The second after Aizawa has left his line of sight, Dazai carefully lowers Chuuya down and off his lap, instead placing his partner flat on the ground.
He takes the chance to slip his shoulder back in place, barely blinking at the residual pain. While he usually wouldn't he hindered by such a thing, he doesn't want to handicap himself when the situation is already so disadvantageous.
He normally wouldn't just lay Chuuya on the ground when a quick escape might be necessary, but he knows that Recovery Girl would have insisted on it anyway.
Aizawa isn't back yet, which gives Dazai a few precious moments to comb through everything that happened and construct a few new plans.
Recovery Girl should be able to help Chuuya, if not with her Quirk, then with her medical knowledge. He'll keep a close eye on the situation; if it seems like Chuuya is in danger, then he'll overpower her and make a run for it.
He'd like to take advantage of Recovery Girl as much as possible, but if Nedzu or some other pro poses a risk, he won't stick around. Doctors are a dime a dozen, even more so when you have the money needed to keep them quiet after treatment.
Aizawa would be a pain to fight, but his sentimentality will work in Dazai's favour. As long as Dazai's attacks are in self defence—or at least look like it—then Aizawa will likely pull his own punches. Still, he's smart, with years of experience fighting Villains under his belt, so Dazai will have to be careful.
Resounding footsteps echo, Dazai's only warning before Aizawa and Recovery Girl round the corner. Aizawa slows for a moment, his eyes locking onto Dazai's own. Beside him, Recovery Girl does the same, although her body seems ready to spring forward at a moment's notice.
Dazai looks over to Recovery Girl, taking note of the small robots with a stretcher between them following close behind, before inclining his head. They both take that as permission, although Aizawa moves with a distinct cautious feel.
While Recovery Girl wastes no time getting next to Chuuya, Aizawa positions himself just a few steps away from Chuuya's head. It's a smart position; he can keep an eye on both Dazai and Recovery Girl, and interfere if needed.
Aizawa won't do anything, though, not unless Dazai lunges at Recovery Girl in a mad craze.
Across from him, Recovery Girl begins to check over Chuuya's body. She takes a cursory look before asking, "His injuries?" Her voice is stern, leaving no room for nonsense.
For a moment, Dazai debates just how much he should tell her. Chuuya is vulnerable right now, so revealing the exact injuries seems idiotic. Then again, Dazai has already committed to getting Recovery Girl's help. Lying about Chuuya's injuries would be even stupider, at this point—how can she heal Chuuya if she doesn't know what to heal?
"Internal bleeding, possibly a head injury from the impact," Dazai explains, his voice easily staying level and flat. Even if he's decided to trust Aizawa—and Recovery Girl, he supposes—that doesn't mean he can stand down just yet. Sure, Aizawa wants to help, but who knows what Nedzu will say?
As Recovery Girl begins assessing Chuuya, Dazai keeps careful track of where her hands move and what she does with them. Every movement is accounted for, from the places she checks his pulse to the involuntary twitch in her fingers.
When Dazai had first joined Mori, the man had made it abundantly clear what underestimating a doctor could lead to. In emergencies, people tend to defer to anyone with authority; they blindly place their trust in anyone who appears confident.
A doctor—or anyone with medical experience—can so easily send their patients to a painful death without anyone being the wiser.
Fortunately (for her), Recovery Girl follows the usual expectations of someone administering first aid perfectly. Her hands move with precision and clear expertise, unlikely to try anything. Still, Dazai's attention doesn't waver.
She hasn't used her Quirk, not yet, anyway. Part of Dazai wonders if this is standard procedure, that she always does a physical check before using it, or if she's realised that Chuuya is in no state to take the brunt of her Quirk.
He remembers his first day at UA, where Recovery Girl had healed Chuuya and explained her Quirk to them. Healing in exchange for energy, it only seems simple to assume that healing someone who is already exhausted will only lead to further problems.
Recovery Girl is a smart woman; she likely knows not to mess with Chuuya in that aspect right now.
Still, to be sure, Dazai asks, "You won't use your Quirk?"
Recovery Girl briefly looks up before she goes back to work. "My Quirk heals at the expense of energy; it's always far more risky with unconscious patients."
Dazai doesn't bother nodding.
A moment later, Recovery Girl motions for the robots to come closer. "This place isn't suitable, we'll need to move him so I can take a closer look and keep an eye on his vitals. Once he's rested for a while, I'll begin to slowly heal any damage with my Quirk." She gestures for Dazai and Aizawa to take hold of Chuuya, a motion that leaves Dazai a tad annoyed.
Chuuya isn't so heavy that Dazai can't lift him, no matter how much muscle the mini-brute has.
Aizawa is already moving closer to help. He asks, "Will he be alright waiting that long?"
