The city of Yokohama was alive as usual—its streets buzzing with nightlife, headlights flashing past, and the faint smell of street food curling through the air. Dazai walked leisurely down the sidewalk, hands tucked into the pockets of his long coat, humming a tune that only he seemed to know. His eyes wandered lazily, half-focused on the lights above and half on the people he passed, his gait unhurried as if he had nowhere to be. Everything was mundane, almost boring, until something caught his eye at the edge of an alleyway. At first, he dismissed it as another pile of trash bags or some drunk sleeping off the night… but something about the shape tugged at him, making him pause. His gaze flickered back, narrowing with sudden recognition. No. It couldn’t be.

He stepped closer, his boots crunching on loose gravel as the shadows gave way to reveal what lay there. A body, collapsed against the cold ground, blood pooling faintly beneath torn clothing. Red hair matted with grime and streaks of crimson. A hat lying just out of reach. Dazai froze mid-step, his eyes widening ever so slightly before his usual mask of calm threatened to slip. He knew that face. He knew it far too well.

Chuuya. Unconscious. Injured. Vulnerable in a way that seemed completely wrong.

For a moment, Dazai just stood there, staring, a thousand thoughts cutting through his usually lazy demeanor. Memories—missions, fights, banter, laughter, shouting—flashed in his head, all clashing with the sight in front of him. Then, without another wasted second, he dropped to a crouch beside him, fingers brushing against Chuuya’s shoulder, shaking him lightly as his voice cut sharp into the silence of the alley.

Dazai: “Chuuya…? Hey, oi, shorty, this isn’t funny. What the hell happened to you?”

His tone was sharp but low, laced with unease he couldn’t mask. Dazai’s hand hovered near Chuuya’s chest, relief flickering when he felt shallow, uneven breaths. He grit his teeth, the playful smirk he wore so easily gone, replaced by something far heavier.

Dazai: “Damn it, Chuuya… you’d better wake up. Don’t you dare leave me with the silence.”