? ' asks Francis, and Dazai feels like a trap has just been sprung.

'What are you suggesting? ' Fukuzawa narrows his eyes at Francis.

'I suggest we hold a fundraiser, ' says Francis, eyes gleaming a little. 'I can set the whole thing up. You can have whomever you want perform, and we 'll do the same. Whoever ends up raising more money will be declared the winner. ' He 'd paused a moment for dramatic effect. 'The prize will be that the winner gets to pick one artist from the loser to sign with them. ' It 's very apparent who he will be picking if he wins.

'And what would this fundraiser be for? ' asks Fukuzawa flatly, showing no signs of interest in Francis 's proposal.

'Towards the research of the care of those with brain injuries, ' says Francis, tone a little sharper. His smile is dangerously big.

Dazai looks at the president, holding back an eye roll. It 's an absolutely ridiculous challenge. Fukuzawa is never going to agree to it. With the financial connections Francis and everyone else at The Guild has, it would be a complete farce. They would have no chance. Now that they 've settled the legal matter between their companies, they have no reason to agree to this.

'We 'll do it, ' declares Fukuzawa fiercely. His eyes are practically blazing as he stares down Francis.

Dazai lets out a small noise of shock. He 's not the only one either. Everyone is staring at the president in various expressions of disbelief. Even Ranpo 's jaw is hanging open.

'Excellent, ' says Francis merrily. His smile gets impossibly bigger. 'I 'll be in touch about the details. I 'll give you a little time to prepare. Let 's shoot for mid-August? '

'Agreed, ' says Fukuzawa with a nod.

They shake hands, and Dazai feels like he 's dreaming. This isn 't actually happening. But Kunikida 's sharp inhale next to him proves he 's very awake.

'Are we done here? ' asks the girl who Francis came in with, getting up from the couch. Dazai had almost forgotten about her. She has an accent that Dazai can 't place immediately, something northern.

'Ah, yes, ' says Francis, beckoning her forward. 'How terribly rude of me. I didn 't introduce you. This is our newest artist, Lucy Maud Montgomery. Say hello, Lucy. '

'Hello, ' says Lucy insolently, turning up her nose at them.

'See you all in August, ' says Francis, not waiting for any of them to respond. He flashes them another huge grin as he walks towards the door. 'I 'm looking forward to it. '

Lucy follows behind him, shooting them one last glare, her eyes lingering on Atsushi in particular for a moment.

The room is quiet after they 're gone. Dazai exchanges glances with Kunikida, who looks equally disturbed by everything that 's just happened. Tanizaki is giving the president an absolutely bewildered look from beside them.

'I 've told you all I detest squabbling between record companies, ' says Fukuzawa, turning to face the room with a grave expression. 'And this one has gone on long enough. If doing this contest is the way to get The Guild to back off for good, so be it. Francis is the delusional one, thinking money is all that matters in this world. I look forward to proving him wrong. '

The president then smiles lightly. 'So let 's get to it. We have a lot of work to do to prepare."

The very next day Lucy Maud Montgomery releases

Anne of Abyssal Red.

It shoots to number one within hours.

Chuuya thinks

Anne of Abyssal Red

is brilliant, if a touch unsettling. A song about a girl who 's so lonely she traps people in her playroom is interesting to say the least. Lucy Maud Montgomery is clearly talented. It 's unfortunate he can 't appreciate that talent as she 's signed with The Guild.

He does feel some slight satisfaction when she knocks

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

out of the number one spot. Chuuya thinks Atsushi Nakajima 's song is superior, but it 's nice to see the ADA fail. Hopefully it 'll ease the pressure off of Akutagawa, who has been in hot water ever since he 'd accidentally given the song a popularity boost.

'I was just being honest, ' he 'd snapped when Chuuya had talked to him about it. All the media training in the world had not changed him much. 'I 'm not sorry for saying it. '

He had been sorry when he 'd had to have a long conversation with Mori about it though. Since then, he 's been watching his words more carefully. Luckily his tour and his album are successful enough that Mori isn 't too annoyed with him. Chuuya thinks part of the reason Akutagawa had said it was because before Atsushi came along Akutagawa and

Rashomon

were a shoe in for artist of the year and song of the year respectively, but now that might not be the case.

Chuuya is in his office currently, drinking his tea while he catches up on all the emails he 'd gotten since last night when he 'd left. Not that it had been all that long ago, these days he pretty much only goes home to sleep. His workload hasn 't decreased at all, if anything its grown.

'

My life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes, '

comes Lucy 's voice through his computer speakers. Fuck, this song is dark. Chuuya loves it. He really wishes that she worked for less slimy people.

He pauses it when someone knocks on his door. 'Come in, ' he calls out, muffling a sigh. There goes his opportunity for a peaceful morning.

Mori is the one who walks in the door though, surprising him. Only because these days he usually just walks in without knocking.

'Are any of the songs from Kyouka 's album suitable for a single? ' asks Mori, not bothering with pleasantries. He walks towards Chuuya 's desk with purpose.

'We could potentially make one of them work, ' says Chuuya, frowning as he thinks it over. 'But I don 't think any of them are impactful enough for a brand new artist if you 're thinking what I think you are. '

'We 've let our rivals go unchallenged for too long when it comes to new artists, ' says Mori, crossing his arms. 'Kyouka needs to put out a single. As soon as possible. '

'I 'll get to work on it, ' says Chuuya, feeling the burden of yet another task settle over him.

'I 'll check back in for a progress report soon, ' says Mori, already turning to leave. He doesn 't look back or say anything else.

Chuuya waits until the door closes behind him before letting out a slightly unhinged laugh.

'

Fuck

, ' he says to himself.

One of the most irritating things about his schedule these past months is that Chuuya honestly doesn 't have the time to shatter his phone. He needs it for work, and it would take too long to replace.

Chuuya chugs the rest of his tea and goes to find Kyouka. If he doesn 't have time to get a new phone, he certainly doesn 't have time to mope. He checks Kouyou 's office first, but she tells him that Kyouka is down in one of the music rooms trying out a song. Chuuya thanks her but doesn 't stop to explain, he 's sure she 'll hear soon enough.

Kyouka is singing when he enters the room Kouyou told him he 'd find her in. Chuuya can 't fight off a smile at that fact. She 's no longer indifferent towards the development of her album. She 's now got five songs locked in for it after adapting them into her style. It 's not moving along at the pace Mori would prefer, but it 's practically light speed compared to how things were before.

Plus their speed now has more to do with how particular Kyouka is about the songs for her album. She won 't accept any songs that she doesn 't truly like. Chuuya respects her for it.

Kyouka stops singing when she notices him though, pulling down the headphones she 'd been wearing. She 's alone in the room. Kouyou must have been planning to join her later.

'What 's going on? ' asks Kyouka, apparently reading the tension coming off Chuuya. Chuuya doesn 't know if it 's due to his poor acting, her perceptiveness, or how they 've become closer since he 'd tricked her into coming to karaoke night.

'You want to get out of here? ' offers Chuuya, smirking at her.

As opposed to how she would have reacted before, Kyouka smiles back at him. She pulls off her headphones completely and follows Chuuya without hesitation.

Chuuya doesn 't even take a PMR van for the thrill of it like he usually does, it 's just conveniently closer than his own car. Kyouka gives him a wry look but doesn 't comment on it. She stays quiet as they head towards their destination. She seems to understand Chuuya has something he wants to talk to her about.

Chuuya pulls into the parking lot of his favorite ice cream place, parking farther away from the building. He pulls out his credit card and hands it to Kyouka.

'Could you get me a chocolate cone and whatever you want? ' asks Chuuya.

'Do you not want to be recognized? ' asks Kyouka, frowning at him.

