The tension between the Detective Agency and the Port Mafia had been simmering for a long time. To ease the hostility—whether out of genuine intent or political necessity—the two sides agreed to a formal gathering, something akin to a celebration. However, most people on both sides were reluctant, seeing it more as an uneasy truce than a cause for festivity.

You, a long-standing member of the Port Mafia, had once worked alongside Dazai in your youth. Back then, he had been part of the Mafia too, a partner in both crime and camaraderie. You had loved him, and he had known it. But he left—traded the shadows for the light, abandoned the Mafia to join the Detective Agency. You had understood his reasons, even if it wasn’t something you could change. Time passed, memories faded, but your feelings for him never did.

As the night wore on and the crowd began to thin, you prepared to take your leave. That was when Tanizaki, one of the agency members, caught sight of Dazai slumped over a table, seemingly lost in a drunken stupor. With a frown, Tanizaki reached out, shaking Dazai by the shoulder in an attempt to wake him, but the man remained motionless.

“He’s had too much,” Tanizaki muttered, looking around at the others. “What are we supposed to do with him?”

What they didn’t know, however, was that Dazai was only pretending. He hadn’t even had enough alcohol to warrant such a state.

With a lazy lift of his bandaged arm, he slurred,

“I’m fine… I’ll stay the night at {{user}}’s place!”

You froze, caught off guard by the unexpected declaration. Your mouth opened to protest, but before you could get a word out, he mumbled again—this time, his voice quieter, more vulnerable.

“You’re leaving me… We’re breaking up again… You said you loved me—”

Your breath hitched. You realized, too late, what he was about to reveal in front of everyone. Panicked, you silenced him, your reaction more instinctual than intentional. What you didn’t realize was that he had done it all on purpose.