The Port Mafia was finally slowly finding its balance again. Aside from it, almost everyone knew that it was all because Dazai was working in the background. But it was not really a secret since anyone close to Mori could see it. Dazai often sat in meetings with a bored face and whispering more suggestions into Mori's ear whenever the older man looked stuck or confused.
The two of the biggest changes Dazai pushed for were the promotions of Ozaki Kouyou and Randou. Mori announced Kouyou as a new executive. Her sharp red hair and bright kimono was making her stand out among the others.
Dazai could still remember her well. She was the swordswoman who tried to stop him years ago when he escaped the Port Mafia. And when their eyes met again, Dazai instantly knew Kouyou recognized him too. Her expression stayed calm but he could tell she was cautious of him. But still, Kouyou acted as if this was their first meeting.
Randou, on the other hand, was a stranger even to himself. He is a man who was found with no memories. Randou had been taken in by the Port Mafia because of his spacial ability. He wasn't Japanese either which made him stand out.
And for some reason, Randou would give him a worried look every time he saw Dazai as if he sensed something was wrong with him. Dazai found that amusing. So sometimes, Dazai would intentionally act spoiled when Randou passed by. He was leaning on him and sometimes pretending to be tired. And Randou would always look confused and worried as if he didn't know how to deal with him.
It made Dazai chuckle.
Until now, Mori still had not made the medicine he once promised that would give Dazai a quick and painless death. Dazai had known from the very beginning that Mori was lying. But it still annoyed him.
And what's even more annoying was the fact that Mori kept saving him from his suicide attempts. No matter what method Dazai used like hanging, chemicals consumptions, cutting his body with sharp objects or even doing dangerous stunts, Mori would always interfered it all.
Always.
Sometimes Mori dragged him out of the river. Sometimes the bodyguards he placed for him would removed whatever tool he was holding away from his hands. Sometimes Mori would simply appeared at the perfect moment before grabbing him by the collar like an irritated parent catching a misbehaving child.
It was pathetic and irritating.
So, Dazai decided on a little revenge. If Mori wanted to keep him alive so badly, then he should also suffer from it.
Dazai began using every ounce of his intelligence to double or even triple Mori's paperwork. Whenever he was bored, Dazai would made fake reports, exaggerated problems, rearranged his schedules and even rewrote policies just to force Mori to review everything again. Whenever Mori finally discovered the extra stack on his desk, he would sigh and rub his nose bridge.
"Dazai-kun, just why?" Mori asked with a deep sigh.
Dazai would only smile sweetly at him before tilting his head.
"Because you're a liar, Boss."
Even Hirotsu and Kouyou noticed the pattern and quietly avoided getting involved.
Meanwhile, Randou kept giving Dazai more confused looks. He was always wondering why the young man kept switching between suicidal boredom and childish mischief.
But to Dazai, it was simple. If Mori insisted on keeping him alive, then he would pay the price for it with exhaustion, annoyance and piles of paperwork he never asked for.
The next day, Mori let out another deep and heavy while staring at the file Dazai had placed on his desk. It was the profile of a Port Mafia member and someone who had loyally served for the organization for years.
But the report Dazai gathered said otherwise. The man was a spy. He was a rat from the traditionalist faction sent to monitor Mori's every move. Mori rubbed his forehead after he read his report.
"You really have a talent for digging up trouble, Dazai-kun." Mori said.
"It's not trouble if it's the truth." Dazai replied while sitting with one leg crossed over the other. "Kill him and make an example out of him. Those old men are stubborn. They won't understand unless you spill a little blood on the floor."
Mori nodded his head.
"I agree. He should be removed." Mori said. "Don't worry, Dazai-kun. I will send someone to deal with it."
Dazai raised an eyebrow.
"Who?"
"An assassin. She is known for being clean and quiet with her work."
"Is she someone we can trust?" Dazai flatly asked.
But Mori shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe. That's part of why I want to test her. If she handles this well, then I will officially hire her. Actually..."
Mori glanced at the clock on the wall before he continued.
"She is probably already inside the Port Mafia building right now."
Dazai clicked his tongue.
"Do whatever you want, Boss. I am not interested."
He stood up and walked out. Dazai did not wait for Mori's reply anymore.
The hallway outside of his office was long and silent. It was the kind of silence that made each step sound louder than it should. Dazai walked slowly with his eye half-open with boredom.
He wasn't thinking about anything. That was until he saw someone walking from the other end of the corridor. It was a girl.
She was young. Maybe the same age as Dazai. She had long and wavy chocolate brown hair that bounced slightly as she walked. Her eyes were a pair of warm sunset color. The girl calmly walked as if the dark and dangerous building didn't bother her at all.
Dazai stared at her. But the girl didn't look at him. Not even once. The girl simply walked straight past him as if she didn't notice he was there.
But Dazai...
He felt something twist inside his chest. It was a heavy feeling that he couldn't explain in words. He knew her deep inside. Soon, a quiet voice inside his head whispered at him.
'...It's her.'
He didn't understand why. He didn't understand how. But his gut feeling was telling him it was really her.
And Dazai was never wrong.
Before she got any farther, Dazai suddenly spoke without thinking.
"...Stop."
