Text"Ah- Let's head up there together, shall we?"
Koharu nods, although internally she feels irritation building. Perhaps this is a secondary Quirk of Harue's, the power to constantly be where she isn't wanted.
"Oh come one, don't look at me like that!" Harue shuffles closer, clearly looking for some sort of reaction. Koharu keeps her eyes trained on the door of the lift as it slowly begins ascending the many floors of the HPSC headquarters. The higher ups have called a meeting, one to discuss the outcomes of the interviews and plan for the future, Koharu can only hope Harue actually bothered to do her report this time.
Koharu cannot comprehend how Harue is still kept on as an agent with how inefficient and incompetent she is.
Harue leans back, seemingly realising Koharu won't be entertaining her nonsense today. If that is her thought process, then she would be correct. A meeting with the higher ups means that Koharu must be flawless, she must be the perfect agent that they could never dream of firing. The perfect agent does not fall to stupid comments from Harue.
"I heard that kid's Ability is nullification, which means all that research you did was useless in the end~"
The perfect agent should not fall to stupid comments from Harue, Koharu has exactly thirteen floors to be an imperfect agent before they reach the higher ups. No, make that ten floors to be imperfect, being fully composed before arriving is the most ideal course of action.
"No, it wasn't," Koharu replies flatly. While it was certainly annoying to deal with, it's not like Koharu was left useless without her Quirk, in fact, she had long since learnt the benefits of not relying on her Quirk so much. Her Quirk, Flawed, allows her to see the insecurities, worries, or anything 'flawed' of anyone she looks at- herself included. Over time she has learnt the art of reading people and taking note of the small things that give away their worries and insecurities, such as reactions to certain topics and attempting to hide parts of themself. Her Quirk makes it easier but Koharu is competent enough to do her job, and do it well, without it.
The boy, Dazai, had admittedly been a challenge. For a while it had seemed like he was but a blank slate, someone so clinical and emotionless that it almost reminded Koharu of herself. That didn't last though, no, all it had taken was a brief mention of his partner, that Nakahara boy, and that facade came crumbling down. Well, perhaps that isn't the correct way to describe what happened. To Koharu his answers and reactions from that point on had been an easy weak point to attack, it had been all too obvious to prod and poke and get the reactions she wanted. Other people likely wouldn't have noticed the change in the boy's demeanour for it was subtle.
In the end Koharu had left the interview satisfied, not only had she gained some information about Yokohama and the Port Mafia, although vague, she had also pushed along their plan quite nicely.
Now the only question that remains is if Harue was competent enough to do her part.
As if reading her mind Harue choses then to speak, "Well, I suppose it wasn't all useless in the end. That Nakahara kid seemed receptive all things considered." Harue waves around a folder, one that Koharu hopes includes a neat and finished report of the entire interview.
Koharu can feel as her phone buzzes in her pocket, with exactly five floors left until they reach the higher ups she decides to check it. Even without looking she knows exactly what the notification will be, exactly who the notification will be from. Before heading into meetings Koharu ensures her phone is set to block any notifications, she had made that a habit after seeing a fellow agent get yelled at for his phone ringing during a meeting.
Koharu learns from mistakes, be it her own or someone else's.
There is only one person whose messages get through that block, a person who knows to only message her during a meeting if it is truly life or death.
K. Akuma : im gonna be presumptuous and get some fresh salmon for later… that meeting of yours better go well.
Koharu does not smile, not when Harue could see it and pester her, but she does feel her mood improve after reading the message. Fresh salmon for special occasions and accomplishments is a tradition she started some years ago, if this meeting goes well then Koharu will likely receive an advancement on her pay. If it doesn't go well then she could be fired, which would not be a salmon worthy occasion.
Akuma has always loved fresh salmon, Koharu will have to ensure this meeting goes well then.
"Oooo, I didn't think you had any friends! Who might this be?" Harue leans over to get a better view of Koharu's phone, in response Koharu simply shuts her phone off and tucks it away. Koharu knows how easy it is to twist information to manipulate someone, as such she makes sure to keep her work life away from her private life.
Three floors left.
Koharu takes a breath and feels herself slot into the perfect agent she has to be. The interview with Dazai went well, this meeting shall go well too. She will prove to the higher ups she is capable of handling these two Yokohaman boys.
-
Yamada isn't an overly anxious person. He gets worried, especially when his friends go out on patrol in dangerous areas, but he has never been one to get worked up when there isn't a reason to be.
That being said, getting called to an early morning meeting with the Principal isn't something he can just brush off. It certainly doesn't help that the location of said meeting is Nedzu's office and not the meeting room, that must mean only a select few members of staff will be present. Or maybe it's just going to be Nedzu and Yamada, in which case he would get far more anxious.
