Yamada has never been one to hide how he's feeling, which is why he doesn't bother to stop his anxious foot tapping. Within the Pro Hero community it's well known that the HPSC is, well, underhanded at times. There are stories of certain HPSC affiliated Heroes getting away with more than the average Pro could and of HPSC agents constantly swooping in at the last moment to take over cases. With no real proof there isn't much anyone can do, especially not with how ingrained the HPSC is with Hero operations these days. They do a lot of good, both for Pros and for civilians, so more often than not it's easier to just ignore the suspicious things they do.
"Are you sure we can't go in there?" Yamada asks for what feels like the hundredth time.
Nedzu, patient as ever, shakes his head, "I'm afraid not."
Yamada sighs and turns his attention to the two women standing further down the hall, agents Kusumi Koharu and Akagi Harue. Yamada has never dealt with either of them personally but he did do some research on them, as much research as he could given the HPSC's tendency to keep all agent's files hidden.
Both agents are decently high level within the HPSC, likely nothing irreplaceable though, and have a long list of successful cases under their belts. With the Quirks Flawed and Poisonous Flowers respectively he can see why they were recruited.
Legally, they aren't allowed to use their Quirks during interviews but you never know what may happen. There have been cases before where police officers or HPSC agents have 'accidentally' activated their Quirks when they felt threatened by suspects, if that were to happen to Nakahara and Dazai things would likely turn disastrous. Those two have been compliant so far with everything, more compliant than Yamada had expected actually, but that doesn't mean they'll stay that way. In fact, Yamada is sure that both Nakahara and Dazai would not hesitate to attack back if the HPSC agents did anything. That's not to mention how much damage those two might sustain if attacked, if they get injured then all the trust they've built with UA so far might come crashing down.
To avoid such an outcome Nedzu had negotiated for Kusumi to be with Dazai and Akagi with Nakahara, while poisonous flowers could do damage to Nakahara he could always be healed up by Recovery Girl. Kusumi's Quirk, a mental based one, is more unique though, it could inflict damage that couldn't be fixed by Recovery Girl. Dazai will be able to nullify it though, so hopefully things will go well.
Yamada really hopes Nedzu is able to pull some strings and ensure there aren't any more interviews after this one, he doesn't think he could handle the anxiety of this more than once.
He knows that both Nakahara and Dazai are strong, he knows they've probably been through worse than an interview with a slightly corrupt agency but he can't help it, the idea of sending them both in there alone makes him all kinds of anxious. What if one of the agents says something that sets one of them off? Could the HPSC use that as ammunition to take them away from UA? What if they say something that causes the two of them to lose trust in UA, it's true they haven't made much progress in getting Nakahara and Dazai to open up and change but still, these interviews could ruin the trust they've started building.
His fears only seem to grow once Shouta arrives with Dazai and Nakahara trailing behind him. Nakahara is on Dazai's right like normal, what isn't normal is the hand grabbing Dazai's arm. Dazai himself seems to be staring off into space. Neither of them are teasing each other or complaining which sets off the alarms in Yamada's head. Are they worried about the interviews? If they are then is there any time to pull them aside and offer reassurances- Could Yamada even offer convincing ones when he is also worried?
Kusumi and Akagi waste no time in walking closer once both boys arrive, thus removing the possibility of offering the boys assurances. Akagi offers a smile, one that Yamada feels isn't completely genuine, "Hello you two, my name is Akagi Harue and that's Kusumi Koharu, we both work for the HPSC."
Nakahara very clearly takes a moment to eye them both up, "Yea, hi." He's very clearly on the defensive, which Yamada doesn't blame him for at all.
"The quicker we get this started the quicker you two can get back to whatever UA has you doing," Akagi explains, Yamada privately feels that was an intentional dig at how UA is handling the two of them. Akagi continues, "Nakahara, you're with me."
For a moment Nakahara doesn't move and Yamada thinks he might refuse and cause a scene, thankfully, that doesn't seem to be the case. Nakahara sighs and glances back at Dazai before moving, "See ya."
Dazai nods but otherwise doesn't respond.
"Let's get this over with," Kusumi coldly says before turning and walking to the room where she'll be conducting her interview. Dazai follows her without comment.
Both doors shut and Yamada feels himself staring at them, his previous anxiety still running around under his skin. "I have a bad feeling about this," He admits.
Aizawa sighs, "Don't we all."
-
Chuuya isn't sure what he's expecting from this little interview. The last interview he had, the one with those detectives and Nedzu, had been on the short side due to the deal Dazai had struck. There isn't a deal like that now though, for all he knows he might be stuck in this room all day.
He really hopes that isn't the case, he has better things to do with his time. Not to mention that Dazai's been acting off these past couple days, letting that idiot leave his side for too long will only end in disaster. Either Dazai will take the opportunity to jump out a window or something or he'll pick a victim to turn all that negativity towards. Both options wouldn't end well, so Chuuya would prefer being where he could keep an eye on him.
The woman across from him smiles in a sickeningly sweet way, does she really think that would make Chuuya trust her more? "I'm recording this interview, so do please introduce yourself. My name is Akagi Harue representing the HPSC."
"Nakahara Chuuya."
Akagi nods, that smile still in place as she begins thumbing through the papers set before her. "I was given some questions to ask you but they seem rather boring, fortunately, I have a few more interesting ones in mind."
Chuuya is uncomfortably reminded of Dazai, great, is she going to act like he does? God, he hopes not.
"How did you join the Port Mafia?"
Chuuya doesn't bother answering that.
Akagi taps her fingers on the paper in front of her, "It says here in your file that you told detective Tsukauchi that you joined about a year ago of your own free will, I feel like there's more to it than that though."
Internally Chuuya sighs in annoyance, if the information is in his file then why bother asking? The question itself is annoying too, there is more to the story behind him joining the Port Mafia but he certainly isn't going to be telling her that. "I met Dazai and he convinced me." Convinced is a rather light word for what actually happened.
