chapter thirty-four - when we’re together

The thing that annoys Dazai most about being at UA, the thing that, some days, makes him regret choosing this plan, is the presence of Nedzu.

Back in Yokohama, Dazai stands leagues above the rest in terms of intelligence. Sure, Mori is usually quick on the uptake, but still slower than Dazai.

For missions, particularly infiltration, Dazai is able to be a bit lazy at times because, as it happens, his 'lazy' is still above what the majority would be capable of. Sure, he still creates the more complex plans, but it gets boring sometimes.

With Nedzu, Dazai has to be at the top of his game. One half-arsed conversation and everything could come tumbling down.

So far, Dazai has been able to keep up rather well. Sure, Nedzu might have a suspicion or two, but suspicions without evidence are worthless. Well, in this world of fair trials at least.

Now there's a real chance the mission is about to end.

Or, well, not right now. Had Nedzu completely figured it all out, Dazai would probably be sitting in a jail cell right now.

Then again, perhaps Nedzu did figure it out and wants to see how long Dazai can keep up the act? Or maybe he's after further information before taking action.

Or maybe—

"Stop thinking so loud."

Dazai scoffs, "Like you know anything about thinking too much." That earns him a glare, one that Dazai expertly ignores. "In case you haven't noticed, Chibi, this next conversation will determine the fate of the mission."

Chuuya, sat at the end of the bed, rolls his eyes, "Funnily enough, I did notice. We have a plan, though, so tone down the fretting, yeah?"

"I'm not fretting," Dazai is quick to respond, "I'm considering how much Nedzu actually knows, which will inform how we proceed with the mission."

Which, for the record, is an absolute pain to do.

Chuuya, clearly about to spout something idiotic, is mercifully cut off when someone knocks on the door.

After shooting a look at Chuuya, one that should convey 'if you mess this up, I'm leaving you here', Dazai speaks, "Come in."

The door opens and in steps Nedzu, his usual smile perfectly set in place, "Ah, Dazai and Nakahara! What a pleasure to see you both in good health!"

Chuuya nods, although the action is awfully unconvincing to Dazai's keen eye–stupid slug.

Nedzu doesn't comment, though; instead, he shuts the door, hops onto a seat, and clasps his paws together. "Well, I'm sure you'll both appreciate it if I skip the small talk."

Dazai hums, "You know us so well."

"Why, of course! I do make an effort to get to know my students when possible," Nedzu's smile grows. "This includes knowing the risks of their Quirks inside and out."

Nedzu is quiet for a moment, seemingly wanting someone else to continue the conversation. When that doesn't happen, he places a paw on his cheek in what might be a worried gesture on anyone else, "I would hate to push you both into a corner, but I'm sure you understand the severity of the situation."

Dazai almost wants to laugh. Of course, they understand, more than Nedzu could possibly imagine.

Nedzu, with no hesitation despite him 'not wanting to push', continues, "Tell me about what happened during your exam."

There's a part of Dazai that wants to be difficult, maybe start talking about how boring Shinsou was or the texture of the walls. Nedzu hadn't been specific after all, so it would count as a proper answer.

That being said, doing that would only drag the conversation out longer.

In the end, it's Chuuya that responds, "My Ability requires focused control; when Shinsou took that away, it went haywire." The explanation is basic, the type of thing that would convince anyone but Nedzu. Dazai expects there to be further questioning, much to his loathing.

"Oh, I see!" Nedzu nods, but a second later, a confused expression takes over, "But, I must ask, why wasn't Aizawa able to erase your Ability in that moment?"

Dazai had expected Nedzu to pick up on that, but it's still annoying for it to be brought up. Why couldn't Nedzu just go along with the easier, neatly packaged explanation?

Without waiting for a response, Nedzu continues, "The fact that Aizawa was unable to stop what was happening, but Dazai here was, makes me believe there is something more to the story."

There is more to the story, but frankly, Nedzu isn't entitled to know. Sure, he wants to protect his students or whatever, but knowing how Chuuya ended up with Corruption is irrelevant. Hypothetically, Dazai could just say as much, but he gets the feeling Nedzu is digging for something specific here.

What he wants is confirmation of whatever theory he's cooked up.

He's figured something out, that much is clear, but the question now is what…

Has he realised that Dazai and Chuuya aren't some pathetic kids trapped in the Port Mafia? That, in truth, they practically run the place?

Or maybe he's begun to doubt they ended up at UA in the first place? Now that he's seen Corruption, will he think that the first fight against the heroes was so obviously faked?

So many possibilities, so many combinations.

Dazai leans back in his seat, breathing out as he does.