'Yes, but not like that, ' says Chuuya, laughing a little. 'The guy who owns the place knows I used to take ice cream from here all the time when I was a teenager. He 's always a dick to me. '

Kyouka shakes her head but goes to get them ice cream without further comment. Chuuya turns up the radio while she 's gone, looking out at the ocean in front of him. It 's helping to diffuse his sour mood already. There are just some places where you can 't be angry.

Kyouka comes back a couple minutes later and hands him a chocolate cone, eating a strawberry one herself. Chuuya takes some time to eat his, debating how to word what he wants to say.

Fittingly,

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

comes on the radio. Atsushi 's voice sings the lyrics with skill and sincerity.

'I found myself wondering why I had once been a human being...How can others understand what I feel? They cannot--unless they have experienced the very same thing. '

Honestly, the reason Chuuya can 't stand the song is because he likes it so much. It feels eerily like the lyrics are directed right at him, though Chuuya had watched an interview of Atsushi explaining the song was based on an old Chinese legend. Still, it hits far too close to home.

And the deeper reason Chuuya hates it is that Dazai had clearly put his full effort into helping produce it. The composition is flawless. The song is one of the best things Chuuya has heard in years. But Chuuya can 't understand why Dazai would try so hard for this random kid when he wouldn 't do the same for his own album. It 's extremely irritating.

The song does serve as a good segue to what they need to discuss though.

'What do you think of

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

? ' asks Chuuya, turning the volume down a little bit.

'I know we don 't get along with the ADA, ' says Kyouka neutrally.

Chuuya snorts. 'You can say what you really think. It 's just us. '

'I think it 's amazing, ' says Kyouka quietly, a light flush on her face.

'I agree, ' says Chuuya simply. He looks at the ocean instead of at her. 'Have you ever thought about writing a song? '

She takes a long moment to respond. 'I don 't think I would be very good at it. '

Chuuya turns to face her then, a confused expression on his face. She 's never been one to doubt her abilities.

Kyouka picks at the paper wrapping on her cone. 'I 'm comfortable speaking and singing in English. But I tend to write better in Japanese. '

'Why couldn 't you write a song in Japanese then? ' asks Chuuya with a shrug, smiling at her.

Kyouka 's eyes narrow as she looks at him. 'Because songs in foreign languages don 't do as well. '

'There 's been tons of songs that weren 't in English that have done well, ' points out Chuuya. 'And you work for Port Mafia Records, the marketing mastermind of the music world. You never have to worry about something like that. All you have to worry about is the music. '

'Why are you asking? ' asks Kyouka, her expression not lightening at all.

'The ADA has Atsushi Nakajima. The Guild has Lucy Maud Montgomery. ' Chuuya sighs. 'We 'd like to have you be our piece on the chessboard. '

'A single, ' says Kyouka, immediately picking up on the situation. Her frown deepens. 'Did you bring me to get ice cream to bribe me? '

'Don 't be a brat, ' says Chuuya, rolling his eyes. He points his cone at her. 'I brought you here because I wanted to talk about it where there weren 't any prying ears. You don 't

have

to be the one to write the single. We could get someone else to do it. ' He gives her a meaningful look. 'But the request for the single came from Mori, so it 's happening. '

Kyouka eats some of her ice cream, thinking over his words. 'I don 't know how to write a song, ' she says eventually.

'You don 't have to write it on your own, ' says Chuuya, taking a bite of his own cone. 'I 'll help. Kouyou 'll help. Hirotsu too. There 's literally a legion of songwriters at your disposal. '

'I 'm not sure why you think I should be the one to write it, ' says Kyouka, still clearly not convinced.

'I love singing pretty much anything, ' says Chuuya. He eats the last of his cone and flicks the crumbs to the floor of the van. 'But I sing my best when I 'm doing a song that I helped create. It 's that way for most artists. And I won 't lie and say it doesn 't have a little bit to do with how Atsushi and Lucy wrote their own songs. '

Kyouka nods, finishing off the last of her own cone. She gives Chuuya a serious look. 'I will try, ' she says, her tone heavy.

Chuuya gives her an encouraging smile. 'Let 's go get started then. ' He turns on the van and heads back the way they came from.

'Are we going back to PMR? ' asks Kyouka.

'Nah, I tend to write best elsewhere, ' says Chuuya easily. 'Writing at the office makes it feel like work. '

'It is work, ' says Kyouka, it coming out somewhat like a question.

'Not if you 're doing it right, ' says Chuuya, smiling and shaking his head. 'I 've got a piano in my apartment if you 're cool with going there. Some guitars too. '

'That 's fine, ' says Kyouka with a nod. 'But shouldn 't you be returning this van? ' she asks, her voice full of judgment.

Mid-July, Six Years, Five and a Half Months

Since the Release of Corruption

Dazai remembers those few weeks after the release of

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

fondly, how excited and pleased everyone had been. Since the moment Fukuzawa had agreed to do the fundraiser, there hasn 't been a single moment of peace.

Dazai had thought they had worked hard to get

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

out quickly. But once Francis had left the office that day in June it was like they 'd all gone into overdrive.

Ranpo has taken a break from songwriting to take over their social media accounts. He 's gained them all thousands of followers. His witty posts have been extremely popular. Ranpo seems to be enjoying himself too, calling it a fun challenge to keep up with all the trends and strange news people flock to.

Yosano has become Atsushi 's handler of sorts. Almost everywhere he goes, she isn 't far behind. She adjusts his clothes, his makeup (which he hadn 't even been wearing before), and tells him to stand up straight. She 's drawing on all of her training from when she 'd been a singer.

She 's just as intense about it as she is about editing. 'People love an amateur at first, ' Yosano had said to Atsushi after she 'd first started working with him. 'But only professionals last in this industry. Put on the eyeliner. '

Dazai had anticipated that he 'd be the one helping Atsushi, but he 'd been given a very different role. Fukuzawa had given the same speech to him and Kunikida.

'You will be performing at this fundraiser, ' the president had said. It had been a command, not an offer. 'These performances need to be immaculate. Both of you need to start getting your voices back into shape immediately. You also need to both jump back into the public eye. Interviews, industry events, being photographed out and about. People need to be reminded how much they like Spring Birds and Once More With Feeling. '

Dazai hadn 't been ordered to behave a certain way for his career in many years. He 'd had to bite back a refusal just on instinct. But he and Kunikida had both done what the president had asked. Dazai 's teeth are starting to hurt from the amount of fake smiling he 's been doing lately.

It is Atsushi who is working the hardest though. As their new star, he is the one everyone wants to see, the one everyone wants to talk to and about. He 's constantly on the go, singing

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

on talk shows, for radio stations, everywhere really. He does interviews with journalists, bloggers, off the cuff on his social media. Ranpo has made him start vlogging throughout the week, telling him the people want to know what he 's like off the stage too.

If you had asked Dazai if Atsushi would be able to handle the pressure back in March, he would have flatly said no. But Atsushi has risen to the occasion. He gets his jam-packed itinerary every day and never complains once. His determination helps keep the rest of them in line. If Atsushi can handle his part, it looks bad if they can 't do theirs.

Tanizaki, Kenji, and the clerks do whatever other tasks come up. There 's always something. Phone calls need to be returned, emails need to be sent, supplies need to be bought (clothes, accessories, actual food.)

There had been a debate at the beginning whether they should release one of Tanizaki 's finished song as a single too to get him as a piece on the board, but they 'd ultimately decided against it.

'We 've already picked our horse in this race, ' Ranpo had said during the debate. 'If we try to push for two at once the first one could lose momentum. '

In normal words, he 'd meant they needed to focus on Atsushi right now. Trying to promote two new artists at once could make Atsushi seem less unique. They also didn 't have the manpower to adequately push two rising stars at once (frankly, they truly didn 't have the manpower for one.)