Recovery Girl sends him a sharp glance—one that, if the situation were different, Dazai would tease the man about. "He won't be going without medical attention. I will assess and treat him using traditional medical practices until I'm able to use my Quirk. I'll need to make sure that internal bleeding stops and check on that possible head injury once he wakes up."
Despite himself, Aizawa winces before quickly bowing in her direction. His attention then fixes on Chuuya.
He crouches down, at which point Dazai moves down to grab Chuuya's legs.
Recovery Girl, after taking a step back to allow the robots to get closer, speaks up: "Keep his head as still as possible."
Aizawa nods, his hands steady as he slips one under Chuuya's head. "Ready?"
Dazai resists the urge to shrug, "Sure."
In no time at all, Chuuya is carefully settled onto the stretcher. Aizawa, after gently moving his hand from under Chuuya's head, takes a step back. He turns to face Dazai, a question clearly sitting on the tip of his tongue.
Part of Dazai, the part that isn't running risk calculations and making plans, attempts to guess what the man might say. Does he want to ask about Corruption? That would go against his own promise not to snoop, though, which seems out of character for him at this point.
Recovery Girl, perhaps unknowing or simply uncaring, does not wait for the man to ask his question. Instead, she turns on her heel and begins leading the robots down the hallway.
Dazai glances at Aizawa before moving to follow her. While he can admit to being curious, he has no time to sit around for a Q&A.
He needs to stay by Chuuya's side, if not to protect him, then to make sure the Chibi doesn't freak out when he wakes up.
Aizawa follows close behind, although, after a few steps, he clears his throat. "Dazai, I need to check on Shinsou. I'll be right behind you."
Dazai glances back at him. For some reason, he gets the feeling that Aizawa's earlier question has been left unsaid. Still, he nods before turning his attention back to Chuuya and Recovery Girl.
While he's curious as to what Aizawa wanted to ask, now isn't the time to think about it. The aftermath of Corruption has the potential to affect a great deal of things, and Dazai needs to be prepared for each and every outcome.
-
Shinsou numbly takes notice when Aizawa-sensei appears, his mind not quite focusing on his teacher like it usually would. He wants to; wants to turn and greet his teacher with the respect he's owed, but he just can't muster up the energy to do so.
He's so damn tired, despite not actually doing that much during the exam.
When Aizawa-sensei crouches down beside him, unspeaking, Shinsou makes the focused effort to say something.
"Sensei?" Shinsou asks, taking more effort than he would have liked. It's a fight to not let his mind drift back to what just happened, to replay his own hand in it all.
Aizawa-sensei watches him for a moment, his critical gaze usually something that would send Shinsou into mild panic. "Shinsou, are you alright? Do you need to see Recovery Girl?"
Shinsou shakes his head, "No, I… I'm fine."
He should have been hurt, though, should have been hit with a projectile had it not been for Dazai.
Dazai, who had tackled Shinsou to safety despite what had just happened, despite what he'd done to Nakahara.
Why would he do that? Dazai and Nakahara have proven time and time again that the only people they trust are each other. That they aren't afraid to be mean or violent if threatened. Maybe if it were the other way around, if Nakahara had pushed Shinsou to the side, then he could make some sense of it. But Dazai? No, it just doesn't track.
"What happened wasn't your fault," Aizawa-sensei says, effectively pulling Shinsou out of his thoughts.
Shinsou, without quite realising it, shakes his head. It was his fault; none of this would have happened if he hadn't used his Quirk.
"Shinsou—"
"It was. Nakahara avoided talking to me for a reason, and I just…" Shinsou trails off, his mind unhelpfully supplying memories of exactly what happened, exactly how Shinsou messed up.
Aizawa-sensei watches him, thankfully not looking at Shinsou with disappointment or anger. If he had, then Shinsou… Well, it's hard to imagine feeling worse about this than he currently does, and yet Shinsou knows he would have managed it.
"If you had known what would happen," Aizawa-sensei starts, "would you have still used your Quirk?"
"No!" Shinsou is quick to answer, slightly offended at the question. Aizawa-sensei knows about the struggles with his Quirk, so why would he ask something like this?
Unless… Unless Aizawa-sensei isn't sure about it anymore—isn't sure about him.
Instead of being shocked, or anything that would confirm Shinsou's thoughts, Aizawa-sensei nods. "Exactly. You didn't know. You thought nothing bad would happen. Yes, Nakahara still ended up getting hurt, and you'll need to apologise, but the blame isn't entirely on you."
Aizawa-sensei wouldn't lie about something like this—he's seen the man scold Bakugou for being reckless enough times—but it's still hard to believe. Sure, he didn't know, but… But he should have thought about it more, should have considered how his Quirk might affect Abilities.
It seems so obvious now in hindsight, the idea that his Quirk might work differently on people with Abilities. Next to nothing is known about Abilities, there's no way to know just how entwined they are with their wielder. The fact that Dazai and Nakahara were always cautious around Shinsou proves that they knew something about this. Hell, they probably had people back in Yokohama try to do the same thing.