Akagi raises an eyebrow, "Oh? He must have been rather good at it then, it's not everyday you can convince someone to join the mafia."
Chuuya shrugs. Dazai is a pretty good negotiator and manipulator, convincing someone to join the Port Mafia is childsplay for someone like him.
Akagi flexes one of her arms out, she moves it in a way like she's accommodating something wrapped around it, there isn't anything there though. Chuuya idly wonders if that's due to her Quirk, whatever that might be, "And what were you doing before joining the Port Mafia?"
If someone else, like Aizawa or Yamada, was the one asking him these questions then he wouldn't think too much about it. He'd be a bit suspicious but he knows those two are trying to become his and Dazai's friends or whatever, Akagi though he does not trust what so over. She is literally here to get information about him and give it to the HPSC, whatever he says is going to end up on permanent record or something.
Chuuya eyes her with caution, she's after something asking these questions, "... I lived on the streets."
"I see, it must have been quite the change when you joined the Port Mafia then. I don't suppose you ever felt, oh I don't know, regret about joining?" Akagi speaks in a casual tone, like she couldn't care less if Chuuya answered or not.
Chuuya feels a spark of understanding, ah, so that's her play. Asking how he got into the Mafia, via Dazai, and then asking if he feels any regret is an attempt to link the two things. She wants him to resent Dazai for convincing him to join, she probably wants to see how easy it would be to get him to turn on Dazai, maybe even lay the groundwork for that. Chuuya thinks about shooting that down right here and now but, well, he's getting bored already so why not have some fun?
Chuuya leans back in his seat but keeps his eyes locked on her, "Sometimes I guess, the benefits are good though." There, that'll make it sound like the only reason he's still in the Port Mafia is for the benefits. If the HPSC thinks he can be won over with material objects then they'll be more likely to make a move/offer for him to join. Taking the HPSC down isn't part of the mission objectives but it couldn't hurt, right?
Akagi lifts an eyebrow at that, "Oh? What might these benefits be exactly?"
Chuuya pretends to think for a moment, "I get a lot of stuff for free while also being paid a tonne, makes saving up real easy." Which is the truth, there are a lot of 'business associates' of the Port Mafia that are all too happy to give things away to high ranking members. Add in his good pay rate and Chuuya hardly wants for anything, a sharp contrast to his life before the Port Mafia.
"How wonderful- Oh, apologies!" Akagi shakes her wrist just as a flower begins blooming on it, "I'm not supposed to use my Quirk in here but creating these flowers is an unconscious action for me, I'm sure you understand." The flower begins to shrivel up just as fast as it had bloomed, before it dies though Chuuya makes sure to get a good look at it. He's not sure what the name of it is but he has seen Dazai try and eat one before, it's probably poisonous or something in that case. He'll have to ask Dazai about it later.
Chuuya nods slightly as he shifts in his seat, one on hand he wants to drag this interview out for as long as possible so he can get more information about the HPSC. On the other hand this chair is so unbearably uncomfortable.
Once the flower falls from her wrist Akagi makes quick work of sweeping it off the desk, she then begins to shuffle the papers as if she's looking for something in specific. Chuuya watches this in silence, he hopes Dazai's interview is going well.
-
Chuuya sighs and flops down onto the much more comfortable sofa, finally he's free of that interview. There aren't too many people in the common area right now, Bakugou's group is sitting in the corner doing… homework? Chuuya isn't sure. A few of the girls are spread around too, Chuuya thinks he saw Iida and Todoroki heading into the kitchen just as he arrived too.
"You had that interview today, right? How did it go?" Uraraka asks.
"So boring."
That gets a few laughs from the kids spread across the common area, Chuuya wasn't trying to be funny though. The novelty of pretending he could be poached from the Port Mafia had worn off quickly, after that he had realised that Akagi going off script meant there would be more questions for him to answer. Answering both Akagi's questions and the ones written on the papers had taken way longer than Chuuya had expected, which in turn made him more annoyed the longer he had to do it.
He's done with it now though, so all he has to do is wait for Dazai to finish up so they can discuss what happened. Chuuya reckons he could easily infiltrate the HPSC and take them down from within, that would mean leaving Dazai to fend for himself at UA though.
"Hey, Chuuya," Mina waits until his eyes are on her before continuing, "I have a question for you!"
Internally Chuuya groans, hasn't he answered enough questions today? Externally he just sighs, "What is it?"
If Mina notices his attitude she doesn't say anything, "Well, Bakugou wants to spend more time with you so-"
Across the room Bakugou glares, "Don't fucking say it like that! Icyhot was the one who brought it up, dammit!"
Mina rolls her eyes, "You came up with the idea-"
"'Cause I wanted to know who would win-"
"No need to get so defensive-"
"I'm not getting defensive-"
Chuuya clears his throat loudly, which is thankfully enough to get both Mina and Bakugou to stop arguing. "Are you gonna explain any further or no?"
Bakugou sends one last glare at Mina before turning his gaze onto Chuuya, "We do movie nights, I want to know how much of a wimp you are when it comes to horror."
"Why would I be afraid of horror films?" Chuuya has lived through horror films before, watching one doesn't sound like a challenge.
Kaminari holds up his homework almost like he's using it as a shield, "I mean…. Bakugou gets scared at horror films so…"
Bakugou whips his head around to face him, unsurprisingly the flimsy piece of paper does nothing to protect him, "That was one time! One time! Besides, that film was fucking freaky and you know it."
A flash of movement in the corner of his eye drags his attention away from Bakugou and Kaminari, said flash of movement turns out to be Dazai slinking along the wall in the direction of his room. His interview must have only just finished then, Chuuya can't help but wonder what exactly made it so long. Had Kusumi added in some extra questions too?