Tanizaki had accepted the decision without a fuss. He understands what 's at stake here. He 'd jumped into his role as a helper with enthusiasm, deciding that was the best way he could help. Dazai had been impressed with his maturity.

The president works on their setlist for the fundraiser, coming up with their best possible lineup. He also works with Francis to finalize the details of the fundraiser. They 've picked a venue in Los Angeles, the same one Dazai had played his first Double Black concert at. If he had the time to be irritated about that, he would be.

The first couple weeks had been a battle focused on getting

Beast Beneath the Moonlight

back up to number one. It and

Anne of Abyssal Red

had traded the top spot back and forth what felt like one million times. Then at the beginning of July it had seemed like they had finally secured the top spot for the time being.

Then came Kyouka Izumi and

Demon Snow.

The very first time Dazai had heard the song, he 'd know he had been right. Port Mafia Records hadn 't pulled out of this war, they 'd just been biding their time.

The song skyrockets in sales the second it's released. Kyouka 's powerful voice combined with the ethereal Japanese lyrics propel it to number one easily. She 's practically an overnight sensation.

And nobody does marketing like PMR. They show her off just enough to let people get a glimpse of her, but they keep her as a mystery for the most part. Dazai isn 't sure if the girl is actually shy or if it 's an act, but it 's working masterfully. There had been no chance of Atsushi taking the top spot when he was up against that.

And of course Chuuya Nakahara had been listed as one of the songwriters. It figures he would have a hand in creating what 's been dubbed 'the song of the summer. '

Port Mafia Records has taken over the music industry 's spotlight again by force. Atsushi and Lucy are still favorites, but they pale in comparison to Kyouka. Dazai can practically hear Mori laughing at getting one up on The Guild and the ADA with a single move, effortlessly proving their failure with Atsushi had been a fluke. They're still everyone 's favorite when it came to putting out young new artists.

It just drives the point further home. Everyone at the ADA is putting in all this effort, and it 's so obvious that they 're going to lose.

No one will say it though. Everyone maintains that they 'll find a way to pull it off. Dazai sees the doubt on his coworkers ' faces though. No matter how big they get, they don 't have the same pull as The Guild.

Dazai goes over the potential numbers in his head practically every day, and they don 't come close no matter what new strategy they try. He hasn 't been this frustrated with work since he 'd been eighteen, when he 'd been fighting a different losing battle.

Dazai has never doubted Yukichi Fukuzawa before, but he can 't figure out what he had been thinking when he 'd agreed to do this. It would have been bad enough if just their pride was on the line, but Dazai can 't believe he 'd actually offer up Atsushi like this.

It 's baffling him, and the president hasn 't explained his reasoning. He just maintains that they will find a way to come out on top.

Dazai is actually in the office today, having a break between all the appearances he 's been making. He hadn 't realized how much he 'd missed the tiny little place until he 'd walked in the doors today and felt immediately more at ease.

He 's sitting at his desk typing out a reply to an email when the door opens. Dazai looks up to see Atsushi entering, which is a surprise. He 's in the office even less than Dazai is these days.

Atsushi isn 't alone though. A girl trails behind him.

'Atsushi, ' calls out Dazai cheerfully. 'Did you bring your girlfriend in? '

Then as they come forward Dazai gets a better look at the girl and the smile drops from his face. He gives Atsushi a searching look, raising an eyebrow at him.

'Why have you brought Kyouka Izumi here? ' asks Dazai, disapproval clear in his tone.

Atsushi grabs Kyouka by the wrist and pulls her over to Dazai 's desk. She 's even shorter in person than she looks in pictures.

'Kyouka, this is Osamu Dazai, ' says Atsushi, ignoring Dazai 's question. He 's looking at Kyouka with clear gentleness.

'I know who he is, ' says Kyouka flatly. She moves a little to stand behind Atsushi more.

Dazai maintains his searching look, crossing his arms at Atsushi.

Atsushi sighs. 'Kyouka needs help getting out of her record deal with Port Mafia Records. '

Dazai goes from confused to frowning deeply. 'And that 's our business how? '

Atsushi frowns back, gesturing with his hand that 's not holding onto Kyouka in frustration. 'Well, you have experience with it. You got out of yours. '

'I did

not,

' clarifies Dazai, uncrossing his arms and leaning forward. 'I waited for it to expire. And I was only able to do that because I used to be an executive and had adequate leverage. Otherwise I would have been blacklisted in the music industry immediately. '

'Even if they did blacklist her, the ADA doesn 't care about things like that, ' says Atsushi fervently.

'We most certainly do, ' says Dazai, narrowing his eyes at Atsushi. 'We still need to work with people in the industry even if we don 't ever directly work with Port Mafia Records. '

'But they won 't blacklist her if she signs here, ' argues Atsushi. 'They don 't want to make a move against you. Like you said, you have leverage. '

'I have leverage for myself, and Fukuzawa has leverage for the ADA, ' explains Dazai slowly. 'But breaking a recording contract is cut and dry. We wouldn 't win that court case. I used to draw up PMR recording contacts, they are iron clad. If Kyouka signed one, there 's nothing we can do to help her. Which you have still not explained why we should in the first place. '

Atsushi gives him a disappointed look. 'Shouldn 't you understand why someone wouldn 't want to work for them? '

'My reasons were my own, ' says Dazai, tone just a touch sharper. 'They wouldn 't apply to anyone else. '

'I told you this was a bad idea, ' says Kyouka quietly. She 's staring at the floor.

'No, it isn 't, ' says Atsushi, squeezing her wrist comfortingly. He gives Dazai a pleading look.

'Kyouka, ' says Dazai, slipping into his fake kind voice. 'Why don 't you help yourself to some tea while Atsushi and I have a little chat? '

It 's clearly not a suggestion. Kyouka pulls away from Atsushi and goes over to the break area, posture very stiff.

'Explain, ' says Dazai once they 're alone, dropping all cheerfulness.

'I don 't get why you 're being so resistant to the idea, ' says Atsushi. 'You guys did the exact same thing for me. '

'Atsushi, you hadn 't actually signed a recording contract with them, ' says Dazai, not enjoying Atsushi 's holier than thou mentality one bit. 'Since when do you even know her? '

'Does it matter how long I 've known her? ' asks Atsushi crossly.

Dazai 's look clearly expresses that it does.

'Fine, I met her today, ' admits Atsushi, crossing his arms. 'I took a break and went to the beach. We just ran into each other. I told her I liked her single, and she told me she liked mine too. We got to talking, then she told me she 'd realized after she put out

Demon Snow

that she doesn 't want to be a singer, not yet. ' Atsushi 's tone lightens, and his uncrosses his arms. 'Her mom wanted her to finish school before pursuing music. I told her that was something she could easily do here. '

'I 'm not saying I don 't feel for her, ' says Dazai, adopting a more gentle tone as well. 'But there honestly isn 't anything we can do for her. I 'm sorry. '

Atsushi looks sad rather than angry this time. 'Shouldn 't we at least ask the president? '

'You 're welcome to, ' says Dazai with a shrug. 'But I don 't think he 'll tell you anything different. '

'I have to try, ' says Atsushi lowly. He goes over to where Kyouka is waiting in the break area, arms wrapped around herself and looking at the counter. He leads her back towards the president 's office.

Dazai sighs as he watches them go. Port Mafia fucking Records, are they ever going to stop interfering with his life?

There 's less than three weeks until the fundraiser now. Things only get more frantic the closer it draws near. There still isn 't a clear path forward of how they 're going to win.

