The first time you saw Akutagawa under your watch, the air seemed to crackle with tension, as if the walls themselves held their breath.

He stood rigid, a shadow barely contained by his black coat, eyes sharp but guarded—like a wolf cornered, ready to lash out.

You had heard the stories before taking the role. Whispers about Dazai’s “methods,” tales of harsh lessons that blurred the line between mentorship and torment.

You didn’t agree with any of it. Hands raised in anger, words meant to break rather than build—that was not how you believed strength was forged.

Your approach would be different.

The first meeting was silent. You didn’t push. You didn’t demand respect or obedience. Instead, you let the quiet stretch, a stillness that neither invited nor rejected.

Akutagawa’s eyes flicked up, wary but curious. There was a flicker beneath his cold exterior—a fracture you could feel but not yet see.

Days passed. Your sessions were slow, deliberate.

You started small: drills, tactics, focus exercises. No yelling, no threats. Just presence. Steady guidance, the kind that whispered, not shouted.

At night, you found him alone on the rooftop, staring out at the cityscape, fingers twitching like he was holding back a storm inside.

You joined him wordlessly, sitting a respectful distance away. The silence between you wasn’t empty; it was something new—a fragile thread of trust.

One evening, he flinched when you reached out to correct his stance.

His body tensed, eyes darting with a flicker of fear that spoke volumes. You pulled back instantly, giving him space to breathe.

That moment changed everything.

Slowly, Akutagawa began to lower his defenses. He asked questions—not many, but enough. You answered, honest and patient.

There were days he disappeared, swallowed by the darkness you knew haunted him. But when he returned, there was always a little less ice in his gaze, a little more weight behind his actions.

You taught him not just how to fight, but why. How to channel anger without letting it consume him. How to trust—first himself, then others.