Fortunately, the 1A kids seem preoccupied enough that Chuuya is able to slip away and intercept Dazai. Dazai gives him a look, one that tells him that whatever that interviewer said hadn't done any favours for his bad mood. Chuuya raises an eyebrow, "What'd she say to you?"
Maybe that wasn't the right thing to say as Dazai only looks more annoyed, "Nothing. Go have fun with your new friends."
Chuuya falters at that, he had thought Dazai was pissed off at the HPSC lady, not him. Also, it was literally Dazai's plan to get all buddy buddy with the 1A kids, he can't be getting mad now Chuuya's actually done it. "Is that what this is about?" Chuuya asks, "You're mad because I was sitting with the 1A kids?" Chuuya doesn't think that is the case but with Dazai's it's hard to tell.
What the hell was he supposed to do if not sit with them anyway? In no world would he just sit bored and alone in his room waiting for Dazai to come back, he has more self respect than that. Not to mention that, again, Dazai was the one who told him to get friendly with the class in the first place.
"I'm not mad at all, I don't care what you do." Dazai says sharply, which is the biggest lie he's ever heard. He's clearly been set off by something, which sure it might not have been Chuuya but that doesn't mean he's all good and fine.
Chuuya scoffs, "Oh yea? Because you look pretty mad to me."
Once again it seems Chuuya chose the wrong thing to say as the expression on Dazai's face only gets darker, "Well maybe you need to get your eyes checked then."
Chuuya intentionally stops himself from raising to the bait. Alright, at first he thought Dazai was just annoyed and maybe a little mad, but now he sees this is more serious than that. The biggest piece of evidence for that is the fact Dazai is clearly trying to piss him off right now, it's a classic Dazai move to try and take the attention away from whatever he's feeling. Most of the time it works, Dazai knows him so well it only takes a few carefully chosen words to get right under Chuuya's skin.
Chuuya's been working on putting up with him and not getting pissed so quickly though, so he might just be able to navigate this without disaster. It would be preferable if he could, the 1A kids are already starting to look in their direction and things aren't even that bad yet. Chuuya can't be bothered dealing with the fallout if it escalated. "Seriously Dazai what is wrong wi-"
"I said nothing. So leave it." And just like that Dazai's demeanour changes from 'I'm annoyed, leave me alone' to 'If you continue pushing you'll regret it.' The expression on his face is cold and challenging, 'Will you be smart and leave me alone?' it says.
Chuuya should back off, especially since a few 1A kids are hesitantly standing as if they aren't sure about getting involved. Things would only get more troublesome if they did involve themselves, at least Chuuya can hold his own against Dazai like this.
Dazai must take his lack of an answer as some sort of agreement, with one last cold look he shoulders past Chuuya. It doesn't exactly hurt but it is just hard enough to get on his nerves, whatever, he'll tell Dazai off about it later once he's calmed down. Right now Chuuya should probably go distract the 1A kids lest they try and ask any questions or, God forbid, go try to speak to Dazai themselves.
Unfortunately, just as Dazai brushes past he just has to get the last word, "What an obedient little dog."
Chuuya feels his anger spark up at that. Dazai didn't say it but he knows exactly what that fucker is implying, how couldn't he when Dazai brings it up so often during serious arguments. 'What an obedient dog you are, you just do whatever anyone asks without thinking, first the Sheep now Mori- will you ever be able to think on your own?'
Chuuya's mouth moves before his brain, "Fuck did you just call me?"
Dazai turns to him, his eye is coldly amused. Well shit, no avoiding this now. "Oh," Dazai says insincerely, "is the little doggy upset?"
Someone, he doesn't know who, grabs onto his arm in an attempt to gently pull him away. Chuuya should let them, he should step back and cool off, he shouldn't give Dazai the satisfaction of a reaction.
He jerks his arm out of their grasp, there's a little commotion when he does, maybe he accidently knocked them over or something. Chuuya can't find it in himself to care at the moment, not with how hard he's focusing on restraining his anger. He doesn't want to blow up at Dazai, not when it'll only end with that bastard getting smug and taunting him further.
Dazai leans in, his face apathetic at first glance but clearly laced with malice upon closer inspection, "Careful Chuuya, wouldn't want your dear friends to get hurt."
The problem with knowing Dazai so well is that they don't need words to communicate sometimes. The problem is that Chuuya is alone in understanding just what that little jab actually means, the problem is that when his temper finally snaps out of control and he takes a threatening step forward everyone rushes to stop him. They rush to stop him and not Dazai with his casual cruelty.
Chuuya jerks as hard arms wrap around him, there's yelling and panicked footsteps but he ignores it all. He makes eye contact with Dazai who grins before slipping away down the hallway, Chuuya's anger does not subside at his disappearance. In fact, it only seems to get worse.
Why the hell does he get to walk away like nothing happened while Chuuya is still prying those fucking arms away from him, seriously why won't they let up?! Dazai's the aggressor here, he should be the one dealing with this dammit!
An overwhelming part of him wants to stew in his anger for longer, he wants to shake off whoever is holding him and chase Dazai down. He's so close to giving in to that urge, so so close, but then he notices the ever present buzz in his head is louder than normal and knows he has to calm the fuck down. Corruption won't activate unless he wants it to but he doesn't want to risk it, especially not since he's surrounded by a bunch of hero kids and his only off switch is pissed off at him. Dazai won't let him die, probably, but he might leave it longer than usual before nullifying him.
The people around him are speaking in hurried tones, they're panicking and confused. Chuuya does his best to swallow his temper down so he can actually listen to what they're saying.
"What the hell just happened?" Someone, Kaminari maybe, exclaims.
"Don't look at me!"
Uraraka, he thinks, speaks up, "Should someone go speak with Dazai?" Chuuya is suddenly hit with the vision of Dazai verbally tearing apart Uraraka, yea no, not happening.