Fukuzawa has started holding weekly meetings to gauge where everyone is. They hold them in the main office at the long table. The meetings remind Dazai of executive meetings a little, though they 're a lot more pleasant. He never leaves a meeting with the need to punch something.

'We 're still steadily gaining followers on all types of social media, ' reports Ranpo, chewing one of the croissants Fukuzawa had provided for the meeting (there had certainly never been snacks at a PMR executive meeting.) 'Probably some bots too, but that 's pretty much unavoidable the bigger you get. '

'Good work, Ranpo, ' says Fukuzawa from his spot at the head of the table. He turns to Kunikida then. Atsushi speaks up before the president can say anything though.

'I have an idea, ' announces Atsushi, a little too loudly.

Dazai gives him a surprised look from the spot next to him. Atsushi hadn 't mentioned anything to him. Although he had been a little colder towards Dazai since Dazai had refused to help him with Kyouka, which had been irritating because he hadn 't gotten upset with the president when he 'd told him basically the same thing.

'What is it, Atsushi? ' asks Fukuzawa, also looking faintly surprised.

'I think we should ask Port Mafia Records to perform with us at the fundraiser, ' says Atsushi, his words confident while his hands are trembling a little under the table.

'You want us to

what

? ' asks Tanizaki, giving Atsushi an incredulous look.

'We don 't associate ourselves with companies like that, ' says Kunikida, his look more disapproving than shocked.

Yosano doesn 't look very happy about the suggestion either, although she stays quiet. Ranpo pauses in eating his croissant, raising his eyebrows.

Dazai himself is feeling a myriad of emotions, so he settles for keeping his face blank and saying nothing. He has the slightest thought of where this plan will end up, and he cannot allow himself to dwell on it right now.

'Now, now, ' says Fukuzawa, gaining control of the room again. 'Let 's give Atsushi a chance to explain. '

'Port Mafia Records may appear to be operating as usual, ' says Atsushi, giving the president a grateful look before continuing, 'But things aren 't as they seem. The Guild has sabotaged their relationships throughout the music industry with their influence. They 've been struggling, working frantically to maintain their image. '

'And how did you come across this information? ' asks Dazai neutrally. It 's not that he doubts Atsushi. He can believe that Francis would try to take down Mori after he 'd botched the recruitment, and he can easily imagine Mori continuing on as if nothing had happened.

'Kyouka Izumi told me, ' says Atsushi, not apologetic in the least.

'We 're trusting the word of a fourteen year old girl? ' asks Kunikida, looking much less convinced than Dazai. 'She 's just one of their new artists. If they 're truly keeping it a secret, how would she know? '

'She 's close with both Kouyou Ozaki and Chuuya Nakahara, ' says Atsushi. He doesn 't seem put off by Kunikida 's skepticism.

Dazai has to work even harder to keep his expression neutral. There goes that thought again.

'I know there 's a lot of bad history between a lot of people in this room and Port Mafia Records, ' says Atsushi, standing up and speaking passionately. 'Myself included. But I know that if we work with them, we can easily beat The Guild. '

'It 's not a bad idea, ' says Dazai, shrugging a little. 'But they won 't go for it. '

Atsushi deflates a little. 'Why not? '

'Because they 'd have nothing to gain, ' says Dazai plainly. 'Mori doesn 't care about taking down his enemies because of personal pride. He only acts when something is going to be beneficial to PMR. The ADA beating The Guild wouldn 't help them at all. They don 't like us anymore than they do The Guild. '

'Be that as it may, ' says Fukuzawa, looking at Atsushi with approval, 'I still think it 's worth trying. ' He turns to face Dazai then. 'Can you set up a meeting with Port Mafia Records? '

'Sure, ' says Dazai easily, even though he 's pretty sure he can taste bile in the back of his throat.

They choose neutral ground for the meeting. Neither Mori nor Fukuzawa had been comfortable with meeting on the other 's turf. Dazai still doesn 't even have an inkling of their former relationship. Though he supposes that 's less important than trying to understand their current one.

Eventually a park in a quiet area of Los Angeles is chosen for the meeting place. Dazai arrives there with Kunikida and Fukuzawa slightly earlier than the meeting time they 'd set. Dazai has had a stomach ache about this encounter even since he 'd woken up this morning. Actually, he 's sort of felt nauseous since Fukuzawa had asked him to set up the meeting.

A black car pulls up to the park at exactly noon. Mori had always been punctual to a fault. He steps out of the car first, with Kouyou and Hirotsu following behind him.

Dazai keeps waiting for someone else to come out of the car too, but it 's clear after a moment that Chuuya isn 't going to be here. Dazai is both insanely relieved and more anxious.

'This was a surprise, ' says Mori as he approaches their group. His fake cheerful smile is more familiar than Dazai wants it to be. Seeing him again in person is revolting. 'I couldn 't quite believe it when Kouyou told me you wanted to set up a meeting. '

Dazai 's eyes flick to Kouyou then, who is watching him back. He 'd set up the meeting through her. Dazai had still had her personal number, and he 'd figured she would be interested in meeting if Dazai mentioned a potential arrangement that involved Kyouka getting out of her recording contract at the end of everything. Setting up the meeting had gone relatively smoothy despite Kouyou 's obvious reservations about working with him.

'It wasn 't my idea to meet, ' says Fukuzawa, fixing Mori with a steady look. 'It was actually one of my artist 's, Atsushi. He feels that the ADA should form an alliance with Port Mafia Records in order to take down a mutual adversary of ours, The Guild. '

'Does he now? ' asks Mori, smile growing even wider. 'Is this about your idiotic fundraiser competition? '

'So you 're already up to date on the situation, ' says Fukuzawa, not affected by Mori 's taunts.

'I was thoroughly amused when I 'd heard you 'd agreed to take on Francis in a financial contest, ' says Mori, and his amusement is genuine this time. 'I have no idea what possessed you to make such a foolish decision. '

'However, ' continues Mori, dropping the amusement for his more calculating tone. 'It 's not Port Mafia Records ' job to clean up the ADA 's messes. What would we have to gain by helping you? '

'That 's what I told them you 'd say, ' says Dazai lightly, smirking at Mori.

'Dazai, ' acknowledges Mori, smirking back. 'Still satisfied with your current employer? '

'More so than I ever was with my previous one, ' fires back Dazai easily.

'If only that were true, ' says Mori flippantly.

The words hit as they 're meant to. Dazai had forgotten what it was truly like to go toe to toe with Mori. It 's been so long since he 's had an exchange of this weight with someone.

'We 're getting off topic, ' says Kunikida, surprising everyone. 'Is Port Mafia Records interested in forming an alliance or not? '

'We don 't do hand outs, ' says Kouyou, giving Kunikida a scornful look.

'Is that your answer then? ' asks Fukuzawa, directing the question at Mori.

'I 'm afraid so, ' says Mori, not sounding the least bit sorry. 'It was a pleasure to see you again though, Yukichi. You too, Osamu. '

Dazai doesn 't work for him anymore, so he 's technically allowed to react how he wants to. But he doesn 't want give Mori the satisfaction. So he smiles and waves as Mori walks away.

Kouyou doesn 't give any of them another look before following Mori, but Hirotsu nods at him as he turns to go. Dazai isn 't surprised he 'd stayed quiet. He 'd always been nothing but respectful in Mori 's presence.

'Well, ' says Kunikida with a scowl once they 're alone, 'That was a waste of time. '

Dazai sighs dramatically. 'Oh, Kunikida. How I wish you were right. '

Mid-August, Six Years, Six Months & Three Weeks Since the Release of Corruption

Chuuya feels like he has been more than patient with everything that 's been thrown his way since March. He 'd accomplished every task that had been given to him. He 'd worked on an insane number of albums, gotten Kyouka to agree to do an album and then write a single, and attended what feels like thousands of meetings in Mori 's stead.