As always, before Yamada even raises a hand to knock, Nedzu's door swings open. The Principal is sitting at his desk, a polite smile on his face, "Do come in, Yamada."
Yamada walks in, shutting the door on his way, and takes one of the seats in front of Nedzu's desk. "Can I ask what this is about?"
"I will explain once Aizawa arrives," Nedzu responds, which does work to calm Yamada's nerves. Despite his attitude, and appearance, Shouta is one of the best teachers at UA. His methods may be unorthodox but there is a reason why classes taught by Shouta succeed the most after graduation.
While his nerves may have calmed somewhat, Yamada can't help but be curious as to what this meeting will be about.
Behind him the door swings open, unphased Shouta walks. Well, Yamada says unphased but there is clearly something wrong with his friend. He seems more tired than usual, did something happen? Is that why Yamada was called here today?
"Principal," Shouta greets, although noticeably tense. Yamada feels his own nerves grow in response, he tries to get them under control as Shouta sits down next to him. There's no point in overthinking and scaring himself, he knows this, and yet he can't help but allow the worst case scenarios to fill his mind. Shouta himself seems fine, so if something has happened then it couldn't have been to him. Did a 1A student get hurt? Or the family of one of the kids? Although, if that were the case why would Yamada be present? He isn't particularly close with anyone in 1A, well, except for Nakahara-
Nakahara. Dazai. The interviews.
Yamada feels his foot begin to bounce from sheer anxiety.
"Thank you for joining me on such short notice," Nedzu starts, his serious tone doing nothing to calm Yamada's nerves, "Aizawa is already aware of what happened, so I will explain for your benefit Yamada."
Yamada barely feels himself nodding.
"Last night, after returning from his interview with the HPSC agent Kusumi Koharu, Dazai instigated an argument between himself and Nakahara. Once left alone to 'cool off', Dazai attempted to drown himself in the first floor bathroom."
Ironically, Yamada feels as if ice water has been poured down his shirt.
Nedzu continues, "Nakahara quickly arrived at the scene and performed CPR, ultimately managing to get Dazai breathing again. Currently they are both in Recovery Girl's office resting."
Yamada finds himself thinking back to yesterday morning, he thinks back to how he waited so anxiously for those interviews to start. Back then he had a feeling something was going to go wrong, was that just him being overly anxious or was it a gut feeling he should have listened to? Being a Pro has taught him to trust in gut feelings, even if sometimes they don't make any sense. So why hadn't he taken his own worries more seriously back then?
There has never been a point in creating 'what if' scenarios after something happened, a fact Yamada learned quickly being a Pro Hero, and he won't start now. No, right now he has to push back that underlying feeling of guilt and 'could I have done something more?' so he can properly focus on what is happening now.
Right now he needs to get a better understanding of what happened, how Dazai and Nakahara were affected, and what he needs to do from now on.
(Yamada's mind flicks back to his last session with Nakahara, it reminds him how the kid had spoken about his home in such an adoring way. It reminds him of Nakahara's face showing fond amusement when recounting the stories about the arcade and the tea house.)
While he can't be sure it was entirely the fault of that HPSC agent that Dazai tried to kill himself, he's sure that, at the very least, she made things worse. That should be enough to make sure she never steps foot on UA grounds again, let alone have a private interview with Dazai again. Yamada will make sure of it.
He takes a steading breath, just to make sure his Quirk doesn't act up, before speaking, "What exactly happened in those interviews?"
Nedzu shakes his head, "Foolishly, I believed the HPSC smart enough not to try anything on UA grounds. While I'm sure they were recording the interviews I doubt we would be able to get access to it, for now all we can do is wait for Dazai and Nakahara to tell us."
"When they're ready," Shouta adds, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Of course," Nedzu easily agrees, "In the meantime we can attempt to… Theorise what was said, I myself have thought of a few potential reasons." Nedzu brings attention to the sheets of paper sat on his desk before continuing, "While agent Kusumi's Quirk was rendered useless due to No Longer Human, that does not mean she was unable to have an effect on Dazai. I suspect she has a talent in reading people and picking up on their 'weaknesses' even without her Quirk."
That makes sense, although there is one thing bugging Yamada about that. "Dazai's skilled at that too, if I remember right. Surely he would see through her and not…"
Nedzu gives him what Yamada has dubbed the 'teacher look'. That is to say, the look where he thinks you're smart enough to realise something but just need to think about it for a moment more. Yamada does just that, mentally he goes over all the information he has in an attempt to figure out what Nedzu wants him to see.
Yamada doesn't know Dazai all that well personally, although he does know a lot about the kid via Nakahara, so he can't be completely sure in his assessment of the kid's personality. That being said, from what he has heard and seen Dazai should be resistant to manipulation. He's a smart kid, one that knows just how to pick at something to get a reaction. Being able to do all that means he should also be good at recognising and avoiding it.