Chuuya attempts to move away from whoever is holding him but the arms only tighten, "You gotta calm down first bro!"
Ah, so it's Kirishima holding him back. Chuuya shouldn't be so surprised actually, his Quirk is perfect for withstanding whatever scratches or punches that would have come from Chuuya struggling to get away.
"I am calm," Chuuya says, which clearly surprises the kids around him. In truth he's still quite pissed off, it's just that his head has cleared enough for him to know going after Dazai right now would be the worst possible move. What Chuuya needs to do right now is put some distance between himself and Dazai, maybe go outside and kick a tree or something.
Kirishima hesitates, clearly hearing the anger still in Chuuya's voice, but eventually does relent and release him. Chuuya takes a single deep breath before turning and promptly walking right to the front door of the dorms, when he gets outside he's pleased to feel a slight breeze.
God, what he wouldn't give to be on top of a Port Mafia tower right now.
For a good few minutes he focuses intently on the breeze, if he thinks about what Dazai said right now he'll only get mad all over again. Chuuya closes his eyes and pretends, just for a moment, that he is back home. He pretends that after he's finished cooling off he'll go complain to Ane-san and laugh at whatever creative insults she has to say, he pretends that he can go grab some paperwork and dump it on Dazai's desk as revenge. Maybe he could even drag Dazai to the arcade and force him to play that one dancing game, the one based on pony princesses or whatever. He'd have to make sure to bring his phone, like hell would he pass up the chance to record it.
"Hey Chuuya, you ok?"
Chuuya sighs and shoos away his daydreams, he turns and finds Uraraka, Yaoyorozu, and Midoriya with matching expressions of concern.
At some point Chuuya had sat down against the side of the building, he gestures for them to join him, "Yea… I'm fine."
None of them seem convinced, which is fair. Still, they all sit down without pushing further.
For a few moments no one speaks, which gives Chuuya time to appreciate the breeze more. He much prefers the breeze on Yokohama's beaches but this isn't so bad.
"Does… Does that happen often?" Midoriya asks cautiously, Chuuya shoots him a glance which causes him to stutter, "S-sorry! You don't have to answer that…"
Chuuya waves his hand in his direction, "Don't worry about it and yea, we argue sometimes."
"Correct me if I'm wrong," Yaoyorozu says with some uncertainty, "But that felt far more… Intense than a normal argument."
Uraraka nods, "I know you said you two are like a more intense version of friends but I didn't expect this. Shouldn't you argue less if you're so close?" Yaoyorozu nods, in contrast Midoriya looks quite confused. Right, he wasn't at the sleepover last night.
Chuuya finds his lost expression amusing so he doesn't bother to explain, "It's because we know each other so well that things turn out like that." They know each other a little too well maybe.
"Oh I get it! Like how it's worse if a friend insults you than a stranger," Uraraka looks at him for confirmation and smiles when he nods. That's not quite the right metaphor but it works, if Chuuya had to come up with one he'd say it's more like when the person who knows you better than anyone else decides to use that knowledge against you. Almost like when your own brain attacks itself by thinking of things that could only cause harm.
Chuuya sighs and rests his head against the wall behind him, this really is the worst time for this to happen. Dazai's been acting off these past few days, acting off in a way that means he needs close supervision lest he try something. If that damn interview with the HPSC didn't happen then Chuuya would have just kept an eye on him and, hopefully, things would have blown over after a few days. Dazai would sort through whatever was making him feel shitty, if there was anything to begin with, and be back to his usual self.
Chuuya isn't in the right mind to go watch over Dazai right now, not when any little insult might set him off again. If he goes over there then Dazai will piss him off again, which will cause Chuuya to lash out at Dazai, which will just create a vicious cycle. Usually in this situation he'd go tell Hirotsu or the Boss and they would watch Dazai, that obviously isn't an option here. None of the 1A kids would be able to deal with Dazai right now, maybe Aizawa would but Chuuya frankly doesn't want to get him involved. Who knows what UA might do if they think Dazai is a threat.
He's going to have to go check up on Dazai at some point. The question is how long can he sit out here before has to do that?
For a moment Chuuya is tempted to wait out here until he's properly calmed down and then go looking for Dazai, the logical part of his brain knows that would be stupid. He needs to go sooner rather than later, even if all he does is poke his head into Dazai's room and make sure he's still breathing.
"I need to go check on Dazai." Despite that Chuuya doesn't make any move to get up, just a minute more and he'll get up.
All three of the kids around him look at him in shock. Yaoyorozu scrunches her face up in confusion, "Why? He was just so rude to you."
Uraraka nods, "Yea he should be coming here with apologies."
Chuuya scoffs at the idea, Dazai apologising? He really can't imagine it. "Apologies? Ha, that's not his style."
Midoriya looks at him with an expression of confusion and something else, Chuuya can't quite place what it is, "So you're just going to forget what happened?"
"Not a chance."
That earns him three even more confused looks. Chuuya sighs before explaining, "Dazai rarely actually says sorry but he'll do things, like let me get revenge on him or do my share of paperwork for a few days. Maybe if I'm lucky he'll lay off about my height for a while."
The breeze he had just been enjoying begins to turn cold, guess that means he really should be going inside now.
None of the 1A kids seem comforted by his explanation so he continues, "I can read that idiot better than anyone else, I know when he feels bad about saying shit or not. Besides, this situation is more than just he felt like being mean. That doesn't excuse what he said but I can't ignore that."
"It is?" Midoriya asks.
Chuuya nods, he ignores the shiver that runs through him when the breeze gets colder, "You should know by now nothing to do with Dazai isn't complicated."
-
If asked, Todoroki wouldn't be able to explain why he did what he did. No, that's not quite right. He knew why he did it, he just would prefer not to say it aloud.