But when Mori takes off for two weeks at the end of July without any explanation, Chuuya 's patience comes to an end. Chuuya keeps things running smoothly at PMR while he 's gone, but his anger grows every day he goes without hearing from him. Kouyou doesn 't seem to know anything either.

Chuuya had even stooped low enough to ask Ace if he knew anything. Ace had given some bullshit smug reply that had just pissed Chuuya off even more.

Chuuya is in the middle of revising a song when Mori waltzes into his office calmly on the day he returns. Chuuya nearly snaps the pen he 's holding in anger just at the sight of him.

'Where, exactly, have you been? ' demands Chuuya without hesitation. Normally he would never been so flagrantly disrespectful to the boss, but he feels he has earned an explanation.

'Business trip, ' says Mori brightly, not put off by Chuuya 's anger. He takes a seat in one of the chairs in front of Chuuya 's desk. 'I assume you kept everything running steadily in my absence? '

'Yes, I did, ' snaps Chuuya. 'Although I got a little sick of people asking me where you were and not having an answer. '

'I had something I had to take care of in person, ' says Mori simply.

'What is going on? ' asks Chuuya, his anger shifting to frustration. 'You meet with the ADA about doing that fundraiser bullshit, turn them down, and then disappear off the face of the planet. '

'Oh, ' says Mori, starting to smirk. 'We are definitely doing that fundraiser. '

Chuuya is more confused than ever. '

Why?

'

'Before when the ADA asked, I told them we weren 't going to do it if there was no benefit to Port Mafia Records, ' says Mori, smirk growing more pronounced. 'But an optimal solution has presented itself. In this case, we will be making a payment upfront for a much larger return. '

Chuuya still doesn 't really get what he 's talking about, but there 's a more pressing issue at hand. He already has a creeping suspicion of what 's going to happen. 'When you say we 're doing the fundraiser, who, specifically, are you referring to? '

The rules of the fundraising contest are fairly simple. The ADA has a phone number and a link people can use to donate to, and the Guild has a number and link as well. Ticket sales are going towards paying for the venue and the expenses of setting up the fundraiser. But those in the crowd are welcome to donate however much they 'd like throughout the show. They 're also playing the fundraiser on multiple different television stations and websites. The competition starts when the fundraiser begins and goes until the last performer finishes.

Other than that, it 's a free for all. Both record companies are free to use their allotted time however they wish. They 've set no other rules.

Then at the end of the night, they 'll tally the donations and one of them will walk about with one less artist.

By the time Dazai takes the stage, they 're losing spectacularly. It isn 't even close. They have a scoreboard to the side of the stage that updates automatically as donations come in.

The audience thinks everything is a 'friendly competition for charity.

It 's not that his coworkers haven 't given entertaining performances. Kunikida had done an excellent job singing

The Hell of Mirrors

and

The Bamboo Gate.

Then Ranpo and the main songwriter for The Guild, Edgar Allen Poe, had done an amusing live songwriting competition, which Ranpo had won by a landslide.

But The Guild had Mark Twain sing his world famous song

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

. Margaret Mitchell had given a soulful performance of

Gone With The Wind.

They 'd given each of their acts a single song, and every new one brought a huge boost to The Guild 's numbers. The last performance before Dazai 's had been a surprising duet between John Steinbeck and Howard Phillips Lovecraft, they 'd done an extremely well-done version of Lovecraft 's classic

The Call of Cthulhu.

It would take a miracle for them to catch up at this point.

Dazai is all smiles and cheer as he walks on stage though. The crowd applauds wildly as he gets to center stage. He plays

False Spring

first, and he ends up enjoying himself despite the high stakes situation. It 's hard to stay angry when the audience is showering him with praise and singing along. Dazai tends to forgot how much he enjoys performing until he 's actually doing it.

There 's an every growing sense of dread in the back of his mind though. Dazai pauses between songs to grab a quick drink of water.

'Thank you so much everyone, ' says Dazai graciously as people continue to cheer. 'You 're an excellent crowd. Let 's get-. '

Dazai is cut off by the blare of a guitar playing, and there 's a hush over the room as the lights dim. The music grows as a spotlight shines on a platform slowly lowering towards the stage. A single figure stands on it. There are some gasps and whispers in the audience at the commotion.

'Hello, Los Angeles, ' says Chuuya Nakahara smoothly into his mic, fully coming into view. The lights turn back to normal as Chuuya gets close enough to the stage to hop off the platform with ease.

The gasps and whispers turn into screams as the audience realizes just who they 're seeing. The noise is thunderous. Dazai almost winces at the sound.

Ah, there 's his miracle. Right on schedule.

Dazai can 't even begin to describe all the emotions he feels as Chuuya makes his way towards him, there 's just too many. They haven 't shared a stage since they were seventeen. Dazai has been mentally preparing himself for this moment since the second Atsushi mentioned an alliance with Port Mafia Records. All of his preparations feel woefully inadequate when faced with the sight of his ex-partner 's smile as he takes in the still shrieking crowd.

'Sorry to interrupt, ' says Chuuya with a light shrug as he walks along the stage. His charisma on stage hasn 't diminished at all. The crowd is eating out of the palm of his hand with just a few words. 'My name is Chuuya Nakahara, for those of you who don 't know me. '

Dazai seriously doubts there 's a single person here who doesn 't know who he is. He resists the urge to roll his eyes. His pulse gets less steady with each step Chuuya takes towards him.

Chuuya isn 't wearing a suit, but then he never had back when they 'd played together. His outfit isn 't the same style as he 'd worn back then though either. The color scheme is different. His pants are dark blue leather paired with a simple (looking, not in price Dazai will bet) black t-shirt. Chuuya has left his hat behind, his hair flowing around him freely. His choker is the only thing that remains the same.

In other words, his outfit had been designed to match Dazai 's own. Leave it to PMR to always think of something like that.

Dazai wonders if they 'll still have to perform together if he vomits on the stage.

Blue eyes meet his as Chuuya comes to stand next to him, leaning to the side with one hand on his hip. Yup, extremely woefully inadequate.

'Hat rack, ' greets Dazai, flicking off his mic so no one else can hear them.

'Douchezai, ' says Chuuya, doing the same.

Dazai doesn 't react by drawing on a lifetime of experiences with remaining blank faced. Chuuya 's smile grows larger anyway. It 's a stinging reminder how he remains the one person Dazai can never fool.

'It 's been a little bit, ' says Chuuya, turning his mic back on. 'But I used to be one half of a duo called Double Black. '

The audience starts screaming again in earnest. Chuuya winks at them as he makes his way over to the piano. Dazai follows behind, feeling as if he 's in some sort of terrible dream.

Chuuya adjusting his hands on the keys makes his heart clench. Everything feels way too familiar for how many years it 's been. Dazai had tried to tell himself that this reunion was necessary in order for them to defeat The Guild, but it 's hard to remember that when Dazai is being exposed to this.

'Dazai and I haven 't played together in a while though, so we 'll have to go with something simple, ' says Chuuya. He runs through a few chords to get a feel for the piano, the notes coming out expertly.

Actually, Dazai keeps saying it 's been years, but he 's truthfully aware of exactly how long it 's been. Their last performance had been the night of the Grammys five and a half years ago, a little over two thousand days. So it doesn 't make sense why taking his place beside the piano next to Chuuya feels

right.

Dazai has never regretted his decision to leave Port Mafia Records. He 's glad to be out from under Mori 's thumb. He genuinely likes his coworkers at the ADA, some of them he even considers to be more than coworkers. Despite Mori 's goading, Dazai never plans to return to PMR.