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.
Yamada's mouth moves before he can think about it, "Dazai was already in a bad place when he went in for the interview."
Nedzu nods, a pleased look in his eye at Yamada figuring it out, "One of my theories is that Dazai was already teetering on the suicidal side of things that morning, whatever agent Kusumi said was the driving force that pushed him over."
That… makes sense. Although it certainly doesn't help the guilt Yamada is trying to push back. Nakahara had clearly known something was up with Dazai that morning, yet he didn't try to say anything, didn't try to get support from the three adults around him. Part of Yamada feels bitter that Nakahara hadn't trusted him, the other part of him pushes that even deeper than the guilt. He won't blame the kid for not trusting him.
"What other theories do you have?" Shouta asks a moment later.
"A less likely theory is that the HPSC found information on Dazai, or possibly Nakahara, and threatened Dazai with it," Nedzu pauses to flick through his papers, "I was unable to find any information on those two, so I do doubt the HPSC was able to. It is, nevertheless, a possibility."
Nedzu continues, "Another theory would be the possibility of this being some ploy by the Port Mafia. Thus far, the only activity we have observed of them is a slightly increased crime rate around the Yokohama border. Although that could well be due to the live steam and not the Port Mafia."
Shouta leans back in his chair, clearly unhappy at the thought of the Port Mafia getting involved, "The Port Mafia would know how to get to Dazai better, they might have been hoping he'd take himself out if they pushed enough."
Shit, Yamada hadn't even thought of this being the doing of the Port Mafia.
"We don't know how far the Port Mafia has reach, it might be in the realm of possibility that they have someone, or a number of people, in the HPSC. Although," Nedzu seems to consider his next words carefully, "That does bring up an interesting question indeed."
Fortunately, Nedzu doesn't wait for someone to prompt him to elaborate. "When I arranged for Nakahara and Dazai to join us at UA I had expected for the Port Mafia to cause some trouble, either in an attempt to get them back or to 'silence' them. However, aside from the previously mentioned crime increase, there seemingly hasn't been any movement from them."
"That… doesn't sound good," Yamada replies lamely.
Nedzu nods like he said something intelligent anyway, "Indeed. Now, there are some potential reasons why this may be the case. As I have said before, perhaps Dazai and Nakahara aren't important, perhaps they don't know any sensitive information, in that case the Port Mafia's silence would be them just cutting their losses."
"Or maybe the Port Mafia is waiting for the perfect opportunity to try and take them both back, if they rushed into it and failed then UA would, naturally, raise our defences. It only makes sense for them to be cautious if that were the case."
Shouta narrows his eyes, "There's something else you're not saying."
Nedzu gets that proud glint in his eye once again before nodding, "I have approximately thirty theories about the Port Mafia's lack of involvement and roughly the same about what happened in those interviews. There are a few that seem more plausible that others, some that seem to fit yet I have no evidence to prove them."
"Not having evidence hasn't stopped you from talking theories in the past," Shouta, blunt as ever, says. Yamada, who was raised to have good manners, almost wants to cringe away. Then again, after spending so many years with Shouta he's mostly used to it.
Nedzu laughs, although not as enthusiastically as he usually would, "That is true! However, some of my theories may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Until I have more certainty on them I will have to refrain from sharing, lest my theories impact your attitudes towards Dazai and Nakahara."
Shouta looks pissed off at that, which Yamada understands. He knows it's nothing personal but it still stings a bit for Nedzu to say that, Yamada is a professional, he wouldn't let half-baked theories cloud his view like that. Shouta even moreso, it wouldn't fit with his 'living life logically' philosophy to do something like that.
Despite agreeing with him, Yamada places a hand on Shouta's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. Getting into arguments right now will help no one, instead they should focus on planning what needs to happen next. Turning to Nedzu, Yamada does just that, "We can't let the HPSC have any private interviews from now on."
"I have a few plans to ensure that it won't happen again, although those will have to wait until Dazai and Nakahara are ready to speak to us," Nedzu explains.
Shouta seems to calm further at the assurance Nakahara and Dazai won't be pushed for information, Yamada allows his hand to linger for a second more before moving it away. He turns to Nedzu, "You said they're both in Recovery Girl's office, right? I imagine she'll want to keep them for a few days, what will we say to class 1A and the other teachers?"
"For now we need to focus on Dazai's recovery and checking to see how Nakahara is fairing mentally. I will meet with the other teachers, the ones that need to know, and inform them of what happened while keeping the details, such as my theories, to a minimum. Aizawa can inform class 1A when he deems it appropriate." Nedzu answers.
"I need to speak with the kids that were downstairs, especially Todoroki. I'll tell the rest of the class tomorrow in homeroom," Shouta responds, he seems tired. Yamada can't help but wonder how much sleep he actually got last night, by the looks of him it couldn't have been that much.