The way Dazai had acted, his sudden defensiveness, the way he spat out insults before sulking off to hide away alone. In some way it reminded him of his own brother Natsuo, it reminded him of watching his brother yell at his father and being brushed off, it reminded him of hearing his brother get upset through the wall but never being allowed to go see him.
He saw that in Dazai, he saw that in how he stalked off and shut himself in the bathroom without a word. He remembered his mother's words and his own thoughts regarding getting Dazai and Nakahara to trust 1A more and decided he wanted to help. Perhaps part of him, the part that saw Natsuo in him, wanted to make up for the times he could not help his brother.
Midoriya, Uraraka, and Yaoyorozu had taken the initiative to go check on Chuuya but no one had made any move to check on Dazai. Perhaps they thought Dazai was the aggressor and thus did not need checking up on. Todoroki thought there must be more to it, something must have happened to pit Dazai against the one he seems to trust more than anyone else.
At first, he had planned to simply wait outside the bathroom until Dazai came out. He wasn't sure what he was going to say when that happened but he had figured, perhaps foolishly, that he would figure it out as he went.
Minutes passed by without any sign of Dazai, the sound of taps running began, Todoroki paid it no mind.
The taps didn't stop. They ran and ran and ran, the longer they went on the more Todoroki felt put off by the sound. A feeling of dread grew in his chest, he tried to ignore it.
Nakahara hadn't come back inside yet. The taps were still running. Dazai isn't making any sounds.
His feeling of dread did not go away.
In the moment he wasn't sure what compelled him to move, perhaps his heroic spirit pushed him into action, perhaps it was the selfish need to know what was happening behind a closed door. Perhaps the words his mother had said to him yesterday morning were still echoing around his head. Perhaps he knew, if only subconsciously, that something was terribly wrong.
It hardly took any effort to manipulate his ice to unlock the door, in contrast it took far much more effort to push open the door.
A blurry figure tucked unresponsive under a tub full of water, the taps continued to run and run and run. Water overflows from the side of the tub, not because of any movement, but rather due to the sheer volume of it.
Todoroki did not know how to help but he did know someone that would, he pushed aside his temptations to move closer knowing it would likely only cause more damage. Louder than he had ever been before he turned and yelled, "Nakahara!!"
-
Chuuya jolts at the sound of his name being yelled, the sound breaks the calm atmosphere that had been built up.
For a second Chuuya wonders who could be yelling for him and why, for a second he wonders before he gets a chill down his spine. There's only one reason why someone would yell for him like that, only one reason that voice would sound somewhat panicked.
Chuuya doesn't spare the kids around him a glance as he jumps up and rushes towards the door, if his Ability wasn't blocked he'd be able to get there quicker, he'd be able to get to Dazai quicker.
He ignores the confused looks he gets when he runs through the common room, instead he focuses on Todoroki who looks straight at him. Todoroki who is standing by the bathroom, the bathroom with an overflowing bathtub and no Dazai in sight. Dammit, he should have gotten up and checked on him sooner. Chuuya feels his anger disappear as panic and adrenaline fills him.
Chuuya skids to a stop at the edge of the bathtub, overflowing water begins to soak into his socks but he pays that no mind. In one swift movement his arms sink into the water and wrap around Dazai, ready to scoop him up and out of the water. Chuuya's front gets drenched when he pulls Dazai up, not that it matters once he notices Dazai isn't breathing.
Dammit, how long had he been under?
Chuuya tries not to jostle him too much but it's near impossible to avoid it as he pulls Dazai over the edge of the tub and onto the ground. Chuuya feels adrenaline rushing through him as he assesses the situation, first he'll have to make sure Dazai's airway is open before trying CPR.
"Can I-"
"Fuck off," Chuuya's tone is clipped and harsh, the sort of tone he uses often in the Port Mafia but never at UA. He doesn't have it in him to care about keeping up pretences right now, if revealing all his secrets right now would help him get Dazai breathing again then he'd do it.
Chuuya has had to perform CPR a few times, that means he doesn't hesitate to tip Dazai's head back and pull his mouth open. He takes a deep breath, as deep as he possibly can, before leaning down, placing his lips around Dazai's mouth, and blowing all that air into him. He does that another four times before moving on to chest compressions, after his first time doing CPR Chuuya had made sure to learn the exact number of breaths and compressions he should do.
Not for the first time Chuuya finds himself appreciative for his arm strength, doing chest compressions to the right depth quickly becomes tiring.
The sharp intake of breath snaps Chuuya's attention back to the doorway, annoyance bubbles below his skin because he told that Todoroki kid to fuck off and-
Aizawa, clearly taken aback and yet with a face set in determination, stands stone still in the doorway. For a moment no one says anything, the adrenaline coursing through Chuuya's body demands he gets on the offensive right now. It demands that he jump up and protect his idiot of a partner from being hurt any further. He can't do that though, not since Dazai hasn't started breathing again yet. Continuing with chest compressions needs to be his top priority right now.
A yell from the next room, a 1A kid probably, snaps the tension between the two. Aizawa takes a step forward, he wants to help. Chuuya knows he isn't a threat, knows that he's likely trained in first aid and can help and yet…
"Don't you dare take another step."
Aizawa doesn't move forward again, but he doesn't move back either. "Kid," he starts, "he needs medical attention, Iida has gone for Recovery Girl. Until then let me h-"
"Not happening," Chuuya cuts him off, he wishes he could be giving Dazai his full attention right now but he needs Aizawa to back off first.
"You know you can trust me kid."