But none of that seems to matter when Chuuya stops warming up and adjusts his position on the piano bench, clearing his throat.

'

Oh grantors of dark disgrace

, ' sings Chuuya, in that way of his where his voice is soft yet firm. The crowd goes absolutely wild. Chuuya pauses naturally to let the cheering fade, not resisting a smile over the audience 's enthusiasm. '

You need not wake me again. '

Dazai had often wondered if his mind had exaggerated the sound of Chuuya 's voice due to how he feels about him. But hearing it again in person is a stark reminder that he hadn 't, Chuuya is just truly that remarkable. His voice has actually become even richer with time and experience. Hearing it in videos doesn 't do it justice.

(Over two thousand days, and it 's like they all evaporate after just two lines.)

Chuuya thunders on the keys then, all trace of softness gone. There isn 't a song in existence that Dazai hates more than

Corruption,

but that doesn 't stop the shivers he gets at how brilliant the song is removed from all the emotions.

Look at this, it 's my bone,

A tip of bone torn from its flesh, filthy, filled up with woes,

It 's the days of our lives sticking out

Look at this, it 's my heart,

A blackened thing, torn out and still beating

It 's the thing humans can 't live without

For not playing the song live in over six years, Chuuya doesn 't falter once. He 's singing with everything he has, the lyrics coming out with a skill and grace that no cover of the song has ever managed to capture.

You cannot escape gravity

It pulls us all down and apart

It rips away the gentlest souls

I fear I 've been ' ' '.corrupted

Chuuya sings the last word with its usual unnatural length. He starts the second verse with the slight jump in tempo, the growing sense of alarm.

Sometimes it strikes Dazai how the most impressive song he 's ever heard had been written by someone who had been only sixteen. It hadn 't seemed strange at the time, but now that he 's a little older he can recognize how extraordinary that is.

Look at this, it 's my blood

A crimson river, dark and churning

But I think it 's supposed to stay on the inside

Look at this, it 's my mind

A hollow place, a boundless prison

But its tainted nature can not be denied

You cannot escape gravity

It pulls us all down and apart

It rips away the gentlest souls

I know I 've been ' ' '.corrupted

Chuuya lengthens the last word again, drawing it out as he lets the sound of the piano fade away completely. He pauses to let the anticipation grow.

Then he starts the solo with tenacity, striking the keys in a complex flow of notes that covers of the song don 't even try to capture. He switches tempo and key constantly, never fixing on a rhythm or pattern for more than a couple seconds.

Dazai feels breathless as he watches from beside him. He 's still never met anyone else who can play like this. Going without hearing it for this many years had completely wiped his tolerance for how affected he is by the song. Every note feels like a knife and a benediction simultaneously.

Dazai lets it go on longer than he ever has before.

Because Dazai is an expert liar, but he can 't lie to himself when he 's watching the person who 'd defined what music meant to Dazai playing right in front of him. He 's tried to pretend that he 's just as satisfied being a solo artist as he 'd been being a duo. He 'd maintained that he didn 't

need

Chuuya to make music, he could do it just fine on his own.

Dazai had told himself he was dreading playing with Chuuya again after all these years. It hadn 't been a complete lie. But in the back of his mind he 'd known he 'd craved it far more.

He had never felt as

alive

as he does right now during any of his performances alone. Something had always been missing. And Dazai had tried to explain it away and justify it a million times, to hide from the obvious fact: music truly doesn 't feel like music if Chuuya isn 't there beside him.

Chuuya 's fingers start to strain as he continues to hammer on the keys, but he keeps playing. The sound is starting to become even more disorganized. It 's unsettling, and Dazai never wants it to end.

But it has to, so he places a slightly less than steady hand against Chuuya 's shoulder to cut him off. Dazai hadn 't expected him to recoil away from him, Chuuya is too much of a professional for that. Nothing had prepared Dazai for the agony of Chuuya

leaning into

his touch. He brings his hand back as if he 'd been burned.

Dazai needs to get the hell off this stage.

'What does it mean to be human? '

sings Dazai, pouring everything he has into the song while Chuuya plays the softer bridge notes. He can 't give less than his all when he 's singing with Chuuya.

'I 'll make you be human. You 're no longer human, no longer human. Wake up. '

Dazai makes the mistake of looking Chuuya in the eyes then, Chuuya looking right back. It feels like something inside of him breaks. Dazai can 't look away though as they sing the next lines back and forth.

You cannot escape gravity (what does it mean to be human)

It pulls us down (I 'll make you be human) and apart

It rips away the gentlest souls (You 're no longer human, no longer human)

I think it 's time to ' 'wake up

They only sing a single line together in the whole song, and that one harmony sounds better than any other Dazai has ever heard. He can 't decide if it 's better or worse when Chuuya finally looks away to play the outro, shifting to a softer and cleaner style.

Oh grantors of dark disgrace

I fear I 've woken again

Dazai has never heard an audience scream this loud before. It 's practically deafening. One glance to the scoreboard confirms that they 've already caught up to The Guild and seem to be on their way to shooting past them.

Dazai 's smile is the fakest expression he 's ever given as he faces the crowd. This is quite possibly the worst thing that has ever happened to him.

Chuuya had really only intended to play one song with Dazai. That had been the plan. Get in, play

Corruption,

and get the fuck out without lingering.

But then Chuuya is on stage, taking in the thunderous applause. It 's infectious. Chuuya hasn 't played for a real crowd in way too fucking long. He 's filled with adrenaline. He smiles despite all the conflicting emotions he 's feeling.

There had been a part of Chuuya that had wondered if they wouldn 't fit together the same after not playing a single song together for that many years. But it had all come back in an instant.

Chuuya has just as many conflicting feelings about

Corruption

as he does about Dazai, but he 'd meant what he 'd said to Kyouka. Playing music that you had created, that means something to you, makes everything feel so much sharper. The good and the bad.

Chuuya chooses to focus on the good, the bad can wait until later. He smirks at the crowd, standing up from the piano bench and walking around it to stand next to Dazai. Dazai is smiling as well, but there 's an edge of something to it.

'You guys are too fucking kind, ' says Chuuya, speaking over the yelling and shaking his head. He directs his smirk towards Dazai then. 'How about we do one more song? '

The audience 's response is overwhelming enthusiastic. Dazai gives him an incredulous look for a split second before recovering and smiling again.

Chuuya would like to pretend that the suggestion is purely professional. Mori had made it clear that the ADA needed to be the winner of this fundraiser for whatever reason, and Double Black is certain to bring in heaps of donations. They already have based on the scoreboard where the ADA 's numbers keep rising steadily.

But Chuuya 's motivations are personal. He knows this is probably the last time he and Dazai are ever going to sing together. This time, he 's not having them go out on fucking

Corruption.

He 's going to play one more song with him. If this is the end of Double Black, they 're going out on a high note, even if it aches horrifically.

'Fine, I 'll allow Chuuya to hog my stage time, ' says Dazai flippantly. The crowd laughs at him, thinking this is classic Double Black banter. They don 't hear the undercurrent of malice in the words. 'What are we going to play? '

'How about something new? ' suggests Chuuya breezily, playing his part in this charade of partnership.

'I know that I 've always been the brains of this operation, ' says Dazai, rolling his eyes, 'But we don 't

have

any new music. '

Chuuya keeps his temper in check, but his nails are cutting into his palms with how tightly he 's clenching his fists. He ignores Dazai and goes to pick up one of the acoustic guitars from the side of the stage, slipping underneath the strap.

Dazai is watching him carefully, trying to understand what he 's thinking. Chuuya is a little smug that he can still keep him on his toes. He 'd always hated when Dazai had called him predictable.