It would have been nice to know, sure, but Shinsou really can't imagine those two telling anyone about what could happen when Ability users get brainwashed. Not willingly.
Aizawa-sensei stands, perhaps deciding not to push Shinsou on the matter, "I'll walk you back to the dorms. Come on."
Shinsou dutifully stands up, but shakes his head before Aizawa-sensei could begin moving, "No, Sensei. It's alright, just… What should I tell the class?"
Whatever happened to Nakahara seemed serious, especially since Recovery Girl had to intervene. Aizawa-sensei should be with those two, not with Shinsou, walking him back to the dorms.
Aizawa-sensei thinks for a moment. "Tell them that Dazai and Nakahara went overboard. If they press for more, tell them to come find me, alright?"
-
When Shinsou arrives at the dorms, any chance of slinking up to his room unnoticed is killed immediately.
Kaminari waves, his earlier upset at failing his own exam gone. "Shinsou! How'd your exam go?"
With that, the others turn to look at him with smiles on their faces as they welcome him back.
"Oh, wait, where's Dazai and Chuuya?" Uraraka asks, unknowingly asking the very question Shinsou was dreading.
Still, with practised movements—a habit formed by years of lying and pretending to not to be hurt by jokes—Shinsou raises a hand to rub his neck. "Hah, about that…"
-
Chuuya doesn't dream; that is a fact he has long since come to terms with.
He doesn't dream, but sometimes, he wakes up with the dregs of emotion pulling at him—just little pieces here and there, hangovers from before he went to sleep.
If he goes to bed mad, then he'll wake up irritated. If he's happy, then he'll feel optimistic the next day; at least until something comes along to put him in a bad mood.
When Chuuya comes to—his eyes stubbornly closed in a failed attempt to fall asleep again—it takes only a moment for him to recall what happened. There, in the recesses of his mind, is the dark, sinking feeling that always follows after Corruption.
With that, it only takes a second before his memories come flooding in.
Dazai, being a bastard and teasing him the entire exam.
Chuuya, being stupid and letting his guard down.
Shinsou, taking advantage of an opening.
With the memories comes a second wave of emotions, ones that Chuuya does his best to push to the side in a desperate attempt to stay level-headed.
Below his superficial layer of calm sits the dread as he acknowledges what happened, that there's no going back from this. The staff at UA know about Corruption now. Surely they won't just turn the other cheek with something like this. If not to covet the power themselves, they'll do it to keep the students safe.
There's also the confusion of it all; the irritation in how his memories fade away the moment Corruption is activated. What happened while he was in that state? What happened afterwards? Dazai is under orders from the Boss to take him to somewhere safe after Corruption, but would he be able to do so right in the heart of UA?
There's the anger; the fury at Shinsou for taking the choice out of Chuuya's hand. When Chuuya uses Corruption, he is the one who makes that decision, the one who puts aside any discomfort to get the job done. Shinsou took away that choice, something he had no right to do.
(There's the fear; the anxiety of being a passenger in his own body, of how easy it would be for Shinsou to do it again.)
Even so, there's no point in freaking out—even if his body is oh so willing to do it. As Chuuya pushes those emotions back to where they came from, he reminds himself of what he knows to be the truth and what needs to happen next.
The truth is this: in the final exam, Shinsou used his Quirk and, without realising it, forced Corruption to activate. Given that Chuuya is evidently alive now, feeling a surprising lack of pain, it's certain that Dazai managed to get to him and use No Longer Human.
What needs to happen next is as follows: Chuuya needs to figure out where he is and where Dazai is. Everything else, such as making a plan and escaping UA, can come later.
With that in mind, Chuuya finally opens his eyes. It takes a moment for them to focus and adjust to the light, then a moment longer to recognise and react to Dazai's face being just centimetres away from his own.
With a grimace, Chuuya turns his head to the side, intent on looking away from the bastard. As it turns out, though, turning his head is pointless. For whatever reason, Dazai is lying in bed right next to him.
"Why the hell are you laying next to me?" Chuuya asks, grateful that, at the very least, Dazai wasn't tucked under the covers too.
Chuuya refuses to be relieved to see Dazai, even if he was just thinking that he would need to get back to the fishy bastard as soon as possible.
A quick glance around the room tells him he's in Recovery Girl's infirmary, likely in the exact same bed that Dazai once occupied. In terms of places he's woken up in after Corruption, it's far from being the worst. It would also explain how, well, good Chuuya feels. Typically, after Corruption, Chuuya is in a far worse state.
The fact that he's here, though, and not some abandoned house halfway back to Yokohama, means that Dazai was either unable to get out of UA or thought it wasn't necessary.
Chuuya hopes it's the latter. Although he doesn't cross off the possibility of needing to jump up and fight his way out.
Dazai watches him for a moment, not even bothering to pull up some cheery mask or another. "It's more romantic like this, don't you think?"