The girl stopped from walking. But she didn't turn around. She just stood still and quietly waiting as if she already expected him to call her out.
Dazai swallowed. Then a small and shaky breath escaped from his lips before he steadied his voice.
"...What's your name?" he asked.
For a moment, the girl did not answer. The silence between them stretched for a few long seconds. Then slowly, the girl turned around. Her sunset eyes met Dazai's visible eye.
There was no surprise in her gaze. As if she also knew him. Then her lips curved into a smile. It was soft, warm and strangely painful to look at.
Then she turned again without saying a word and continued walking down the hallway as if their meeting meant nothing at all. Dazai just stood there and frozen in place.
After the girl disappeared down the corridor, Dazai's hands curled into tight fists. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath until it left him in a slow and shaky exhale. Then he turned around and walked back to Mori's office.
When he pushed the door open, Mori was already looking at the girl with an expression of mild fascination. Only when Dazai stepped fully inside did Mori's gaze shift to him.
"Do you need something, Dazai-kun?" Mori asked.
But Dazai did not answer. His eyes were on the girl. He was busy taking in her posture, her calm expression and the way she held the folder like it was simply another tool in her hand.
Mori soon noticed where Dazai's attention was and slightly smirked. He was assuming Dazai was interest in her and assessing the girl in secret.
"Her name is Fujisaki Mara." Mori said. "She is the assassin I mentioned earlier."
At that, Mara closed the folder in her hand. Her voice was steady and unaffected by the two men watching her.
"Expect the target to be dead at seven p.m. sharp this evening."
Mori nodded in satisfaction.
"Do it cleanly and I will triple your fee."
"Understood." Mara simply replied.
Dazai repeated her name in his mind. Fujisaki Mara. And for him, it sounded so wrong. He knew she is the one he was desperately searching for a long time now.
Dazai had questions in his mind. It was far too many. But he wasn't going to ask them here and certainly not in front of Mori.
"I want to talk to her." Dazai flatly said.
Mori lifted an eyebrow but he decided not to pry for now. He simply leaned back in his chair and gave Dazai and amused look.
"Go ahead. Assess her if you want."
That was all Dazai needed. He turned to the girl and meeting her unreadable sunset-colored eyes.
"Follow me." he ordered.
Mara gave a small nod and stepped after him as he walked out of the office. The door closed behind them with a quiet and final click.
Dazai led Mara through a quiet hallway until they arrived down a narrow passage that no one else really used. Then he opened a plain metal door and stepped inside. The room was small and empty except for a single table and two chairs. There were no cameras or microphones installed inside.
Dazai was sure no one could listen to them inside this room. He created this room exactly for this reason. He wanted to escape Mori's eyes even for a few minutes. When Dazai closed the door, the silence felt heavier than the walls. Mara stood calmly in the middle of the room and waiting for him to speak.
Dazai faced her fully and letting his eye to take in every detail of her. She is his twin sister. He knew it without doubt. His every instinct was screaming it loudly at him.
But Dazai couldn't say it. He couldn't ask it. He shouldn't. Although his mind spun with questions he had swallowed for years.
'What happened after the former boss took you away?'
'What happened to your eyes?'
'How did you live?'
'Did they hurt you?'
'Did you know I never stopped looking for you?'
But Dazai asked none of them. Instead, he just stared at her. And after a long moment, he finally asked her something.
"How did you become an assassin?"
Mara blinked her eyes. She was surprised by that question. Mara slightly tilted her head and studying him with sharp eyes.
"Are you doubting my skills?" she asked.
"No." Dazai replied. "I'm simply asking."
Mara looked away for a moment as if remembering something far away.
"...I became an assassin when I was ten." she said. "Someone taught me everything. How to move. How to hide. How to kill. I trained until I could do the job alone."
Then she calmly looked back at him.
"I've been doing this for three years now. I don't belong to any organization. Anyone can hire me as long as they pay the right amount."
Dazai's fingers curled into a fist at his side. Someone trained her to kill at the age of ten. His little sister who used to hold his hand tightly when thunderstorms were scaring her was now killing people at an age she should have been playing and having fun.
"Agree to Mori-san's offer." Dazai suddenly said.
Mara raised an eyebrow but she didn't comment.
"Tell him everything you need." Dazai added. "Equipment. Rooms. Weapons. Whatever it is. The Port Mafia will give it to you."
He needed her close. This time, he needed to keep her safe. Dazai had already waited years for this moment. He spent years of searching, hoping and losing hope again.
But that's alright now. She was now here and still alive. The answers to his questions could come later. For now, Dazai simply needed her near him.
Mara slowly blinked as if she was reading something in his expression.
"I'll think about it." she said.
Then she turned around to leave. But Dazai's voice stopped her at the door.
"Do you have a sibling?" he quietly asked. "Or perhaps, a twin?"
Mara paused. Then she slowly turned back to look at him. Her sunset eyes met his. It looked calm but dull. And then, she smiled. It was a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Doesn't the answer already seem obvious to you now?" she softly said. "Am I right, Tsushima Shuuji? But I guess it is more right to call you Dazai Osamu now."
Then Mara smiled again. This time, it was gentle and distant. Before he could speak again, Mara walked out of the room and leaving Dazai standing alone inside that room.