""…""
"Well, this is… awkward."
At the office of the Agency, 3 eyes belong to me, Dazai and Akutagawa looking at each other with varied expressions. No one else is in the guest room with us right now, as they're all outside ready to countertack if Akutagawa going rogue right now.
"Well, can we wait for another day? I'm kinda busy right now…"
"No."
Dazai tried to get away from the conversation with a funny face, but Akutagawa immediately shut down his request with a rather scary face, while I'm over here just looking at them with an intrigued yet annoyed gaze.
To see why both of us are here right now, we should rewind back a few minutes earlier—
"Okay, since you saved me earlier, I'll let you go to Dazai place."
"… Fine."
With my confirmation secured, Akutagawa retracted his clothes back, as I then led him to the Agency office with Kyouka, as Kouyouy was still standing there with a thoughtful gaze…
—And that leads us back to the present…
Huh, gotta admit, not that much to remember back as I thought… And come to think of it, I feel like I have forgotten something back at the park.
… Screw it, if I didn't remember it then it shouldn't be that important to begin with anyway.
"Oh, Jouno-kun, thanks for the money yesterday. Everyone was pretty surprised when the money came into our account, but I guess that was your work right?"
Now he tries to convert the situation around me? Can't say that was smooth at all, though.
"Yeah, do you like it?"
"Like it? Kid, no one here's ever made any profit more than a 1000 dollars in a single day alone, much less a whole million!"
"Why do you leave me?!"
As Dazai's still trying to delude everyone from Akutagawa, the guy in question screams at Dazai with a frustrated face, as Dazai's face then becomes serious, looking straight at an emotional Akutagawa with that thoughtful gaze.
"This is exactly the reason."
"… What?"
"You never reconsider your own option."
Akutagawa immediately was taken aback by Dazai words, seemingly confused by the statement which I gotta agree on.
At this point in the story, Akutagawa's still a reckless kid who opts to cleanse the enemy base with only his own strength, believing that he himself can do it all.
Not that he's wrong or anything, as his Rashomon is quite powerful and he basically has no one else mentoring by his side except this mastermind yet lazy ass, not accounting his sister and his past as an orphanage who only survives by becoming stronger than others all alone…
Although in the future he did become a bit better on some sides, fate once again pulled a dirty move on this guy, by giving him lung disease when everything seemingly became better for this guy…
Jeesh, his life just sucks in every way… No wonder this guy hated the kittyboy for how he acted all depressing, when he basically had everything he himself dreads for.
As I'm still feeling a bit of pity for Akutagawa, both him and Dazai were still fighting over his decision back then. I can't understand some details in their conversation, but I can clearly see that Dazai's break through every point that Akutagawa's trying to make.
Finally, Akutagawa sits down on the sofa with a dissatisfied expression, as Dazai just leers back at him with cold eyes, one that no one can actually believe coming from this goofy.
… You know, I hate this guy for putting Atsushi in danger, so why not make him suffer like me?
"Well then, since everyone's quiet now, may I propose something?"
Seeing everyone now become quiet, I raised my hand with a rather bored look, as every slight gave me a questionable look.
"Since you won't give him any recognition due to your ego, may I propose something for you to do just that?"
""?""
Everyone's gaze on me, except that of Akutagawa, becomes more that of a curious yet confused gaze, as I silently let out a confident grind.
"If I can work with Akutagawa-san here dealing with the Guild, would you consider the decision to recognise him as your best student?"
"Eh?"
"Hmph…"
Dazai's eyes widened with total surprise at my request,as Akutagawa then slowly peeked at me with a hint of confusion and Kouyou tilted her head in curiosity.
"What do you say, partner? Wana earns some respect from this guy?"
"Don't call me partner—"
"And don't hinder your chance to actually prove your point."
I once again remind him of the intention for the guy the moment he's trying to argue with me, as he just huffs and looks away from my burning gaze.
Despite being a feral beast, being outcasted even in the Port Mafia, the guy did have some brain cells inside that thick skull of his. Proof? The guy even goes out with his sister during break time, in casual clothes.
"… Fine."
Silently letting out a smile, Dazai agreed with my deal with a warmful eyes toward us, but it seemed mostly me.
"If you can actually do it, I'll acknowledge your effort, Aku-kun."
"… Deal."
Dazai reassures us about my deal with a wide grin, and Akutagawa then accepts the offer with a rather uncomfort manner. Great, now my plan can advance further from this point on.
To be frank, I never expected this guy to actually be on my tail, much less to actually listen to my request back there and come here. Well, I don't really think that this is gonna work at all.
Sure, Akutagawa did beat a grudge on Dazai for leaving him, and therefore hating the kittyboy also for having his affection for the hypocrite I just mentioned earlier… But still, this guy's not the one that would actually do it to others, especially, to my guess, possibly to those whom he killed or almost in the past.
And, remind me, I got 'Gojo-ed' by this guy a few days earlier, so he has even more reason not to listen to my request. And yet, despite all odds, this guy actually believes it and even goes out of his way to carry my ass out of there in one piece.
… Okay, when I speak out loud like that, the whole thing seems pretty smooth… Like with a main character…
Wait…. Come to think of it, consider that I am having a group chat, just like in a fanfic, and even in the BSD world, like a fanfic… does that make me some sort of protagonist?
… Of god, am I some kind of a group chat fanfic protagonist, traveling between worlds to save everyone? If that the case, then this whole thing—
—Pretty exciting, no lie.
"But…"
As I still daydream about the whole fanfic sticht, Dazai suddenly speaks up to us with a rather devious manner.
"I will give my condolence to him, only if you guys can beat the Guild in a week—"
"Yeah, fine by me."
"—What?!"
I immediately accepted his terms with a casual look, as Dazai widened his eyes in surprise with how I just accepted the term. Akutagawa is, well, not reacting much to his terms at all.
"Well, since you give us such an impossible task, we might as well start planning now. Come on, Akutagawa-senpai ~"
"Don't call me that…!"
Then, with a bright smile, I drag Akutagawa-senpai out of the room despite his clearly uncomfortable expression outside the room, through the fearful crowd surrounding the room and down straight into the coffee shop.
"Well then, since we're in this together, wanna works together?"
"… Fine."
After some brief moment of thought, Akutagawa reluctantly nodded his head in agreement with my questions, as I then called two milk latte for both of us. We then settle on a chair near the window, and then actually begin planning it all out.
"So, since I've been involved with them twice, including just now, may I suggest where for you to attack?"
"… Fine, what do you offer?"
And with that, Akutagawa decided to comply with me just now, possibly knowing that this might be the chance to actually earn respect from Dazai.
"First, since the hotel's been breached, I doubt that they'll use it again. So the best chance for us to attack right now should be the harbor."
"Harbor, why?
"They have a mobile base in the name of a cruise ship, as it's highly parked in a private area to load supplies from overseas."
"… How do you know that?"
"While captured yesterday, I did have a peek at their files."
Akutagawa looked at me with a doubtful look against my lie, but it soon disappeared. No wonder though, since the guy isn't that much of a tech guy to actually pay attention to such details. Hell, even the whale fight is him sneaking on a supply carrier from Dazai secret intel after all.
It's not like he's dumb or anything, as he's actually pretty in sync with the kitty boy about where to deal with the last boss name Fukuchi after all, but at this point I doubt he even has a shred of calmness to actually reevaluate everything at all…