"Very well," Nedzu nods, "Yamada, do feel free to visit Nakahara and Dazai over the next few days. Now, are there any other questions?"
Yamada shakes his head, Shouta follows suit a moment later.
After brief goodbyes and promises to keep each other updated are exchanged, Yamada finds himself in the hallway with Shouta. Yamada can't tell if he looks any better or worse after the meeting.
"Shouta?"
For a second he doesn't reply, then, with a sigh, Shouta slumps up against the wall behind him, "Hizashi he… Nakahara…" Shouta pauses a moment before trying again, "Nakahara acted all serious and unaffected but… But he was scared, I know it. He was so scared his best friend would die and I did nothing, I haven't done anything to help them both since they got here."
Yamada's nose scrunches up at that, his first instinct being to object to the notion that Shouta hasn't done anything to help. A part of him puts a stop to that though, instead it pulls at him to pay closer attention to Shouta's choice of words. Yamada thinks about it and realises.
"Shouta," he starts, once again he places a hand on Shouta's shoulder, "This situation is different, right? Dazai is fine and he will be fine, I promise." It's a stupid promise to make, every Pro worth their salt knows promising the survival of people is a risky move, after all, there's no one on the planet who can reverse death.
"I know," Shouta raises a hand to rub at his eyes, "I just don't want him going through that, either of them."
Yamada nods, "I know." He lets the silence sit for a moment, despite his objections Shouta really cares so much about the people around him.
"Hey," Yamada starts, still upset at Shouta for blaming himself, "If it'll help you can tell me what happened. Might help you process everything."
Shouta drops the hand from his face, "Yea, alright. The staff room should be empty this early, right?"
-
(His door closes, Nedzu sighs once it has. The papers on his desk are littered with new notes and theories.
Two boys from Yokohama, stronger and smarter than a majority of the Pros active these days. One boy with a code stamped on his neck, the other covered in bandages. A duo that claims they only met each other a year ago, and yet clearly trust each other like they have been acquainted for lifetimes.
Nedzu has no access to any information about those boys, his theories, bountiful as they are, lack anything to back them up. He can't, in good faith, pick a theory to pursue when they all have the same chance of being the truth.
It's been a long time since Nedzu was this challenged.)
-
Bakugou isn't a fucking idiot, ok? People always seem to be shocked when they find out he's actually a good student, likely because they assume someone can't be strong and smart. But he is smart, if he wants to be the number one Pro Hero someday he needs to have the brains to back up his Quirk.
No one has said shit yet, not Icyhot, Specs, or Aizawa, but that doesn't mean Bakugou is oblivious to what happened yesterday. A kid with known suicidal tendencies causes an argument, locks himself away in a bathroom and then need immediate medical attention? Hah, even the idiots that insist on hanging out with Bakugou could piece together those clues.
Actually, there's no doubt they have figured it out considering how they're acting. Those idiots, along with the others that happened to be around when it happened, have been acting tense and sad all day.
Like he said, there's been no announcement yet so most of the class is still in the dark. He can see the curious and worried glances being constantly sent his way though, they know something is up. It doesn't help that Specs just fucking had to make an announcement that 'something serious' had occurred and to 'give everyone space'. What a joke, at that point he might as well have just said what happened.
That tense, worried, and curious atmosphere had followed the class all day now resulting in almost silent lunch tables. Deku and his little group of followers had decided to sit right by Bakugou's table, likely because they all hesitated to enter the lunch hall like it was some crime. Bakugou didn't want to wait for those idiots to get it together so he had just pushed past and went on like usual, unfortunately it seems that Deku and the other extras had decided he was some sort of leader to follow. On a normal day Bakugou would relish in that, today though he finds it so fucking annoying.
To make matters worse, the rest of the student body seem determined to only talk about class 1A and those two Yokohama fucks. It's all 'Oh, that's the class with the murderers!' 'I feel so bad!' 'Class 1A has it so rough this year!', like those irrelevant extras would know anything.
Not to mention how everytime an insult is said the idiots around him seem to physically wilt, which pisses Bakugou off into glaring at whoever was stupid enough not to keep their voice down. Or, you know, not fucking gossip around the subjects of said gossip.
In Bakugou's opinion, getting those two put in their class was a stroke of luck. Two highly trained fighters, masters of their Abilities, of weapons, and their bodies, for Heroes in training there isn't anything better.
Bakugou lost in his first fight with Bandages, his fight with Shorty had been a stalemate and the rematch with Bandages was interrupted by Deku and his schemes. It does piss him off to keep losing like that, but at the same time losing is a chance to learn and get better. He knows now, up close and personal, how those two fight. He knows what their Abilities do, which means he can think of different applications for them to be better prepared for next time.
