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Dazai was a cold man. Unable to feel empathy for the ones he killed, unable to shed a tear even at the saddest of sights. He'd feel pain, but his face would remain dull, his vision deprived of colours that others described life to have. The demon prodigy, Mori Ougai's successor, as the people said. Would Dazai even want to be the boss? He didn't have a choice.
His days would pass quietly, everyday the clock would just tick louder, reminding him of how little time he has left until he'd be forced to become as much of a disgusting man as Mori. He'd close his eyes, to imagine how it would be if it all turned out different...
Except Dazai doesn't daydream. It's horrendously stupid to do so. It's an idiotic thought to even think the brunette was capable of that. With no dreams, he'd open his eyes again, knowing that this is reality. It cannot be changed with a simple wish upon a star.
He'd lay on his bed, watch the ceiling, the clock, the wall and the door, he'd never look out the window though. He'd tap his nails against the wooden desk, he'd glare as if trying to terrify the room.
Kouyou said "Don't waste your youth." What would she know? Dazai knew what he was doing, after all his future was written far back in the day. In fact, every successor of the Port Mafia already had their life planned out as if it would all just be a to-do list.
They had the same fate, be trained, be the best, become the boss, make the Mafia better and carry on the legacy by choosing another member to be the future boss. There was no way to change what already was said and confirmed.
All boss's of the Mafia had something in common. Their emotions were turned off, unless you count the fake grins thrown around to deceive the naive. Their lives were black and white, they were not allowed to depend, not allowed to dream, not allowed to disobey.
Dazai was no exception. He's the same as all of them after all. People would fear him as much as Mori. They'd point and whisper. So Dazai shut himself off, he wouldn't go outside if it wasn't necessary, neither would he talk to anybody outside of the Mafia. Although to be fair he didn't talk with the Mafia members quite often either.
He'd say "Good morning" everyday, shining them a charming smile everyone somehow fell for. He'd occasionally talk with Kouyou over tea, but if he's honest, he prefers coffee. Although he won't tell that to Kouyou, that would end with quite the painful death...
He'd have one person he talks to though. Odasaku. They'd met up at Lupin bar every day at exactly 8:30 pm. Odasaku was like family Dazai never had, which was why he was never afraid of telling him anything.
"Hm... Oda? If I may ask... What do you think a life with color would look like?"
Dazai said after spacing out for a while, only staring at the point in the wall before him, not even at Oda. The red haired man beside him turned his head, putting away his glass with whiskey in it before humming in acknowledgment.
"Well, from what I heard... It feels like heaven. Your back isn't heavy with the burdens you carry, your heart loses it's weight it always carries and your body actually feels like it's alive."
Oda said which left Dazai to think. Would be even be able to experience a life like that, ever? Probably not. But it isn't a crime to think about it. He thought of a particular thing. What would make him feel the light? He has no family, so it can't be because of it. He doesn't have any dreams to accomplish. He doesn't wish to fall in love either.
He knows that nothing could possibly make him feel the warm delicacy of the real world but he was fine with it, he's used to that. Oda suddenly spoke up as he looked at Dazai's thoughtful state.
"Did you already hear the news?"
News? Did Mori forget to tell him something? Normally he's the first person to know anything in the Mafia since he's the closest to the boss. Dazai looked at Oda, containing his curiosity inside.
"No, mind sharing?"
Dazai tilted his head to the right slightly before resting his chin of his hands, waiting for the older to continue. Oda smiled lightly, maybe out of the irony of the fact Dazai's clueless, then he announced..
"There's a new member in the building. I forgot his name though. I heard that even Kouyou-san took a liking to him."
Kouyou-san taking a liking to someone? That's rare. Well that'll be interesting then. He looked over at Oda again before humming as if he was processing the information.
"Do you know anything else about him then?"
Oda couldn't contain a small chuckle that came out of him when he saw that Dazai was actually interested for once. He shook his head before speaking up again.
"Unfortunately I don't know anything else, I haven't met him yet. You're gonna have to find out for yourself."
Find out by himself? Easy. Dazai's good at making people break after all. He thought about what technique he could use on the newbie...
Dazai was back at the Mafia head quarters, he returned quite early for him but that's because he was quite interested in the member Oda talked about... It's not easy to get Kouyou to like you, so having heard that of course his mind was circling.
He saw a group of people, Tanizaki, Kouyou-san, Higuchi, Akutagawa, Gin and many others in a circle in the middle of the area for some reason. He heard a lot of commotion... They're probably around the newbie, yeah?
Dazai grinned internally, finally he'll get to meet the kid. He cleared his throat which made all of them look at him, most of them scattering at the sight of the Demon prodigy, well except Kouyou who knew he's just pointing his claws now to scare the others.
He looked at Kouyou before he looked at the newbie and he saw a short kid, ginger hair, blue eyes, freckles... The boy looked at him without fear... But rather curiosity and even annoyance? Someone had to have quite the temperament to glare at the Demon prodigy so shamelessly.
Wait. Why was his heart beating? And... Why was his face feeling so hot!? He unconsciously pressed a hand to his heart to feel it and it was racing! He contained himself so the surprise wouldn't be visible on his face...
"Oh, Dazai-kun, you're here. This boy is Chuuya, he's new here."
And Dazai realized. When he looked at Chuuya, suddenly, the world wasn't black and white, it was so full of light, of color.