Chuuya scowls at that, there's a huge difference between trusting Aizawa not to attack him in his sleep and trusting him enough to get close to Dazai right now. Logically he knows Aizawa isn't going to pull a knife and finish the job if he gets closer but Chuuya can't trust he will actually help Dazai. This isn't like how it is in Yokohama, he can't trust without hesitation that Hirotsu or Mori or even Ane-san will be able to help Dazai because they've done this before and have yet to fail. He can't put his trust in someone else when he knows how to do CPR and knows he can bring Dazai back, letting more people get involved will only decrease the chances of success. If by the time Recovery Girl has arrived he hasn't managed to get Dazai breathing again then he'll step aside and let her help, he knows that his knowledge and experience is nothing on that of a professional. He won't like it but he isn't stupid enough to reject a trained doctor's help.
There is another reason Chuuya cannot let him get any closer to Dazai though.
"But Dazai doesn't, so fuck off."
Despite the urgency of the situation it hadn't escaped Chuuya's notice that Dazai's bandages are looser than normal. It may have just been a combination of the water and Chuuya pulling him out, it may also have been Dazai going at his arms before trying to drown himself. Chuuya isn't sure why but that's a later problem, right now all he knows is that it's far too easy to catch a peek under Dazai's bandages, it's far too easy for his bandages to slip off. Chuuya knows what those bandages hide, he also knows Dazai would never want a bunch of pro heroes to see under them. If Aizawa gets closer and tries to help then he'll see, he'll see and then tell principal Nedzu and then Dazai will have to deal with that. Chuuya won't let that happen.
Aizawa holds his gaze for a moment, likely debating his options. Push further and see how far Chuuya will go to keep him out, or back off and hope Dazai ends up alright. In the end he seems to decide on a mixture of the two options, without moving even an inch closer Aizawa lowers himself to the ground in the doorway.
"I won't leave you both here," Aizawa starts, "But I won't come any closer. Do you know what to do?"
Chuuya resists the urge to roll his eyes, it should be clear by now that he does. Chuuya does not verbally answer, instead he takes another deep breath before leaning back down and delivering the air to Dazai. He does that again before switching back to chest compressions, his arms are already sore as hell but he pays it no mind.
This continues for a few more minutes, Chuuya tries not to get desperate when Dazai shows no sign of breathing. If he gets desperate then he might fuck up the rythm of the chest compressions, he can't afford for that to happen. Chuuya very deliberately pushes aside any thoughts of what might happen if Dazai doesn't start breathing soon, he ignores what might happen if both him and Recovery Girl fail to save him. There's no point thinking about what won't happen, it'll only serve to freak him out and make him panic.
Despite his best efforts to push those thoughts aside, a few slip through the longer it takes for Dazai to come back. Thoughts of how the hell he'll finish this mission on his own, how he'll have to tell the Boss he failed in keeping Dazai alive, how he'll have to tell Akutagawa and Dazai's friend Oda. Thoughts of who will cover his back in fights now, of who will go to the arcade with him, of who would know him better than anyone else, or who-
A sharp, shaky breath violently snaps Chuuya's attention to Dazai's head. His face his scrunched up but he's breathing, he's fucking breathing.
Chuuya feels relief flood him as Dazai begins sputtering and coughing below him, alright, the hard part is done now. Chuuya shifts Dazai so he's laid on his side, not quite the recovery position but good enough for now, if Dazai needs to cough out any water or anything then he won't choke on it.
"Good job," Aizawa pulls Chuuya's attention up and away from Dazai, "Can I come closer now?"
Chuuya hesitates because he probably should let him come check Dazai over, that would be the smart thing to do, but a large part of him doesn't want to let it happen. Dazai's vulnerable right now, it only makes sense that he'd want to keep any potential threats at a distance. That's what he tells himself anyway.
Still, Chuuya is not an idiot. With swift movements Chuuya reaches down and tugs on Dazai's bandages with just enough force to keep them from slipping off, this way no one will be able to peek under them. Thankfully, the bandage around his head is mostly in place, if that had come off then it would be a pain to fix it with Dazai out like this.
Once finished Chuuya looks up and nods at Aizawa, before the man can move though the sound of speedy footsteps and yelling ring out, "Aizawa-sensei! I have brought Recover Girl as you asked!"
Iida comes into view, just for a moment before Aizawa stands up and blocks the doorway. It seems Iida, in an effort to save time, had just picked Recovery Girl up before running back to the dorms. Chuuya's sure Dazai would get a kick out of that if the circumstances were different.
Speaking of, below him Dazai coughs once again before groaning. Chuuya places a hand on his back, just so Dazai knows he's still here and, hopefully, gets some comfort out of it. From the looks of it he's barely conscious, he's likely coming in and out of lucidity.
"I need to examine him, is that alright?"
Chuuya glances up, Iida has vanished but Aizawa is still standing at the door. Between him and Aizawa is Recovery Girl, she gives him an understanding but firm look. She's trying to be considerate but also knows the faster she checks Dazai out the better, Chuuya understands this so he nods and shuffles back a bit. He's still within arms reach of his partner but he hopes the extra room will help Recovery Girl.
Chuuya can't relax yet, he won't until Dazai is back to his annoying self, but he does feel as his panic and adrenaline slowly seeps away.
-
Aizawa holds it together until Recovery Girl gives him the ok to leave, only then does he step outside her office and allow his composure to break.
Aizawa has been a Pro Hero, and underground one at that, for many years now. He's seen all manners of things, bloody murders, bodies missing parts, children with the conviction to hurt and kill. He's seen countless horrors that still come back to haunt him to this day. When you look at it like that Dazai's attempt to kill himself hardly makes the top twenty of the worst things he's seen, there wasn't any blood or guts and in the end his attempt failed. In a purely clinical, detached view it wasn't that bad.
Aizawa isn't ashamed to admit he is not clinical or detached. He tries to live logically, which may be confused for clinical and detached, but no matter how many times he says he doesn't care it won't change the fact he does care, he cares a whole lot about those important to him actually. Once, just after they had graduated UA, Hizashi had landed in the hospital for a week. He had said it wasn't anything to worry about, the doctors just wanted to keep an eye on him just in case things got worse. Aizawa knew that and yet he still went and took down three gangs as a way to redirect his anxious energy.
