002

Three years later...

It's another busy day for police, doctors, detectives and all those whose are connected to a murder case.

Meanwhile, in a certain building...

"DAMMIT!"

A fist came flying down onto a desk.

"It's another unsolvable case..." A detective can be seen gritting his teeth in anger while clenching his fist tightly.

"Geez... He ought to control that anger issues of his..." His fellow co-worker deadpanned.

"Can't say I blame him. Unsolved murder cases these past few months has been skyrocketing, after all." Another detective commented.

In a more secluded place of Yokohama.

"Sir L/N!" Many mafia members shouted and bowed down in unison.

They paid respect to he, who despite is used to being led, is an excellent leader himself and he, who killed the most within three years in port mafia's history.

『L/N Y/N (16 Years Old)』Ability: 孤域 (Koi-iki) – The Isolated DomainPosition: Executive

One of your underlings approached you and whispered, "Sir, the 'doctor' wishes to see you."

You nodded in response before walking in the all so familiar building.

Faced with the infirmary's door, you knocked three times.

"It's L/N."

Almost immediately, you received a reply.

"Come in."

The door creaked open as you entered the room. Inside, you immediately locked eyes with another pair of eyes more dead than yours. You almost mistook them for a corpse.

A child was sitting on the bed with eyes darker than the port mafia itself.

You wondered if that's how you looked like in the past...

"L/N-kun, from today onwards, this boy over here will be learn under you." Mori who is sat on a chair, smiled as he crossed his fingers together.

'That kid...?'

You look at the boy once more. He's thin and frail with bandages all over his body. You wouldn't be surprised if he gets blown away by the wind one day...or if he already had before.

"Understood." You nodded with closed eyes.

You have to be gentle with him. At least, more so than others. Otherwise, you fear he'd die before you even started.

"You can officially train him tomorrow. For now...I have a 'business' left undone."

You felt a sense of unease.

Your gut feelings are mostly if not always right. However, your job is not questioning him.

Don't ask any questions, accept everything he says. Curiosity killed the cat, and that cat will not be you.

"Noted." You then glanced at the boy. "... What's your name?" You asked, with that same monotonous tone in your voice.

He stared back at you, staying silent for a short while before answering, "...Dazai."

You stopped the questioning there after his answer.

"I'll take my leave now."

With a click of the door shutting close, you were no longer in the room.

"Hah... If only L/N-kun come see me more often then I wouldn't feel so lonely!" Mori's shoulder slumped down, acting depressed at your absence.

"Well... I suppose I still have one more work left to do before worrying about other things." Immediately, his demeanor changed from silly to serious.

"Let's go now, Dazai-kun." He left the chair and strode towards the door, preparing to carry out his plan.

"......" Dazai followed behind him quietly.

"How nice~ This reminds me of the past when L/N-kun was still a cute little boy." Mori smiled as he was reminded of when you'd follow behind him like a lost puppy.

Though, nobody asked, and Dazai wasn't going to speak unless necessary.

They walked for a few minutes down the hall until Mori finally stopped on his tracks in front of a door with two guards guarding outside.

"It's time for the daily check-up." He said, making the guards allow entry for the two.

Mori confidently strode in. Inside is the port mafia's boss, hair white as snow with face full of wrinkles as he lies on the bed.

"...How do you feel, boss?" Mori asked in a voice of concern as he stood beside the bed.

One may think of him as a normal doctor wishing a patient well. However, beneath the shadows covering his face, there lies a sinister grin.

"......" Dazai watched on blankly in front of the windows.

It's early in the morning, you were walking down the halls as usual. However, the sounds of shoes clacking on the ground was not the only thing you hear.

"Did you hear...? ...boss...Mori... witness!"

Mori's name caught your attention, making you stop on your tracks.

"You." You called out to a man who was mummering to another.

"Y-Yes!? S-Sir L/N!?" The man and also his friend panicked, sweat dripping down their face.

They certainly weren't expecting you to be here...

"What were you talking about?" You crossed your arms.

"A-Ahh... That..." The man hesitated, glancing at his friend before looking back at you.

"The thing is..."

As the man began explaining what happened yesterday, your eyes widened slightly.

The boss died from illness? He gave Mori his position?

You then remembered what Mori once said to you three years ago.

"By the way, L/N-kun~ When I say those who harms the port mafia... I also mean the old man that's stuck to his bed as well."

It made sense now.

Despite being an executive, you never actually once met the boss in person. However, you did hear the boss was sick in bed.

Sick in bed...

'So Mori killed the boss. And that kid...' Your mind wandered to those lifeless eyes. '...is the witness.'

"Alright. Go." You said, which they interpreted as "Get out of my sight."

Well, they technically have the same meaning.

You watch them bow before quickly rushing away.

With a soft sigh, you decided to continue what you're initially going to do which is...

What was it again?

You paused, standing still dazedly for a good while until you felt a tug to your sleeve.