Just by being around those two on a daily basis Bakugou feels himself improving and learning. Dealing with other people has never been his strong suit, especially the whiny ones that can't do anything for themselves. Bandages acts like that, what with how he lounges around and pretends to be so weak and unassuming. He whines and gets other people to do his bidding, something that previously would have pissed Bakugou off to no end.
He absolutely still finds Bandages annoying as fuck, but now he's taking a different approach. Being able to read that fucker, and read him well, will only help Bakugou in the long run. He doubts he'll ever meet anyone else as difficult as Bandages, which means once Bakugou beats him he'll have a clearer path to being number one.
Shorty is a lot easier to read, he's loyal and defensive of Bandages. Strong too, the type of guy who doesn't back down from a fight. He isn't an idiot but the way he acts isn't on the same level as Bandages. He's honest, in both words and actions.
Personally, Bakugou doesn't think either of them actually trust anyone at UA. If he were to go one step further, he'd say those two are acting far too nice considering the situation. Maybe they are just two fucked up kids like everyone else thinks, or maybe there's something deeper going on.
Bakugou is brought out of his thoughts by awkward laughing by Raccoon Eyes, someone probably tried to make a joke to lighten the mood. Obviously their attempt failed.
The idiots around him fall into silence once again, a quick glance confirms that Deku's table is much the same. Bakugou feels his annoyance tick up at that, isn't Deku's whole thing analysis? That nerd has no reason to be looking so worried over Bandages of all people.
Dunce face opens his mouth, likely to try another shitty joke, which is when Bakugou decides he has had enough. He doesn't slam his chopsticks down, but it certainly is loud enough to get the attention of both his and Deku's table.
"Stop looking like it's the end of the fucking world," Bakugou says, trying to maintain a tone that says 'don't you dare argue with me'.
Pink Cheeks, who has gained major confidence after the internships, looks him definitely in the eye, "We're just worried, ok? With what happened yesterday it's only natural."
Raccoon Eyes nods, "Yea, plus Aizawa-sensei hasn't told us if he's alright yet or not so…"
Shitty Hair rubs his neck as he chimes in, "Yea, and with how everyone is talking about them… It just feels so unmanly."
Bakugou rolls his eyes at that, "First of all, none of you gave a shit what was said about them a day ago, why bother starting now? And do you really think things would be so quiet if Bandages kicked the bucket?" A few people look away at that, which almost causes Bakugou to roll his eyes again.
Specs looks like he's about to reprimand Bakugou, which he almost looks forward to for the simple reason of getting to argue back, but is cut when Shitty Hair speaks up, "What do you mean?"
Picking his chopsticks up, Bakugou explains, "Think of how those two act together."
For a second it seems no one has picked up on what he means when fucking Icyhot, of all people, nods, "I understand." And it really fucking does look like he gets it. In what world does Icyhot figure shit like this out before literally anyone else? (Minus Bakugou of course.)
It only takes a second longer for understanding to dawn on Deku's dumb face, "Oh, I get what you mean Kacchan."
Bakugou bites back the urge to yell at that idiot not to call him Kacchan.
The other extras turn to look at Deku as he explains, "Chuuya and Dazai are really close, if anything happened to one of them then the other would likely never deal with it quietly like this."
"Well, that makes sense but we can still be worried, right?" Pink Cheeks asks. A few of Deku's followers nod at that, which clearly encourages her to continue, "Maybe we could go visit Dazai? Just to see if he's ok and all," Pink Cheeks trails off a little at the end, clearly uncertain.
Bakugou clicks his tongue, "Don't be stupid, pink cheeks." A few people look at him in shock, maybe even a little bit of anger. He can feel the outrage of Deku's little friends from across both tables, really, how stupid are they?
Before anyone can get on his back Bakugou further explains, "You really think that, one, Shorty would let us get that close or, two, Bandages would even want us there? Be fucking real."
For a second it seems Pink Cheeks wants to argue before she physically deflates, "Y-yea, I guess you're right."
Frog Face places a hand on Pink Cheeks arm, "Maybe we can ask Aizawa-sensei how he is after school? Ribbit."
Pink Cheeks cheers up at that, along with other members of her group and Bakugou's idiots. When they start to plan out what to say and if they should ask for a gift to be passed along Bakugou tunes out.
He's glad Bandages didn't die yesterday, mainly because he wants a fair fucking fight against the two of them. You can't fight a dead man and one that's grieving won't be at the top of their game. There's no point in a fight like that.
-
Chuuya sighs, knowing before he's even turned around exactly what type of expression Dazai will pull. Well, more like what Dazai will be thinking when he gets sight of what exactly Chuuya is wearing.