If he didn't care he wouldn't have put his life on the line to protect 1A when the USJ was attacked.
He cares about his friends and family, he also cares about his students, which means he cares about Dazai and Nakahara. Those two are more trouble than anything but he still can't help but care for them. Maybe he's getting soft but those moments where they act their age are endearing to Aizawa, seeing them argue and tease each other makes him want to keep them safe just like he would with 1A.
It had taken all his restraint not to move from that doorway. Seeing one of his students, because for better or for worse Dazai is his student, still and unbreathing on the ground activated a unique fight or flight within him. He wanted to rush in and help, he wanted to do whatever he could to get Dazai back to his usual self. Nakahara hadn't wanted that though and he made it very clear.
Nakahara had raised a good point, Dazai doesn't trust him. Aizawa doubts Nakahara does either if he's honest.
He isn't offended, in fact, he agrees with them. Why should they trust him? Aizawa was aware of Dazai's suicidal tendencies, most of the staff at UA are, but what had he done other than send him off in Nedzu's direction? While it's true Nedzu is his therapist while he's at UA that doesn't mean Aizawa can't also be there for him, that doesn't mean he should have left the problem alone. It's not like he didn't have the opportunity to speak with Dazai about it, in fact Aizawa is probably the Pro those two see most often.
Instead of doing something, instead of breaching the topic himself Aizawa had left it to other people. When had he become so lazy? Why was he leaving it to Nedzu when he was capable of helping, why did he expect-
Why did he expect Nakahara, a child just like Dazai, to do the hard work?
Aizawa's hands tighten into fists as he remembers just how foolish he was. Sure, Dazai might feel more comfortable with Nakahara but that hardly means Aizawa should just throw in the towel. He should have started doing things to help Dazai get more comfortable, to gain his trust so the responsibility isn't solely on Nakahara's shoulders. He didn't do that though and so the universe has to show him how much of an idiot he was.
God, just thinking about the look Nakahara gave him back there makes everything worse. Aizawa knew, without a doubt, if he had tried to get closer Nakahara would have attacked him. His expression was completely serious and focused, a sharp contrast to the childish expressions and jokes Aizawa was used to.
Part of him wonders if that expression is how he normally looks back in Yokohama. Is that how he looks when he's set out on missions no teenager should be?
That serious expression lessened somewhat once Dazai was breathing again but never fully disappeared. When Recovery Girl had suggested they move Dazai to her office Nakahara had quietly, but in a way that allowed no arguments, picked Dazai up and started walking. Once in the office, Recovery Girl said Dazai would need changing into some dry clothes, which fortunately she had, along with dry bandages. Nakahara had taken the offered clothes and bandages and quietly closed the curtain around Dazai's bed before, presumably, doing the job himself. Gone was any of the teasing or dramatics Aizawa had gotten used to.
There had been some panic in that look and yet Nakahara didn't once falter with CPR, his moves were perfectly precise. Once again Aizawa finds himself comparing that fact to 1A, a few kids might know CPR but he doubts they would ever be able to do it as well as Nakahara had. Nakahara is experienced with it, that much is clear, the real question is why? How many times has Dazai tried to drown himself before? What about other people, had Nakahara been responsible for bringing other people back to life? Has he ever failed?
Aizawa remembers every single person he failed to rescue, is it the same for Nakahara?
Aizawa allows himself a minute more of beating himself up, after it finishes he straightens up and begins walking away from Recovery Girl's office. Nedzu will already know what happened but Aizawa still needs to report it, he'll have to keep Hizashi in the loop too so he can be there for Nakahara. 1A will need speaking to as well, a decent amount of them were in the common area when Todoroki had called for help. Aizawa had sent them to their rooms almost immediately but that doesn't mean they hadn't seen or heard anything, those who did will likely be shaken. Most importantly, Aizawa needs to come back and apologise to Dazai and Nakahara the first moment he can. He needs to make sure those two know that from now he'll do better, from now on he'll be there for both of them.
-
"You can stop pretending now."
If it were anyone else then Chuuya would expect them to react to that statement, maybe stiffen up or take a sharp intake of breath. Dazai isn't anyone else though, so Chuuya knows to expect he won't give any sign of actually being awake. Of course, that doesn't change the fact that Chuuya knows he is. It's been a good few hours since Dazai tried to drown himself, a good few hours that Chuuya has been sitting waiting for him to wake up. Recovery Girl and Aizawa had both said to alert them once he did wake up, Chuuya hadn't bothered agreeing to that since he knew it would be a lie.
Dazai won't say anything yet, that's just how he is. If it were up to him then Chuuya knows he simply wouldn't say anything, not until he's feeling better at least. He'd wait a day or two, long enough that he's able to pull up some mask or another to hide how he's truly feeling, and then make a joke of the whole thing. He'd tease Chuuya for caring, probably say something to piss him off.
Chuuya knows this because this is far from the first time he's had to drag Dazai back from the brink of death.
"Not got anything to say to me?"
Dazai continues to ignore him.
Whenever Chuuya catches him during a serious attempt he always makes sure to stick around until Dazai wakes up again, call him paranoid but hearing the news from someone else just doesn't reassure him the same way. He needs to see it with his own eyes that Dazai is still kicking, he needs to see for himself that his partner hasn't left him yet.
Chuuya sighs, getting Dazai to talk is going to be hard. There have been a good few times that Chuuya has stuck by Dazai's side while he recovers from whatever injuries he managed to inflict on himself, it doesn't happen too often though due to Mori-san's habit of whisking Dazai away after a serious attempt. Chuuya has tried to get Dazai to talk and explain himself before, he has tried to extend an olive branch so he can better understand his partner but it has never worked out. Dazai, who is usually all too willingly to chatter about suicide methods, absolutely clams up in those situations.