"!" Snapping out of your thoughts, you looked at your left only to find... Dazai.

Ah, right. You were planning on finding Dazai before but it's unnecessary now since he came to you himself.

Mori will be busy the next few weeks from having to deal with disagreements and disloyalty towards him. So, he threw Dazai in your care.

"......" You stared at him and he stared at you.

Now that you think about it...how should you deal with kids...?

Using Mori's methods doesn't seem to work.

A year ago, you received new recruited under you, and so, you were responsible to teach them how things works in the port mafia.

You reached your hand out for them to hold, just like how Mori did in the past. An act to calm them down as they seem nervous.

However, the reaction you received wasn't exactly...what you had expected.

'Is this...a test...!?'

They were all very much wary of you.

When one of them failed to carry out your order...

"Hand." You reached your hand out, this time expecting the man to place his hand on yours.

Normally you would've killed anyone who failed your orders. However, just as how Mori gave you a chance, you gave them one as well.

Though not putting their hand on yours is an act of defying your orders once more which will most certainly get them killed.

"......" The man gulped, hesitantly placing his hand on yours.

"...?" You deadpanned in confusion when you saw the terrified look of the man.

You were just asking for his hand... it's not like you're planning to cut it off or anything.

Ah, wait. Were Mori's methods only supposed to be used on kids? You've only used it on adults so you never knew.

You reached your hand out. As if not knowing what to do, Dazai just stared at your hand and not doing anything else.

"Hand."

Only did you say that did he know what to do. He grabbed your hand.

With that, you led him to a secluded place not many people come by.

The place you brought Dazai to was nothing more than an abandoned warehouse at the edge of the city, long forgotten by civilians and long claimed by the mafia as a discreet training ground.

Dust floated in the cold air. Shattered glass lined the floor. Rusted pipes groaned as if whispering secrets of the past.

"Stand there," you instructed, pointing to the center of the room.

Dazai followed silently, footsteps soft, hands limp by his sides. He didn’t speak a word. He didn’t have to.

You walked around him slowly, observing his posture, the blankness in his gaze, the bruises that peeked out from under bandages.

"You’re weak." Your voice was calm, flat. Honest.

Dazai blinked once. Slowly.

"But," you continued, "weakness can be fixed."

From your coat, you pulled out a butterfly knife. Sleek, sharp, clean, and tossed it toward him.

He barely caught it, fingers trembling slightly as the cold metal settled in his hand.

"You’ll use that."

You stepped back, creating distance.

"Attack me."

He looked up at you, confused.

"If you can’t even harm someone who lets you try, what makes you think you’ll survive in the mafia?"

Dazai stared at the knife. Then at you.

He stepped forward.

Hesitation lingered like the morning fog. But then, it disappeared.

He lunged.

Clumsy. Predictable. You dodged it with ease, catching his wrist mid-swing and twisting it behind his back in one fluid motion.

"Wrong." You swept his legs out from under him and let him fall.

His body hit the ground with a thud.

"Again."

He stood.

This time, he didn’t hesitate.

You spent hours like this. Him, attacking. You, blocking. Teaching through pain, through bruises, through repetition.

There was no praise. No coddling.

Only correction. Only silence.

But by the time night fell and the sky turned a bruised violet, he stood straighter. His grip steadier.

You handed him a towel.

"Training’s over for today."

Dazai took it without a word, dabbing the blood off his chin.

"You did well."

His eyes widened just slightly.

"Don't expect me to say it again."

You walked off.

Behind you, Dazai stared at the knife in his hand.

For the first time, something flickered in his eyes.

Not quite hope.

But the shape of it.

The first time he met you...

"L/N-kun, from today onwards, this boy over here will be learn under you." Mori who is sat on a chair, smiled as he crossed his fingers together.

His eyes met yours. You have the same eyes as his. Dark and have nothing to lose. But...yours is a bit different.

You don't look like you want to die. No... it's more like you're the type who doesn't care if they live or die but don't make an effort to end your life.

"Understood." You nodded with closed eyes.

You agreed to teach him, become his mentor without any question. Why is that? It's just an order from a doctor.

The next day, Mori told him to go find you and so he did.

He tugged at your sleeve which made the two of you stared at each other for a long while.

You suddenly reached your hand out.

What did you wanted him to do? He didn't know back then. That was until you said, "Hand."

You held his hand as you led him to who knows where.

It's a small act of affection. However, Dazai won't expect anything. He'll expect nothing of you.

He's at the port mafia, after all. Attachments will only hurt him...actually, what is he even doing here?

He got treated by a strange doctor after a suicide attempt and now...what is he doing? He doesn't know, he doesn't want to think.

"You did well."

"......" Dazai stood there for a while.

He did...well?

Staring at your back view as you left, he seems to be deep in thoughts. Or maybe there's nothing going through his head at all.

He did well. He did. Because he survived. And you need him to live. That's all there is to it.