Chapter 8. Double Black

Later, Dazai naturally became a member of the Port Mafia, and in my dream, he also became a member at almost the same time, with Chuuya Nakahara only a few days later.

Whether in reality or in dreams, he earned the title of 'youngest executive in the history of the Port Mafia'.

In his dream, he boasted about this to Chuuya Nakahara, and felt extremely pleased as he watched the other man's veins bulge with anger.

But just as he was enjoying himself to a certain point, he suddenly woke up.

When he opened his eyes, he was slightly dazed.

The person bathed in sunlight seemed still before him, but now all he could see was darkness. The clamor in his ears became an illusion; now, all he could hear was his own faint breathing.

The oppressive and dark space was filled with reality and despair.

...He could see nothing at all; he was all alone in the vast, empty world.

He couldn't help but close his eyes, but then he couldn't fall asleep. All sorts of chaotic images started playing in his mind, a mix of reality and fantasy.

Light crept in through the pushed-open container exit, but most things remained hidden in the shadows.

He lay there like that until dawn, but the sunlight couldn't reach him. He lay there expressionless in the dark corner, like a corpse.

On the day he became an executive, Dazai, by chance, took in a child named Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

The moment he saw the child, he recognized him; he was a character from his dream. In the dream, the person seemed more mature than he is now, perhaps a future version of himself.

Akutagawa has good potential, but he's physically weak. He's being groomed as his direct subordinate, so the requirements are quite strict.

However, for some reason, as time went on, Akutagawa seemed to develop a strong obsession with himself, and he also seemed to become a bit clingy, both in dreams and in reality.

Dazai knew that the child had excellent potential, but unfortunately, he was still too sharp-edged and did not meet his expectations.

He could see the stubbornness and expectation hidden in the child's eyes as he looked at him, knowing that the child hoped to receive his praise. However, he believed that Akutagawa still needed to hone his skills and was not yet qualified to receive his praise. Because Akutagawa was impulsive and inflexible, and did not have a good grasp of his abilities, he preferred to criticize him and point out his shortcomings rather than praise him.

If she had been adopted by Oda Sakunosuke, she might have had a healthier upbringing. Unfortunately, she wasn't lucky enough to have met him.

Perhaps because he was used to being alone, he didn't like being clung to, but Akutagawa gradually developed in that direction, so he always avoided the other person and only showed up when necessary.

In normal circumstances, Dazai always works alone, managing his own manpower to solve everything.

Mori Ōgai had previously wanted to find him a long-term partner, but at the time he simply stared intently at the other person, silently expressing his refusal, his eyes conveying only one message: he didn't need one, and he couldn't find one.

He believed that Chuuya Nakahara was the best partner for him. They could bicker to relieve stress, and Chuuya would even provide personal service when Chuuya was about to commit suicide. During missions, they didn't need many words; a few actions were enough for them to understand each other perfectly. Most importantly, there was trust. Chuuya trusted him completely and never questioned any of his instructions, and Chuuya could confidently entrust his back to Chuuya.

Trust is both cheap and expensive; it is extremely rare and difficult to gain someone who trusts you wholeheartedly.

He knew how many of his subordinates initially looked down on him because of his age. He also knew how many would question his decisions, or even defect and run away, in life-or-death situations.

Well, although I don't really want to admit it, the truth is that, apart from the beginning when they were enemies, his partner, Chuuya Nakahara, always trusted him the most.

Well, of course, he also trusted the other party.

Moreover, he currently has neither the inclination nor the energy to work with new people. In this world, he can rely on himself alone.