Yesterday, when Recovery Girl had offered them both a change of clothes, Chuuya had elected to just change Dazai into something dry and not bother with himself. He would much rather be in his own clothes, even if wet, than whatever Recovery Girl was able to find. The wet clothes weren't the problem in the end, no, it was how they dried afterward. For some reason his clothes insisted on being slightly damp and never actually drying, this then led to a weird smell.
So here Chuuya is changing into the spare clothes Recovery Girl had supplied. There's the darkened silhouette of some hero on the shirt, he thinks so anyway- it's not like Chuuya can recognise whoever it is. There's some text on the shirt too, probably some sort of motto if he had to guess.
Chuuya turns around and, lo and behold, there Dazai's single unbandaged eye is peeking at him. The rest of Dazai is tucked away under a rather thick blanket, something Chuuya had insisted on because Dazai is a terror when sick. If Dazai catches a cold on top of everything else that has happened then Chuuya might just have to call Mori-san to pick them up.
"It's the only shirt she had, alright?" Chuuya defends, although it's not like Dazai had been any luckier. The shirt he's currently wearing is covered in about five different heroes all doing different gimmicks, some of them are random enough that Chuuya has to guess they relate to some established joke. The most noticeable ones are the bird and bunny duo fighting in various ridiculous poses and the blond guy with, what Chuuya can only guess, is a moustache made of denim.
Dazai looks at him for a moment and then, naturally, picks up on exactly what Chuuya was thinking just moments ago, "Chuuya doesn't recognise who that is?" His voice is on the quiet side, but it's leagues better than him not talking at all. If teasing Chuuya is something that will get Dazai feeling better then he'll put up with it, for now at least.
"Should I?" In Chuuya's defence, the last 24 hours have been stressful enough for him to forget all the random hero trivia he knows.
Dazai's face, what's visible of it anyway, doesn't change and yet Chuuya gets the distinct feeling the bastard is amused. Great, whoever this pro is must be incredibly obvious, someone who is popular or someone Chuuya has already met.
Chuuya glances down and tries to figure it out before Dazai tells him. It can't be Aizawa or Yamada, neither of them have the build for it, plus he hasn't heard either of them say the motto once. Aizawa doesn't really have a motto but Yamada's is most definitely something to do with 'little listener', or maybe that's just a nickname for kids and his actual motto is just 'listener'. Chuuya can imagine him yelling something like 'Listen up!' before blasting the eardrums of some random villain. Aizawa doesn't seem like the type to have a motto, but maybe something like 'Get erased' or something?... No, that's stupid. Thank god he didn't say that aloud.
Chuuya knows he's heard the motto on his shirt before, he just can't quite place who said it.
The name of the pro is on the tip of his tongue, it really is.
"All Might."
Chuuya sighs in defeat, yep, it would be All Might wouldn't it? The build of the figure on his shirt is dramatically big, which matches All Might to a T, not to mention the fact that yea, he has heard that motto before. Any time anything goes wrong, no matter how big or small, some kid is ready to yell it out. If someone needs encouragement or comfort then boom, Plus Ultra.
Although, you can't blame him for momentarily forgetting about the man. Since that first battle in Yokohama he hasn't actually done all that much, he just kind of lingers at the sidelines. Not to mention that the figure on his shirt isn't in colour, how is Chuuya supposed to recognise him without his bright yellow hair? (Chuuya ignores the part of him that says he would be able to recognise Yamada's silhouette without colour.)
"Yea, well, I'm not a fanboy so," Chuuya rolls his eyes in a show of attitude, although they can both tell it's fake.
Now with dry clothes Chuuya once again takes up his position by Dazai's bed, this time he stays in his chair and not on the bed. The bed would be more comfortable, sure, but the part of him that gets all tense when Dazai is vulnerable wants him to be ready to jump up and start a fight if needed. Logically, Chuuya knows the biggest danger to Dazai is himself, that won't stop him from being cautious.
Dazai is still staring at him, that one eye so piercing that Chuuya gets the feeling Dazai must be trying to read his mind or something.
Chuuya focuses his mind on just one thought: What happened in that interview?
Dazai glances away, which is either one hell of a coincidence or proof he has some sort of second Ability. Chuuya honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter.
Even though Chuuya didn't actually ask what happened he feels that Dazai's glance away is indicative of what would happen if he did. Right now things are still sort of tense in a way, Dazai isn't outright ignoring him but there is a clear atmosphere of 'don't ask' surrounding him.
Something happened in that interview and Chuuya needs to know what. Chuuya will admit that most of the reason behind him wanting to know is so he knows how much to beat up that HPSC agent if they ever cross paths again, whatever she said had gotten to Dazai in some way and Chuuya needs to get revenge for that.
Another reason he'd like to know is so he can figure out what to tell the teachers here at UA. Chuuya isn't stupid, while so far no one has come in to speak to Dazai he just knows that won't last. At some point someone, be it Aizawa or maybe even Nedzu, will come to speak with Dazai.