Chuuya doesn't.
(He doesn't, but Chuuya hates waking up to sterile white rooms, hates the split second when he forgets where he actually is. Seeing Dazai's stupid face, and so close to his own, settled those nerves before they appeared.)
Thankfully, Dazai takes his silence as an answer and leans back. Not like that actually gives Chuuya much room to move, though.
For a moment, neither of them speaks. Chuuya partially hopes that Dazai will speak without needing prompting. Sure, Chuuya's feeling far better than his usual post-Corruption state, but that doesn't mean he's perfectly fine. Honestly, the second he gets some information out of Dazai, he'll be going back to sleep.
Dazai's still watching him, his one eye stubbornly staring at one of Chuuya's shoulders. A quick roll of his shoulder tells him that he didn't get injured there, which means Dazai's staring, plus his lack of speaking, is for some other reason.
With a sigh, Chuuya asks, "Hm, and you're gonna sit there all day?"
Dazai's eye flicks up to Chuuya's face, the action smooth enough that Chuuya doubts he was actually distracted earlier. "Don't bother, I already checked for cameras and mics."
Chuuya fights back the urge to scoff, "There aren't any?" Back when Dazai landed himself in Recovery Girl's care, Chuuya had done a sweep of the room to make sure there weren't any cameras to worry about. There weren't, but who knows if that has changed? Dazai could have told him sooner, although Chuuya really shouldn't be surprised that he didn't.
Dazai waves his hand, "There are probably a few in Recovery Girl's office, and a camera watching her door, but none in here. Probably for patient confidentiality or something."
Good to know, Chuuya's too tired to be speaking in code right now.
"Alright, so why the hell are we still at UA?" Chuuya asks, hoping that Dazai won't beat around the bush with his answer.
It seems luck isn't on his side as Dazai sighs, "Because dragging you out half-dead was too much work." His tone is teasing, although not quite matching his usual one. There's something serious in it, a sliver of truth buried beneath the surface.
"Be serious."
"I am," Dazai responds, his tone easily dropping the teasing edge. "After I nullified Corruption, Aizawa came running. He was all worried and desperate to help, not a threat. I decided getting you partially healed would be better in the long run."
Chuuya takes a moment to digest the information. He's not happy about still being at UA, not when they know about Corruption now, but he can see the merit behind Dazai's actions. Even if Chuuya had only used Corruption for a few seconds, the damage done would have been accelerated the second Dazai tried to fight his way out of UA.
Usually, back in Yokohama, the enemy is either completely taken out by Corruption, or there's a backup squad to provide cover.
Although that does raise an interesting question, from what Chuuya remembers, Corruption got activated while Chuuya was moving between places. Which, in the context of the training grounds they were using, meant he was in the air using his Ability to hover in the cut out section.
"Yeah, sure, but how'd you nullify Corruption anyway?" Chuuya asks, the bad feeling that he associates with Dazai already rearing its head.
Dazai looks away, which is incriminating enough. "I jumped."
Not the first time Chuuya had heard those words, and yet they were the most shocking. "What?!"
Dazai sighs, for all intents, looking like he's being pestered for no reason, "You heard me, stupid Chuuya. I ran and dove to catch you, which hurt by the way."
"I'm the stupid one?!" Chuuya fires back, disbelief evident in his voice. Usually, he can put up with Dazai's insults, but this… Dazai has no place throwing out accusations of idiocy right now.
"Duh," Dazai responds without missing a beat.
"You—" Chuuya starts, only to stop and take a breath to settle himself, "I can be healed with Quirks and whatever else, you can't."
As long as Chuuya doesn't die, then he can always be healed, it doesn't matter how hurt he gets. Sure, back home, they don't have anyone on the same level as Recovery Girl, but that doesn't mean the Port Mafia is without healers. From what Chuuya's heard, when Mori became boss, he made it a point to recruit anyone with a healing Ability, something that is evident when you look at the quantity of the Port Mafia's healers.
Dazai, on the other hand, can't cheat injuries by using a powerful Quirk or Ability. If he gets hurt, then he just has to suck it up and go about his day, waiting for weeks for a broken bone to heal when Chuuya can get it fixed in a day or so.
It's unrealistic to think that Dazai shouldn't get hurt at all, but Chuuya is confident that there was a better way to nullify Corruption than to just… Jump and hope for the best.
What if Dazai had missed? Or if Chuuya had dodged? Dazai would be injured without anything to show for it, placed in a position where he'd likely have to hurt himself further to get to Chuuya.
Really, when had his partner gotten so stupid with his plans?
Dazai, uncaring to Chuuya's opinion, scoffs, "Oh, sure, next time I'll be more careful and leave you to get all your organs crushed."
Yeah, Chuuya wants to say, please do!
Instead, he repeats his earlier point, "Which can be healed, unlike whatever happens to you."