On cue, Chuuya huffs, "Quirks and Abilities are different things; I'm surprised Aizawa's Quirk even worked on me in the first place."

Nedzu hums, "Quite right, but we have no reason to believe it would stop working in different conditions. Unless, of course, there was something about this aspect of your Ability that was… unnatural."

Unnatural, huh?

Out of everything, Nedzu chose to ask about that?

While it had crossed Dazai's mind as a possibility, especially given Nedzu's own history with experimentation, he had assumed that Nedzu would focus on more pressing matters, such as his dear school being infiltrated.

There must be a reason behind this, an explanation as to why Nedzu decided his very first question would link to Chuuya's past of all things.

Had it been someone else, say Aizawa, Dazai would have been able to pass it off as genuine concern. Aizawa has proven himself to be a good man, someone who actually tries to live up to the title of 'hero'. If he was asking about this, then it would be safe to assume that his worry for Chuuya outweighed everything else.

This being Nedzu, however, complicates things as usual.

If Nedzu is as smart as Dazai expects, then he must have some idea about the truth of the mission.

There is a very deliberate message being sent here.

"And? As long as you know the students aren't at risk, why does the rest matter?" Chuuya asks, his voice settled into what Dazai likes to call 'I'm not an adult, but you'll treat me as one.'

That voice usually appears during trade meetings when other organisations assume that the tiny fifteen year old can't possibly have useful insight. While Chuuya is rather tiny, he's also particularly talented when it comes to business.

Nedzu hums, "I do suppose that is true, but depending on how this part of your Ability… manifested, my students may still be in danger."

Perhaps, in Nedzu's mind, he's imagining Chuuya as some escaped experiment, one that some mad scientist is desperate to get back, which is a rather flimsy defence when, at the start of this mission, Nedzu had no idea if the Port Mafia would be rushing in to rescue their agents or not.

Terrible excuse or not, Nedzu wants more information. While with the right wording, Dazai might be able to get out of this, there is part of him that wonders what Nedzu will do once he gets the answers he's after.

Of course, Chuuya would be quick to shut Dazai up if so much as said a single word of the truth, but that doesn't mean Nedzu has to leave empty handed.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about," Dazai answers, the perfect explanation coming together in his mind.

"Ah, that is wonderful to hear," Nedzu smiles in his direction, "Although, for the sake of my anxiety, I would appreciate some further detail."

Of course, he would.

Dazai looks over at Chuuya, just long enough for Nedzu to take note, before looking back and speaking, "Chibi here went on a mission some time ago; he got hit by an Ability that causes permanent amplification of Abilities, with the end goal of complete uncontrollable power."

Nedzu nods, "That is rather interesting, do tell me more."

Chuuya sighs in fake hesitation, "The Ability user died before Dazai could get to her, but someone in the Port Mafia was able to confine the affected part of my Ability."

While Dazai had taken the time to discuss some cover stories with Chuuya, he didn't focus too much on the details. With so many possible ways for this conversation to go, having too much to memorise would just increase the chances of mistakes.

Instead, Dazai had laid the basics out and trusted Chuuya to expertly play along.

Of course, relying so heavily on the 'you just don't know Abilities' excuse could backfire. Fortunately, the Port Mafia likes to keep chatter about their fights to a minimum. Anyone who knows something will keep quiet, lest they want punishment at the hands of an executive.

On top of that, if Nedzu, somehow, did some digging into Port Mafia members and their Abilities…

Well, it's rather fortunate Rimbaud's Ability was always under-documented.

"Which only activates when you aren't fully conscious?" Nedzu clarifies.

"Right."

Nedzu claps his paws together, "Well, I am quite pleased to know the culprit is no longer at large. Of course, should any of her associates pop up, I will be more than happy to see them dealt with."

Which confirms Dazai's earlier thoughts, not that it wasn't already obvious.

"Ah, this has been a wonderful chat! I'm afraid I must be leaving now, my duties as principal are never-ending," Nedzu explains, hopping off his chair as he spoke.

"Have fun," Dazai calls out, his tone a sharp contrast to his words.

"I will!" Nedzu grins, he begins to head towards the door and, for a single moment, Dazai is glad this whole thing is over with for now. Then, just because Nedzu sucks, he spares one last look backwards, "Now, do remember this, so long as the students of UA aren't in danger, I do not mind what secrets you choose to have."

So he has figured Dazai and Chuuya out. Great.

Once Nedzu has left the room, it takes only a moment for Chuuya to fall backwards onto the bed, "I hate that guy."

Dazai huffs, feeling much the same, "From now on, don't let your guard down."