The problem with that is Dazai would never talk to them about this. Hell, he might not even tell Chuuya what happened, if the pros try to push then Dazai might end up just shutting everyone out and pretending nothing happened. More accurately he would just pretend it was all some sort of joke until everyone moved on.
So, the only solution is for Chuuya to become a sort of middleman. He learns what he can from Dazai and then tells the pros some of it, just enough to keep them from pestering Dazai and making things worse.
The problem, as already stated, is that Dazai clearly isn't in a talking mood and honestly, neither is Chuuya. A part of him is still pissed off at Dazai for that argument yesterday, he knows Dazai wasn't in his right mind but that doesn't excuse it. For now he'll let things go, there are bigger problems to worry about, but he will get some sort of apology later.
Chuuya's eyes trail over to the tray of bowls left on Dazai's bedside table. Recovery Girl had brought them some food, both last night and this morning, since they couldn't leave to get any themselves. Well, Chuuya would in theory but like hell is he leaving Dazai's side yet.
Dazai hadn't eaten that much, which wasn't at all surprising. Usually, Chuuya would try to get him to eat a bit more but he knows he shouldn't push his luck right now. Instead, Chuuya had gone ahead and eaten about half of what Dazai left to avoid any questions by Recovery Girl. Should he have done that? Probably not but it's too late to change anything.
Both times Recovery Girl had entered, Dazai pretended to be asleep, which only proves his earlier theory that Dazai has no plans to talk to any of the pros.
As if on cue a knock rings out through the room, before Chuuya can even ask who is at the door Dazai has already closed his eye and slowed his breathing. It's almost impressive how in only a matter of seconds Dazai can go from looking perfectly awake and aware to in a deep sleep.
Chuuya sighs, hopefully it's just Recovery Girl bringing them some lunch. "Yea?"
The door swings open and Aizawa walks in, not who he was hoping for but not the worst outcome.
Aizawa glances at Dazai before noticeably speaking quieter than he usually would, "How is he?"
Chuuya shrugs. Recovery Girl had been confident Dazai would be fine, she just wanted to keep him in the infirmary for a few days to make sure he stayed that way. So physically yea, he's fine but mentally? That's a clear no.
Aizawa seemingly takes his shrug as a proper answer and sits himself down in one of the chairs across the room.
Great, he's about to ask about why Dazai tried to kill himself now. That's what this has to be, right? He'll probably want to know about any past attempts too, which Chuuya really does not want to be talking about right now. What if he asks why Dazai is-
"I'm sorry."
-suicidal, how would Chuuya even answer that? How could he…
"Huh?" If Dazai wasn't pretending to be asleep then he would probably be laughing at Chuuya's dumbfounded reaction right now.
To his credit, Aizawa doesn't falter at Chuuya's reaction. "It was due to my own inaction that you had to go through that yesterday, for that I'm sorry." Aizawa bows his head slightly as he speaks, which only serves to add to Chuuya's confusion.
Aizawa apologising is weird enough, especially since he had no hand in what happened, but also what he's apologising for throws Chuuya off. Aizawa is acting like seeing Dazai nearly die is some sort of hugely traumatic event, which sure it was unpleasant but with how often Dazai has tried to kill himself he's mostly used to it. Not to mention that it is nowhere near the worst thing that Chuuya has seen, not even top five. He shrugs, "I'm used to it. Besides, Dazai would never let you close enough to deal with that stuff, so it's whatever."
That doesn't seem to have the effect Chuuya was aiming for. Aizawa raises his head, his face hard, "You're a kid Nakahara, you shouldn't be used to keeping your friend from killing himself."
Chuuya wants to interject there with how he really isn't a kid but Aizawa shows no signs of stopping long enough for that to happen. "Despite knowing Dazai was a risk to himself I didn't do anything to help, instead I thought it would be better, easier maybe, to leave it to you. I see now that was ignorant of me."
Aizawa stops speaking for a moment but Chuuya does not take the opportunity to speak. This is the first time someone has apologised for leaving Dazai to him… Chuuya isn't sure what to make of it. Back home it's sort of a given, 'Oh, Dazai is being difficult? Well pass him over to the one guy who can put up with him.'
After a few more seconds of silence, Aizawa continues, "From now on I won't be asking for any information on Yokohama or the Port Mafia."
That catches Chuuya off guard, isn't that the main reason Nedzu let them stay at UA? Sure he can go on about rehabilitation and whatnot but it's easy to see what the Pros really want to gain from this, a chance to get insider information. "And why would you do that?
"Because you don't trust me, neither does Dazai. I realised yesterday that I haven't been putting in enough effort to help you both, I've been acting passively when I should have been actively working to earn your trust," Aizawa continues to speak, acting like what he's saying makes completely perfect sense, "So, from now on, I don't care what Nedzu or the HPSC say. Making sure you two have someone you can rely on, someone who is in your corner, will be my priority."