Chuuya plays the opening of the song he settles on, strumming the guitar easily. The notes come out light and gentle. The original version is with a piano and a full band, but Chuuya wants a break from the keys after

Corruption.

Plus he 'd always felt the song would flow better with a simpler sound.

'Here 's

Play Me

a

Song,

' says Chuuya, announcing his choice to Dazai as much as the crowd.

They 're here for a fucking fundraiser, right? Chuuya can 't think of a single song that 'll draw in more money than Double Black doing a duet of Dazai 's stupid love song. There 's the admission that he knows the song this well with his choice, but he gets a much bigger thrill out of how much the song he 'd picked is pissing Dazai off. His outward appearance hasn 't changed at all, but Chuuya can tell he 's furious.

'

Play me a song

, ' sings Chuuya earnestly, '

Oh play it soft and sweet. '

It 's a slightly slower tempo than Dazai 's version, and the guitar gives it a more personal tone. He sings the words less crisply than Dazai would, letting them flow together more.

'Play me a song, '

jumps in Dazai on the next line, matching Chuuya 's pace and energy easily. It makes his stomach dip a little how in sync they are without discussing anything. Music isn 't like this with anyone else.

'Not for everyone- just me. '

'They say that you can 't lie,

' Chuuya draws the out the last word in a long, full note, '

In a song.

'

Dazai 's eyes can 't hide how he feels about Chuuya 's version of the song, Chuuya knows he approves. It 's the look he reserves for when Chuuya gets the music

right

. Chuuya could never forget it, not after how hard he 'd always worked to try and receive it.

Chuuya 's lips turn up with just the hint of a smirk as the sing the last lines of the first verse together, voices blending seamlessly as per usual. '

So please, play me a song. '

When all is said and done, the ADA creams The Guild in the fundraiser. The Guild had put up a good showing after Double Black 's performance, Lucy had done a hauntingly beautiful rendition of

Anne of Abyssal Red

, and even Francis himself had taken to stage to play his most popular song

The Great Gatsby.

But they just couldn 't regain the ground they 'd lost. Especially not when Akutagawa had stormed onto the stage to demand Atsushi Nakajima perform

Rashomon

with him. Chuuya hadn 't even known he was coming, he 's supposed to still be on tour. But he and Atsushi had been a surprisingly good combination, Ryuunosuke had played the piano while Atsushi sang (although Akutagawa had spent the entire song glaring daggers at him.)

The final nail in the coffin had been when they 'd finished though and Kyouka had walked on stage, the place had exploded. She 'd brought down the house with

Demon Snow

. Chuuya had been insanely proud of her.

When Mori put his mind to something, there isn 't a force in the universe that could stop him. He 'd made the declaration that they would help the ADA win this competition, and so they had.

Chuuya still doesn 't have the details of

why

they 'd decided to help the ADA, but it had been a direct request from Mori. Chuuya hadn 't had time to get an answer out of him, not when he 'd been told he 'd have to play with Dazai again. It had taken all of Chuuya 's energy to try and confront that predicament.

Chuuya is backstage now, looking for Akutagawa so he can congratulate him. And get the fuck out of here. Now that he 's come down from the high of playing all of his negative thoughts and emotions are starting to settle in. Chuuya feels like a powder keg, ready to snap.

It 's both surprising and not at all surprising that he runs into Dazai. He 's drinking a bottle of water, and his eyes narrow as he notices Chuuya.

'Oi, chibi, ' says Dazai, voice instantly grating. 'This is a private area, we don 't allow dogs back here. '

'Shut the fuck up, ' says Chuuya, rolling his eyes. 'I 'm looking for Akutagawa. '

Chuuya starts to walk away but Dazai speaks up before he gets more than a couple steps.

'So what made you change your mind? ' Dazai 's voice is falsely innocent.

Chuuya turns around to glare at him. 'What are you talking about now? '

'You swore you 'd never sing a love song with me, ' says Dazai brightly. 'Yet

Play Me a Song

is definitely a love song. '

'

You 're

talking to me about breaking promises? ' asks Chuuya, letting out a harsh laugh.

'Did my musical talent make you cave? ' asks Dazai smugly. 'Were you so dazzled by my song that you just had to sing it? I 'm so flattered. ' He raises a hand to his chest mockingly.

'Please, ' sneers Chuuya. 'You wish. '

'I suppose we could have played something from

your

solo album, ' says Dazai flippantly. 'Oh, wait, you don 't have one! ' He smirks and shakes his head. 'Mori must be so disappointed, all that effort wasted on you since you were fifteen, and you never return on the investment. '

The powder keg explodes.

Chuuya had sworn to himself that he wouldn 't let Dazai get to him this time. But that notion crumples with the amount of hatred Chuuya is feeling right now.

'Because your music is something to be proud of? ' asks Chuuya, voice dripping in contempt. 'What the fuck even was that song we just sang? It 's literally just sentimental crap. Are you

ever

going to grow out of being boring and predictable? '

Dazai 's face goes completely blank, but Chuuya isn 't done. He can 't hold back the words as they come out, he 's got

years

of resentment fueling them.

'I mean, there 's a reason Mori put

me

in charge creatively of our album all those years ago, ' says Chuuya, shrugging with a cruel smirk. 'He could already see then that the music you write really isn 't worth anything. There 's just something missing. '

'And you think

you 're

somehow above me? ' asks Dazai mockingly. Chuuya has never seen him this blatantly angry before. He 's left his calm facade behind to give Chuuya a look filled with venom. 'You haven 't even truly written a song since you were sixteen and I was there to babysit you. ' Dazai laughs derisively. 'You 're a

musician

who 's terrified of

music

. I literally can 't think of anything more pathetic. '

Chuuya feels every word like a blow to the gut. His hands start to tremble at his sides. Dazai keeps going though, smile only growing as he sees Chuuya 's anger.

'I don 't even know if you deserve to be called a musician at this point, ' says Dazai, smirking condescendingly. 'How does it feel to be an absolute failure? '

Chuuya is too enraged to speak. But someone else cuts in, surprising them both.

'That 's

enough

, ' says Kouyou. Chuuya hadn 't even known she was here. Her expression is downright murderous, looking at Dazai as if the force of her glare could harm him directly.

'Would it kill you for

once

, Ozaki, to stay out of other people 's business? ' asks Dazai, giving her a glare of his own.

'Don 't fucking talk to her like that, ' says Chuuya sharply, pointing a warning finger at him. He shakes his head. 'Let 's go, Kouyou. '

'Running away? ' asks Dazai lightly, raising an eyebrow. 'Typical. '

'I fucking

hate

you, ' says Chuuya, and he 's never meant it more.

'Back 'atcha, partner, ' says Dazai with a wide smile.

Chuuya doesn 't sleep the night after the fundraiser. He 'd been too keyed up. He 'd gone straight to the ocean the second he 'd left, turning off his phone and lying down in the sand.

He 'd spent the night replaying Dazai 's words, his mom 's words, Mori 's, Kouyou 's, a thousand moments. He feels like absolute shit the next day, but he goes into the office anyway.

Chuuya is guzzling tea to try and stay awake as he walks through the doors. He walks straight towards the executive suite. When he 'd turned on his phone he 'd had a text from Mori calling an executive meeting first thing today. Maybe Chuuya will finally get some answers to why he had to go through that absolute clusterfuck last night.

Chuuya doesn 't know what he had been expecting to walk into, but it had not been Mori, Kouyou, and Ace laughing and drinking wine.

'Chuuya, ' says Mori brightly. His cheer doesn 't seem like an act for once. He hands him a glass of wine. Chuuya sees the bottle, a Roman 'e-Conti.