Dazai looks at him, his eye sharpening for just a moment before it flicks away.
Chuuya knows that look, he knows it like the back of his hand. Dazai has something to say, something that he thinks will bring him triumph in this little argument.
"No, what were you gonna say? Tell me." Chuuya demands, because he's not some baby who can't take an insult. Dazai knows this, having been one to give him many of those insults, taunts, and harsh truths himself, so there's no reason for him to keep quiet.
It seems that whatever held Dazai back from speaking wasn't that serious, given how he huffs before turning his attention to Chuuya, "Do the maths, Chuuya. I wasn't the only one there."
It takes a second for that to process, which is swiftly followed by a deep feeling of dread.
Shinsou was there, Aizawa too, apparently.
Dazai, taking Chuuya's silence as an answer, continues, "Yeah, exactly. Sure, I could have waited for a better moment, but I figured you'd appreciate me keeping Aizawa and Shinsou out of the line of fire."
Which… Yeah. He does appreciate it, actually.
Corruption is the single state where Chuuya isn't in control of himself, where his thoughts and wants are pushed aside for something else. Ordinarily, he would never turn his Ability on an ally, not unless given a damn good reason.
When Corruption is activated, he doesn't have that choice. Everyone is an enemy to be taken down, to be destroyed.
Back in the Port Mafia, that part of Corruption was treated as an unfortunate side effect. The Boss had always been understanding about it, saying that collateral is to be expected when using such a power. Dazai barely cares about anyone, himself included, so a few lives lost here and there meant nothing to him.
But to Chuuya, it was deeper than that. These were his allies, the people who placed their trust in him. How could he betray that and hurt them?
And sure, it's not like he'd consider anyone at UA his ally, but… But he'll admit that Aizawa is growing on him, his steady presence slowly becoming something Chuuya expects to be there. If he had to, if it came down to sparing Aizawa or seeing one of his true allies get hurt, then he'd do it. He'd have to do it.
But in this situation, Aizawa hadn't done anything wrong. Hell, Chuuya is confident the only reason he happened to be there was to make sure Chuuya was alright. He didn't deserve to be hurt or worse because of it.
And he didn't, Chuuya reassures himself. Aizawa is fine.
Aizawa is fine because Dazai pulled off a stupid plan to prevent anything from happening to him, and… And Chuuya is suddenly hit with the urge to know why. Dazai said he got hurt, an egregious crime for someone who hates pain like him.
(Chuuya knows, and yet he still wants to hear it.)
"You said you got hurt," Chuuya says, his question unspoken and yet still heard. Dazai is hardly an idiot, despite how much Chuuya calls him one. He knows what Chuuya is really asking, yet he doesn't answer.
Instead, he pushes his side into Chuuya's with just enough pressure that it's impossible to ignore.
It's not a real answer, and yet it feels like one. It feels like a simple statement, a reminder that Dazai is there, that Dazai is his partner just as Chuuya is his.
Maybe, if Chuuya pushed, then Dazai would scoff and say he wanted to avoid Chuuya's complaints after the fact. That he knew Chuuya would get upset over it and simply didn't want to deal with it.
Chuuya won't push.
For now, he leans ever so slightly into Dazai's side and makes the effort to clear his thoughts up.
While he isn't happy Dazai got hurt, it doesn't seem like it was anything serious. Aizawa was fine too, and Shinsou…
Right. Shinsou.
Somehow, Chuuya had forgotten about the very one who caused all this.
"Fuck, how did I fall for Shinsou's Quirk?" Chuuya sighs, his previous annoyance rising once again at the thought. He'd known for a while now that Shinsou's Quirk could be dangerous for him, which is why he'd made sure never to respond to the kid. Now that's all gone out the window.
"We underestimated his physical strength," Dazai responds. "That, or you messed up your little rock wall."
Chuuya is quick to fire back, "I didn't mess it up." And he knows he didn't; creating a rock wall like that is child's play by now. So, unless Shinsou is some secret bodybuilder, he must have found some other way out of that room.
Which is annoying. Chuuya had been pleased with himself when he managed to take Shinsou out of the fight without actually hurting him.
"Then we were careless. We're getting too complacent here," Dazai says, a notion Chuuya agrees with. It's far too easy to just write off the class as Hero students with big hearts, rather than actual threats they need to keep an eye on.
Sure, Class 1A has promised to be better classmates or whatever, but letting your guard down leads to situations like the one with Shinsou. Even the weakest person can do something unexpected and gain the upper hand.
"What's the plan?" Chuuya asks, because damn. He can't be bothered thinking of one right now.
Dazai pauses, thinking for a second, although Chuuya is certain he's doing it for show. If Chuuya has been asleep for a while, then Dazai has probably been sitting there thinking up various plans, each one just minutely different from the last.
Eventually, Dazai speaks, "I think you should forgive Shinsou, make it seem like your opinion on him hasn't changed."