Alright, Chuuya will have to re-adjust how he's looking at this mission. Before he was going at it with the standard infiltration mindset, although slightly altered to work with Dazai's plans. Back home infiltration missions tend to be an exercise in showing just enough trust but not too much, getting on people's good sides while making sure to keep enough distance to avoid being hurt. If Aizawa is serious about this new goal of his, which he may well be lying, then he'll likely continue to 'actively work' until he deems the level of trust significant. Chuuya, and Dazai too, will have to play along and pretend to trust him more then.
Aizawa is still looking at him, clearly waiting for an answer.
Chuuya glances down at Dazai, he's still the perfect picture of being deeply asleep. Chuuya sighs and turns his attention back to Aizawa, "Dazai trusts about two, maybe three people. You really think you can get into the corner of someone like that?" In truth, Chuuya has no clue how many people Dazai trusts- if any. A safe bet would be himself and those two he always goes to the bar with.
Aizawa doesn't seem affected by this, "I've never been one to back down from a challenge."
Chuuya holds his gaze for a moment, trying to see if the man is lying or not. Dazai has always been better at reading people. Aizawa's face is set so seriously that Chuuya can't help but believe he's being honest, "Fine, do whatever you want."
Aizawa nods and almost seems relieved by it, yet his serious expression does not leave him, "Nakahara, letting those two HPSC agents speak to you alone was a mistake, one I'll make sure doesn't happen again."
Chuuya wasn't going to let it happen again either.
Aizawa continues, "Knowing what was said in both yours and Dazai's interviews will help us to prevent it from happening again."
Ah, here it is. He already knew this was going to happen at some point, although he was hoping he'd have more time to get some information out of Dazai before it did.
"That being said, no one is going to ask what happened."
It's not like Chuuya to be caught off guard like this twice in one sitting, is he still out of it from yesterday? "What?"
"Nedzu agreed with me that we should wait until you're ready to tell us, so that's what we'll do. When you want to talk, come to us and we'll listen."
"And if that never happens?" Chuuya asks in a disbelieving tone. In truth Chuuya has no problems talking about his own interview, the agent had asked some weird questions but nothing set him off like it had for Dazai. If Aizawa, Yamada, or even Nedzu asked he wouldn't be phased talking about it. That being said, part of him wants to see if Aizawa will stay true to his word and not ask. Actually, that brings up an interesting thought. If Chuuya tells Yamada about it then will Aizawa just go ask him?
Aizawa shrugs, "Then we'll never know."
Frankly, Chuuya isn't sure how much he trusts that. Putting aside the whole 'gather information on Yokohama and the Port Mafia' thing, it only makes sense for teachers to ask for information like that. Chuuya has seen the TV shows based in schools, the teachers are always going on about safeguarding and whatnot. It's like Aizawa said, knowing what happened in the interviews can help prevent it happening again in the future.
Aizawa seems like a good teacher, or at least good compared to the shows Chuuya has seen, so there must be some other reason why he isn't asking for the information. What sort of reason would outweigh the potential safety of both himself and Dazai?
… Ah, that whole 'actively work' to gain trust thing. "This is your first act of trying to make us trust you, huh?"
"It is." Aizawa answers without shame of being caught. He glances over at Dazai, Chuuya ignores the urge to jump up and get his attention away from his still recovering partner, before standing up. "I'll leave you for now but I will be back, I want to apologise to Dazai too."
Chuuya nods while keeping a watchful eye on the man as he walks across the room. Only once Aizawa has left the room does he turn his attention back to Dazai, once again finding himself being stared down by a single brown eye.
Dazai doesn't say anything, which could mean nothing or it could mean a bad thing. Or a good thing, honestly, it could mean anything. There is a chance Dazai might be thinking up some way to tease Chuuya, likely over the fact he got shocked by Aizawa twice in one conversation. If that is the case then it would be for the best if Chuuya spoke first and directed the conversation away from that.
"You think he's being genuine?"
Dazai tilts his head slightly, as much as he can since he's still laid on his side, "Aizawa is straightforward like Chuuya is, I think he would just stay quiet over lying."
Chuuya nods, from what he knows about Aizawa that does seem in character. The only question now is what their next steps should be, dynamics have been changed in the aftermath of Dazai's attempt. The 1A kids will probably feel pity for Dazai, maybe Chuuya too, and be more trusting from now on and, if Aizawa is anything to go off, the same might be true for the Pros. It's advantageous for them, sure, but Dazai might be seeing something he isn't. (He might also be uncomfortable with so many people pitying him, not that he'd ever say that aloud.)
Dazai isn't in any place to be making plans though, so Chuuya will leave off on asking about that until he's back to his normal self.