Chuuya stares at the expensive wine in confusion. He may be running on zero sleep, but that doesn 't explain the situation. 'What 's going on? '

'We 're celebrating our victory, Chuuya, ' says Mori. He grin is huge.

'Because the ADA won that ridiculous fundraising contest? ' asks Chuuya, raising his eyebrows. He takes a sip of his wine, confusion did not mean he was going to pass up good wine.

'No, ' says Mori, shaking his head. 'We 're celebrating the newest acquisition of Port Mafia Records. '

He passes Chuuya a document. Chuuya reads the first few lines, almost dropping his wine.

'Is this real? ' asks Chuuya, looking around the room. Ace and Kouyou 's grins are equally as large as Mori 's.

'The deal was finalized this morning, ' says Mori smugly. 'Port Mafia Records is now the parent company of The Guild. '

'What the fuck? ' asks Chuuya, not able to help himself. The others all laugh at his outburst.

'Apparently Francis has been struggling financially for some time, ' says Kouyou merrily. 'He 's been pouring all of his money into caring for his daughter, trying every investigational treatment there is, and paying large sums to do it. '

'Then when he ran out of money, ' adds Ace, his smugness matching the others ' for once, 'He started dipping into The Guild 's. '

'The upper management has been rather put out with his antics for a while now, ' says Mori, crossing his arms. 'Francis tried to placate them by proving he could grow new artists to make up for his losses. That 's why he came to us to try and help him find someone. He 'd borrowed the money to make us the offer, digging an even bigger hole for himself. '

'He 'd managed to score a victory with that Lucy girl, ' says Kouyou. 'She 's a penniless orphan from Canada, and the sales from

Anne of Abyssal Red

kept things afloat for a bit. '

'Francis 's final error was pouring so much of The Guild 's money into that ludicrous fundraiser, ' says Mori, shaking his head. 'He finally burned his last bridge. I had to go out to Long Island to meet with the executives of The Guild to finalize the details of the agreement in person. '

Things are starting to fall into place. Chuuya still has questions though.

'Can we afford to buy The Guild? ' asks Chuuya. Francis might be broke, but the company as a whole isn 't. He can 't imagine the amount of money it would take to purchase it.

'It did take some time to figure out things on the financial end, ' says Mori with a nod. 'Amassing a sum that large wasn 't easy. But with the sales we 've produced since March and moving some things around, we pulled it off. '

Chuuya 's eyebrows raise, realizing just how long Mori had been planning this.

'The boost in sales we 're going to get from last night help too, ' says Ace. He flicks his blonde hair.

Chuuya starts laughing then, the sound a little wild. 'You

bought

The Guild. '

'I told you I would handle it, ' says Mori simply. He smiles lightly. 'I could 't have pulled it off without your assistance. Every single one of you. '

'A toast, ' proposes Kouyou, raising her glass. 'To Port Mafia Records. '

'To Port Mafia Records, ' they all echo, lifting their glasses and drinking.

'Francis and Fukuzawa made that arrangement where the winner of the fundraiser got to have one of the artists from the loser, ' says Mori, leaning back in his chair. 'Obviously, now that we own The Guild, we don 't owe them anything. But I 'm giving them Kyouka. It 's a small loss when we just gained every artist under The Guild. ' Mori shrugs. 'Plus it takes too much effort to get quality music out of resisting artists. Fukuzawa can have her, and we can put all of this behind us for good. '

Chuuya looks over at Kouyou, who 's trying not to smile. It 's clear she had a hand in this. Chuuya is a little disappointed Kyouka is leaving, but he automatically knows her decision is motivated by things beyond music and record labels.

'Putting everything behind us sounds nice, ' says Chuuya. Even though he knows he 's not going to be moving on from what had happened last night any time in the near future, if ever.

Chuuya tells Mori flat out that he 's taking some time off at the end of their meeting. Mori agrees easily, telling Chuuya he 'd earned it. Chuuya doesn 't bother with false modesty, he fucking had earned it.

He stops by his office to check if there 's anything he needs. But he 's surprised to find someone waiting for him there.

'What are you doing here, Kyouka? ' asks Chuuya. He didn 't think she would stick around after breaking her record deal and signing with the ADA.

Chuuya gets his second big shock of the morning when she bursts into tears.

His eyes widen in horror. She 's been a little more open since they 'd gotten closer, but he 'd never seen her

cry

before. He quickly crosses the room to stand in front of her and crouch a little so that they 're face to face.

'Hey, ' he says softly. 'Hey. What 's wrong? '

'Do you hate me now? ' asks Kyouka, the words extremely shaky.

'No, ' says Chuuya immediately, shaking his head fervently. 'No, of course not. '

'You did so much for me, ' says Kyouka, trying to wipe her eyes but the tears keep pouring out. 'And it was all a waste of time. '

'I don 't think that, ' says Chuuya, raising his voice a little to get her to really listen. 'Do you? '

'No, ' says Kyouka, choking on a sob. She hugs her arms around herself, giving Chuuya a despondent look. 'Can we 'can we still be friends? '

'Of course we 're still going to be friends, ' says Chuuya, pulling her arms down so he can take her hands in his and squeeze them. 'You 're not getting rid of me that easily. '

'But Dazai left for the ADA, and you hate him so much, ' says Kyouka while sniffling.

'That 's very, very different, ' says Chuuya gravely. He swallows around a lump in his throat. 'Is working for the ADA what you want? '

'Yes, ' says Kyouka quietly. 'They 'they let their younger artists work part-time. They get to go to school. '

'Then that 's what I want for you, ' says Chuuya simply. 'We might be professional rivals now technically, but if you ever decide to put out an album I will be first in line to listen to it. Or whatever you end up deciding to do, I know you 're going to knock it out of the park. '

Kyouka pulls him into a hug then, almost knocking him off his feet in his crouched position. She squeezes him tightly.

Chuuya smiles, hugging her back. He truly does hope this ends up making her happier. He holds no love for the ADA, but he holds a great deal of it for Kyouka.

There may have been a time when he 'd been younger where he would have taken her leaving PMR as a betrayal. But he can 't keep complaining about people leaving him then push someone away who so clearly wants to stay. Music is messy, and so is life. He wants to hold onto the people he cares about regardless of if they work for the same company.

'Do you think Elise will hate me? ' asks Kyouka worriedly as she pulls away.

Chuuya laughs and ruffles her hair. 'If anyone will get your desire to go to high school, it 's going to be Elise. Trust me. She 'll still be your friend too. '

Kyouka smiles at him, still sniffling but the tears seem to be stopping now thankfully.

'You shoot me a text any time you want, ' says Chuuya with a grin, 'And I 'll come pick you up in one of PMR's illustrious vans and we 'll go get ice cream. '

Kyouka chuckles a little, shaking her head. 'Sounds good, ' she replies, just the slightest tremble to her voice.

'Now get out of here, ' says Chuuya gently. 'Those dorks at the ADA are probably dying to see you. '

Kyouka pulls him into another tight hug, although this one is much quicker. 'Thank you. '

'You 're welcome, ' says Chuuya sincerely.

Kyouka looks more like herself now, flashing Chuuya one last small smile as she turns to go. 'I 'll see you soon? '

'Later, ' says Chuuya to her retreating form.

Once he 's alone, Chuuya lets out a long sigh. Dear fucking god he 's exhausted. He isn 't going to even

think

about work until September. He is taking this break and not answering a single work-related question.

Chuuya brings his phone out, dialing Tachihara 's number and sticking it in his between his shoulder and his ear while he digs through his desk for the stuff he needs. 'Hey, how do you feel about taking that fucking beach vacation now? '