That causes Chuuya to blank screen for a moment, because what the hell?!
Sure, Shinsou didn't know what was at stake, but he was still the reason why all this happened. He won't outright hate the kid or anything, but Dazai must be losing it if he thinks Chuuya will be friendly with him again.
Now that Chuuya knows for certain that Shinsou can forcibly activate Corruption, how could he just casually talk to him like that?
"Not for real, just for the sake of the plan," Dazai explains. "It's a risk, but let's be honest. He's far from some evil mastermind, or whatever. If I had to bet, I'd say he's feeling awfully guilty and sad over all this."
"And?" Chuuya asks. Frankly, he'd prefer to not speak with Shinsou again, but… But if Dazai's been brainstorming plans and this is the best one, then he'll have to hear the bastard out.
"And if he's riddled with guilt, then all he needs is a little push to work in our favour," Dazai says, which explains absolutely nothing.
Fortunately, all Chuuya needs to do it give Dazai a pointed look for him to continue talking.
"Talk to him," Dazai explains, "Make up some sob story. By now, he'll have realised that this is why you didn't trust him, so if we jump on this now, he'll feel too bad to try and use his Quirk on you in the future."
Chuuya hates to admit it, but it's a good idea. There's no way to definitively take Shinsou out of the equation, so guilting him into not using his Quirk is their best bet.
Not that this plan is concrete, either. Shinsou could just as easily use his Quirk again anyway; they'll just have to hope that his morals keep him from doing it.
Although that does imply that they'll be staying at UA as planned.
When Chuuya asks about this, curious to see Dazai's reasoning, the other just shrugs. "That depends on how Nedzu reacts to this whole thing, but it doesn't hurt to plan ahead for it."
Right…
"Shit, Nedzu."
Dazai laughs at that, which doesn't make Chuuya feel any better about his accidental slip up, "We'll need some sort of cover—"
Whatever Dazai had to say is sharply cut off by the sound of a door opening, not quite being wrenched open, but certainly with more force than needed. Thankfully, it's not the door to Chuuya's room being opened.
Dazai sends a glare in that direction, annoyed at either being cut off or the noise, before slipping off the bed and onto one of the chairs next to it.
It doesn't take long to find out who was behind the noise as, a moment later, someone knocks at Chuuya's door, "Nakahara! Can I come in?"
Really, Chuuya shouldn't be surprised that it was Yamada making all that noise. "Yeah."
Without hesitation, Yamada opens the door and all but collapses into the chair next to Dazai, "Are you alright? I didn't see what happened, but Shouta told me- ah, you look tired, do I need to get Recovery Girl? I can go get her!"
The man looks about half ready to leap up and start running, something that causes Chuuya to quickly shake his head, "Yamada, it's fine. I'm fine."
Yeah, he's dead tired, but not so much that he needs medical help.
Yamada doesn't look convinced, but thankfully, settles into his seat. He glances over at Dazai, his smile not quite as authentic as usual, before turning his attention back to Chuuya. "What happened out there? Was it some sort of Ability malfunction?"
Which is the worst thing he could have asked, if Chuuya's being honest.
If Dazai thinks sticking around at UA is a possibility, then he's likely already got ideas on how to cover up Corruption. Ideas that he was about to tell Chuuya, but couldn't because of Yamada's appearance.
So, now Chuuya has to make something up and hope it doesn't mess with Dazai's plans too badly. Which, sure, Dazai is smart enough to work around whatever Chuuya says, but this…
Corruption is the one thing Chuuya didn't want anyone outside of Yokohama to know about, and for damn good reason. Right now, they need to run damage control, plan out their words and actions to minimise the impact of Corruption.
Maybe…
Yamada is still looking at him, clearly worried yet trying not to be too overbearing about it.
Frankly, Chuuya would rather not do this, but it's his best choice in this situation, the only way he could get out of answering without being too suspicious or messing up whatever Dazai has planned out.
"Hey, Yamada?" Chuuya asks, only waiting for the slightest of acknowledgement from the man before continuing, "This is one of those things."
It takes a moment, but Chuuya watches as understanding dawns on Yamada's face.
There's part of him that expects Yamada to still push, to say that this whole situation is too serious and that Chuuya has to talk about it, explain what the hell went on in that exam.
Instead, Yamada smiles, "Hey, how about I order some tea from that place you like? Same as usual?"
And just like that, Yamada's question is forgotten about.
(It's not, Chuuya knows. Yamada's question has been pushed to the side, purposely overlooked simply because Chuuya asked him to.)
Chuuya nods, "Sure."
Yamada grins before looking over at Dazai, "Dazai, what about you?"
After this, Chuuya will have to make sure to get a moment to discuss everything with Dazai. He seriously doubts whether asking nicely will get him out of explaining what happened to someone like Nedzu.