An idea pops to mind as he remembers his latest session with Yamada, the man had said something like 'You can talk, I'll just listen'. If Chuuya just talks and there isn't any pressure to respond then maybe Dazai will be more receptive. That could work, although part of him cringes back at the idea that those therapy sessions are actually teaching him something.
"I'm going to sit on the bed next to you, that alright?" He waits a few moments and watches Dazai closely for any sign of rejection. He doesn't see any so he tentatively gets up and sits himself down next to Dazai, he makes sure they aren't touching though. Sometimes Dazai seems to crave physical touch, other times he only gets worse with it. He'll leave the choice up to Dazai. "I'm gonna run through what I think the problem is, if you don't wanna respond that's fine. Just listen, alright?"
Again, no response.
"I noticed you started getting all stuck in your own head during the fights with 1B," Chuuya starts, "the day after you were slightly worse and then this morning I could tell something was up. Usually, there would still be a day or so before you tried anything, which makes me think that HPSC agent said something."
It's quiet, almost unnoticeable, but Chuuya hears as Dazai sighs. In annoyance maybe, but it's still a reaction, something that proves that Dazai is actually listening to him.
"Course, no one can out manipulate you. Whatever she said must have been something you were already thinking about, then you came back to the dorms and lashed out seeing me with the 1A kids, wanna know what I think?" Predictably Dazai doesn't answer, Chuuya continues, "Whatever you've been thinking has to do with me, right?" The woman who had interviewed Chuuya had said a few things that were meant to drive a wedge between him and Dazai; he wouldn't be surprised if the same thing had been said to Dazai.
Still no answer but that's fine, all he wants is for Dazai to listen to what he has to say. If he doesn't take it to heart then that's another thing, just having his attention right now is enough.
Chuuya resists the urge to sigh lest Dazai think he's annoyed at him or anything, "Well, whatever that agent said was bullshit."
He's confident that's the case, so he continues without hesitation, "If she said something about me leaving you, or you not being a right fit for my partner then that's nonsense. No one could do what you do any better, not me, not the Boss, not anyone. And…" Chuuya trails off, uncertain if what he wants to say next is actually appropriate. The problem with being a teenager trying to comfort another teenager after a failed suicide attempt is that you hardly know what the right thing to say is. The fact it's Dazai of all people he's trying to encourage to continue living makes things even harder. God, he should have started looking into psychology or something months ago.
"And?" Dazai asks unexpectedly.
Ah, fuck, he'll have to say it now. "... And you're my partner dammit, I need you." Which is, unfortunately, very true. "You've saved my ass more times than I can count, be it with your crazy plans or with your Ability. I never have to worry when you're with me, 'cause I know you'll have my back no matter what. I don't trust many people like that y'know, and…" Once again Chuuya finds himself trailing off, but this time he knows he wants to say what he has in mind even if it'll be hard to say. "And being around you makes me feel human, so yea, call me selfish but I don't want you dying on me."
Dazai doesn't respond so Chuuya allows himself to fall into silence. He's hoping Dazai is just thinking over what he said and is not upset or anything with him, that would make an already shitty day worse. Even if what he said wasn't the most ideal thing to say to someone post suicide attempt he hopes the core message of it gets into Dazai's head, that message being that at least one person would care if he died. The idea that no one cares about him might not even be the reason Dazai made an attempt, Chuuya wouldn't know, but he hopes it helps nonetheless.
The not quite awkward but not comfortable silence continues and so Chuuya's thoughts drift. He'll have to do damage control at some point, make sure everyone who saw Dazai knows he won't stand for any gossip. In all fairness he doubts anyone would talk, Aizawa and Recovery Girl are teachers with enough common sense not to talk to students about this and the only 1A kid who actually saw anything was Todoroki. As much as he may still hate Dazai, Chuuya is sure that Todoroki isn't the gossip kind.
He'll still make an effort to speak to Todoroki and maybe class 1A as a whole. If a single one of them dares to talk shit about Dazai for this he'll be practically forced to ruin their cover. It shouldn't be too hard to get these damn cuffs off, after that he can show them the true power of gravity. Failing that he'll just beat them with his fists, simple.
A slight shuffle from beside him brings his attention back to his partner just in time to hear him softly say, "... Chuuya needs me huh…"
"Fuckin' course I do, Soukoku is two people remember?"
There's movement by his side which causes Chuuya to allow himself to look down at his partner. Dazai has turned his head just enough to lock eyes with him, he doesn't look back to his usual self yet, which isn't surprising, but Chuuya likes to think he's feeling even the tiniest bit better. He hopes so anyway.
He thinks Dazai might be trying to read him, trying to see if Chuuya was honest with what he said. He hopes that whatever Dazai finds tells his Mackerel just how much he cares about him.
He must have seen something good as Dazai's searching gaze lessens somewhat, "Chuuya's being honest?"
Chuuya huffs, "If I didn't need you why the hell would I be in a fucking hero school right now?"
Dazai nods slightly before turning back to his previous position, this time the atmosphere doesn't feel quite as cold and tense.
After a moment of silence Dazai shuffles back, just enough that his back makes contact with the side of Chuuya's leg. Chuuya doesn't say anything, instead he just leans in and gets comfortable.
Tomorrow is going to be annoying and tiring to deal with, Chuuya can only imagine how many questions the teachers alone will have. Recovery Girl will want to give Dazai another check over, which Chuuya will have to try and convince him to let happen. He and Dazai will have to have a proper conversation tomorrow about everything, from the HPSC interview to the argument to the attempt.
For now though, Chuuya just relaxes with the knowledge his partner is still with him. Together, as Soukoku, they'll get through whatever is thrown at them tomorrow