Double Black

never ever invite soukoku to parties

It was a perfectly fine Saturday morning on an autumn day. The weather was exactly cloudy; it wasn't gloomy, but it wasn't too warm. It was pleasant, and everybody in the Armed Detective Agency offices was in a good mood. Of course, the good weather wasn't the only reason for that. Later that evening, the Agency was supposed to have a joint event- a party- with the Port Mafia. The current ceasefire and alliance of the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia was an occasion to celebrate. The previous day, Kouyou Ozaki- one of the Port Mafia executives- had called Kunikida to propose the event, and the idealist had agreed, although he'd been secretly (or maybe not so secretly) a little reluctant. 

But Kouyou managed to convince him that the party would be a good excuse to socialise with members of the other organisation in the alliance, and it would also help form what they were hoping to be long-lasting bonds. Kunikida was doubtful of that, considering the relationship of rivalry between Akutagawa and Atsushi- Dazai's Shin Soukoku- and the terribly messy relationship of enmity between Dazai and Chuuya- the original Soukoku. But Kunikida wasn't going to oppose Executive Ozaki, thank you very much.

Plus, when he pitched the idea of the party to his colleagues, they were all super excited, and looking forward to it. The party was today evening, and everyone could already not sit still. Dazai walked into the offices that day (yes, that slacker showed up for work at eleven in the morning), only to find the whole office in chaos. Not that chaos was unprecedented in the Agency. Still, something about today felt different.

Atsushi was at his desk, his head on the table, and he kept sighing every two minutes. Kunikida was furiously writing in his notebook, pausing occasionally to make a few calls. Wait, that was an everything thing. Nothing new there. The Tanizaki siblings were being weird in their corner as usual. What was surprising that Kyouka was softly humming to herself. That was a sight one didn't get to see often. And Kenji was running around the office, practically overflowing with excitement.

Dazai slowly walked up to his protégé, and leaned against the latter's desk, "Atsushi-kun! Pray, tell me, what's going on in the office today?"

Kunikida, as one would expect him to do, overheard him, and took time out of his precious schedule to curse at him, "You would know if you actually showed up to work sometimes, you slacker!"

Dazai waved away his reprimands with a grin, "You think too much, Kunikida-kun! Did you know constant worrying leads to poor metabolism and can shorten your lifespan by ten years?"

Kunikida actually paused his work to acknowledge that. He then murmured and he turned to a new page in his notebook, "Oh? I'll write that do-"

Before he could finish his sentence (and his new note), Dazai cut him off with a laugh, "Just kidding!"

Kunikida let out an aggravated sigh before turning around and walking away, not another word said. Smart man, really. But for somebody so smart, he sure fell for Dazai's antics a lot, Atsushi thought to himself. 

Once that was done, and Dazai had stopped chuckling, Atsushi finally answered his mentor's question, "Oh right, Dazai-san. We're going to have a party today. That's why everyone is so excited."

Dazai raised an eyebrow, "A party, you say? And Kunikida-kun agreed to having a party?"

Atsushi replied softly, not wanting Kunikida to overhear, "Well he was reluctant, but it is a celebratory event with the Port Mafia."

Dazai considered that, a weird look having developed in his eyes, "The Port Mafia, huh? Is that why you look so down?"

Atsushi sighed for the hundredth time that morning, "I'm just thinking about having to socialise in a room where Akutagawa is going to be for three hours. This is what my nightmares are made of, you know."