God, Nedzu. Chuuya can already feel the headache. If they stay at UA, then they'll need to trick Nedzu even more than they already have been. No doubt he's already got his own theories about Corruption, and probably his own suspicions about what secrets are being kept from him.
"Black tea," Dazai answers. "With a lot of sugar."
Yamada gasps, "I didn't think you'd like sweet teas!"
Chuuya rolls his eyes—there's no use thinking about plans and such right now. "He's disgusting about it."
"Come now, Chuuya, you're still hung up on that?" Dazai asks, his voice portraying the perfect innocent tone.
Chuuya knows better.
"Who the hell puts ten spoons of sugar in one drink?! You might as well just eat the sugar plain at that point!"
-
Dazai and Nakahara, what an interesting pair indeed.
When Nedzu announced his decision to allow those two into UA, he was met with significant backlash. People questioned his intelligence, saying he mustn't be thinking right. Even the staff, the ones who knew of his intelligence and trusted his leadership, gave him sideways glances.
Of course, Nedzu would sooner be dead than not think something through.
The thing is, though, that there is only so much one can do with limited information. Yes, he knows more about Abilities than the average Hero, but that's hardly scratching the surface of the truth of the matter. What he knows about Abilities is barely anything, really, and his knowledge about the Port Mafia is even scarcer.
Seeing Dazai and Nakahara fight, seeing the intelligence they displayed, and more importantly, what they didn't, well…
Even an idiot would realise just how strong those two are. How dangerous they could be.
In any other situation, Nedzu would be sure of his assessment. He would continue to formulate theories and plans, and would get to the core of the matter within a few days.
But, as stated, there is only so much he can do without vital information about the Port Mafia and Abilities as a whole.
Sure, Abilities are stronger than Quirks, but how do 'No Longer Human' and 'Upon the Tainted Sorrow' rank on that scale? Are they exceptional, or barely average?
If Nedzu were to think from a clinical standpoint, those two boys are valuable assets to any organisation. Their Abilities are strong, their minds sharp, so why wouldn't the Port Mafia try to get them back? Why would they let them be taken and hidden away in a school for Heroes?
Questions such as those had been weighing on Nedzu's mind for a while now, his mind being pulled in new directions only to once again fight with itself every day.
It had crossed Nedzu's mind a few times that maybe Dazai and Nakahara had intended to be caught, that this was some sort of ploy by the Port Mafia. While it would explain a few things, frankly, Nedzu couldn't see why the Port Mafia would bother.
Never once has the Port Mafia attempted to expand outside of Yokohama's borders, let alone to infiltrate a school, of all places. Perhaps they were working with the League of Villains, but Nedzu highly doubted that. The Port Mafia is well established; meanwhile, the League of Villains is still in its infancy. What benefit would there be to help such a small organisation?
That's what Nedzu had presumed anyway, but now? Now, things are different.
Nedzu is still mentally combing over what just happened, his mind working to find an explanation.
Shinsou Hitoshi had activated his Quirk. Mere moments later, Nakahara Chuuya seemed to lose himself due to his own Ability. It had only been for a few seconds, what he had actually done wasn't anything more impressive than his usual capabilities, but…
But Dazai had been quick to act, had run without any confusion or hesitation. Whatever had happened wasn't something new; it was something both boys were aware of, a power Nakahara has had for some time now.
A power that those two knew might've activated when Shinsou used his Quirk, which would explain their refusal to talk to him.
This is something more than just losing control; Dazai wouldn't have run so quickly had that been the case. Yes, Nakahara's Ability is dangerous enough to warrant such concern, but Nedzu knows there was more there. There was a genuine worry, one that left Dazai on the defensive and ready to attack Aizawa if needed.
This is something bigger than a little lapse of control.
On top of that, though, is the knowledge that Dazai and Nakahara must have intended to be caught. The fight between them and the Pros had seemed realistic, but it's not that hard to pull your strength and pretend to be beaten, especially when your opponent has no idea what you're truly capable of.
If Dazai and Nakahara hadn't wanted to be captured, then Nakahara would have activated that part of his Ability. Sure, there might have been undesirable drawbacks, but, in a matter of life and death, why would he worry?
Because, had they not been planning for it, that fight was a matter of life and death for those boys. They were up against opponents, ones angry over the death of a comrade who could have gotten away with anything. There was no way to know that the Pros were to take the boys back alive, that they were instructed to administer first aid and not hurt them too badly.
And even then, when faced with the prospect of being taken from your home, from the city you've known you're entire life, wouldn't you do anything to fight back?
Maybe Nakahara couldn't activate it, or maybe it isn't as powerful as Nedzu thinks it is. Maybe there is an explanation for all of this that doesn't point at those two (successfully) infiltrating UA.
Personally, Nedzu wouldn't buy that.
So, the real question is what to do about it.
Does he let them continue their charade, or throw them out while he has the chance?
And, oh, neither Aizawa nor Yamada will be happy with him for that. They've grown quite attached to those two, determined to become adults they can turn to and trust.
Nedzu doesn't quite have the same goals. He's only spoken with Nakahara a handful of times, none of them being particularly friendly, either. He could make time in his schedule to talk with him if needed, but between Aizawa, Yamada, and class 1A, Nedzu believes the boy has enough people to turn to.
He's not foolish enough to believe that Dazai will ever truly trust him, either, although he was hoping to form some sort of camaraderie with him.
In the end, Nedzu is the principal. His job is to look out for the students, and if Dazai and Nakahara are a threat to them, they must be removed. Yes, they are now part of the student body he works to protect, but the safety of the entire school is a more pressing matter.
On the other hand, neither of them has attempted to hurt a student or access confidential information. Yes, they might be waiting to gain more trust before trying anything, but there is a real chance that whatever they're after has nothing to do with UA after all.
If that is the case, then perhaps Nedzu can keep them a bit longer. He really would hate to send them both off, especially when certain clues about Nakahara are piecing together in his head, clues that he does his best to ignore for now.
(Numbers on his neck, a power he can't control, a power that he might not have ever wanted.)
Ah, but the other students…
If he lets them stay, then he runs the risk of students being harmed. However, if he sends them away, he misses out on helping two children who clearly need it…
What a dilemma, indeed.
-
Later that night, oblivious to the thoughts of a certain rat-like principal, Chuuya finds himself struggling to sleep.
It's not that he doesn't want to, god knows he does, but for some reason, he just can't drift away. There's really no reason for him not to: the bed is comfortable and the lights have long since been shut off. Chuuya isn't in that much pain, and, after Yamada had left, he'd been able to change into some softer clothes.
Dazai lies beside him in the bed, thankfully also having changed into more sleep-appropriate clothing before bed. Chuuya can hear him breathing, each breath soft and evenly paced.
The last time Chuuya looked, Dazai had propped himself up against the headboard with some random book. The fact that he wouldn't try to get any sleep isn't surprising. Dazai isn't the type to easily fall asleep in situations like this. Things are still so uncertain, and no matter how much Aizawa and Yamada promise, there is no one who can stop Nedzu from kicking them both from UA—or worse.
Dazai's already has his plans, but what's a few more? That's what that bastard is probably thinking—that, or keeping tabs on each creak of the windows in case of an ambush attack.
Really, Chuuya should take advantage of having his partner alert to get some restful sleep himself, but…
Unfortunately, no matter how long Chuuya keeps his eyes closed, he just can't get to sleep. He can feel it, just sitting on the edge of his consciousness, begging him to give in and sleep.
With a sigh, Chuuya rolls over, now facing Dazai.
For a moment, he allows himself to just watch, as creepy as that may sound. He can't help it, though; there isn't much else to look at right now.
There isn't much light to see with, definitely not enough to be reading like Dazai pretends he is, but that doesn't bother Chuuya. He takes in the sight of Dazai 'reading', his posture completely relaxed and breathing at ease.
Chuuya knows better than to believe it. It's not anything physical that gives him away—by all means, Dazai looks like he hasn't a care in the world—but instead it's just something… Instinctual.
It's always the case with Dazai; there's a part of him that just understands what his partner is up to without needing to question anything. A part of him that, even when the evidence suggests otherwise, knows Dazai will be exactly where Chuuya expects him to be.
Like this, it's hard to see the fearsome Demon Prodigy. Instead, Chuuya's eyes trace along soft edges and fluffy hair.
"I didn't know you were into this sort of thing, Chuuya," Dazai teases, his voice barely a whisper.
Chuuya huffs, far too weak compared to his usual attitude, "Yeah, whatever."
Dazai turns his head, that one brown eye finding Chuuya even in the dark.
He watches, and Chuuya watches back. Neither speaks.
Dazai turns his attention back to his book, at which point Chuuya can't help but chime in, "There's no way you're actually able to read that."
Chuuya isn't sure whether it's a coincidence or spite when Dazai flips a page. He doesn't spare Chuuya a glance before responding, "I'm not sure what you mean, Chibi, my eyesight is perfect."
Rather than answer, Chuuya pulls himself up so that he's sitting next to Dazai, his eyes scanning over the pages to see that it is, in fact, too dark to be reading.
Chuuya doesn't call him out on it (again), instead choosing to lean his weight onto Dazai just ever so slightly. That bastard deserves it after all the times he's draped himself over Chuuya.
For a few minutes, they sit like that. Dazai intermittently flips pages while Chuuya closes his eyes and allows his mind to wander.
Tomorrow, there will be a lot to do, mind games to play and facades to craft. They'll have to be on their top game, constantly aware and a step ahead of whatever Nedzu throws their way.
But tonight, there is only Dazai flipping pages and Chuuya slowly dozing off, a brief moment of calm in the storm that is Corruption.