Nedzu has them figured out, and yet he's allowing them to stay… Tch, it would be easier if he just threw them out, but no.

"Not like I did that anyway," Chuuya rolls his eyes.

"But you're getting friendly with them," Dazai counters, "Nedzu knows about the mission, to a degree anyway."

Chuuya sits up, his face turning more serious, "But the only thing he asked about was the origin of Corruption. Is he letting us stay anyway out of pity?"

Ah, there Chuuya goes, proving himself to be smart every so often.

Of course, Nedzu's true motives are a mystery, but if Dazai had to guess…

Nedzu figured everything out in the wake of Corruption, but he, genuinely, believes Dazai and Chuuya might change their ways by staying at UA. He said it himself, so long as the students aren't in danger, he doesn't care what secrets are kept.

Aizawa is glad to see that both Nakahara and Dazai are just as he left them, not anymore upset or uncomfortable after their talk with Nedzu.

He had been worried that, after he saw Nedzu leave suspiciously pleased, at least one of them would be… suffering the after effects of Nedzu, so to speak.

When Aizawa walks into the room, he is immediately accosted by Dazai.

"Sensei, all of this is so boring," He whines, "Break us out of here, will you?"

Aizawa thinks of the last time he took a student out before Recovery Girl said they could leave. While he had good reasons, Recovery Girl hadn't been willing to hear them. Instead, she, very thoroughly, reminded him about the consequences of moving a patient who's still partially injured.

Thankfully, though, Nakahara has been given the go-ahead to leave for a while now.

Aizawa sighs, "Alright, we can head to the dorms."

And just like that, all three of them are leaving the infirmary and walking towards the dorms. It's all very familiar, reminding Aizawa of the last time he had to do this.

Just recently, he had been the one to walk Dazai and Nakahara back to the dorms after Dazai tried to drown himself. On that very day, he had promised Dazai to do better, to be someone he could rely on without worry of Nedzu hearing every little thing.

Sure, it hadn't been that long, but is Aizawa holding true to his promise? Yes, he hasn't told anything to Nedzu, but that's only because he has only one piece of information, one piece that wasn't given willingly.

A piece of information that Aizawa has heavily considered researching on his own.

Other than that name, Aizawa hasn't really been entrusted with any information. While he recognises that he just isn't close enough (yet, he hopes) with Dazai and Nakahara for that sort of thing, there is part of him that worries he's already messed up.

Too soon, they arrive at the dorms, and Aizawa is forced to push those thoughts aside. He has patrol later tonight, that'll be plenty of time to mull things over. Which, for the record, is the first time he's been able to go out on patrol since Dazai and Nakahara arrived.

While his excitement had been somewhat dampened due to the events of the final exams, Aizawa is still able to look forward to getting some time away from UA.

Most of class 1A are gathered in the common area, likely either waiting for Dazai and Nakahara or talking about the upcoming training camp. They're all pretty excited for it, which…

Well, it would ruin the fun if Aizawa told them how the camp will really go.

"Oh! Dazai, Chuuya!" Midoriya is the first to greet, quickly standing up and making his way over.

It doesn't take long after that for the rest of the class to call out their own greetings, and not that Aizawa would admit this, it pleases him to see his class getting on with Dazai and Nakahara so well. He remembers how the class had reacted when it was announced, how they had all been on edge the first few days.

Now, they have no fear in calling out greetings, in teasing Dazai and Nakahara for taking so long to recover.

"Oh, before I forget," Aizawa says, effectively silencing the room. He looks over at the group that failed the exams, "Dazai and Shinsou will be joining you lot in the extra classes."

There's silence for a moment, then the class breaks out into various dramatic reactions.

Kaminari does his best juvenile "Ooooooo", despite the fact that he did worse on both the physical and written exams.

Mina jumps up from her seat, not noticing Shinsou's dejected expression until it's too late, "I knew Chuuya would wi— Ah, not that I didn't believe in you too, Shinsou!"

Kirishima shakes his head, "Tough luck, bros."

Dazai, in sharp contrast to everyone else, sends Aizawa a level look, "What do you mean we'll be joining extra classes?"

"Those who failed still get to come to training camp, but you'll have extra classes to make sure you don't fail next time," Aizawa explains, watching in real time as Dazai looks vaguely offended and Nakahara lights up.

Nakahara smirks, "Make sure you enjoy yourself, Mackerel."

Dazai snaps his head in Nakahara's direction and, very quickly, Aizawa realises where this is going.

With a scoff, Dazai turns back to Aizawa, "Sensei! Are you sure Chuuya didn't fail all the written exams?"

Aizawa doesn't bother to answer; it's not like Dazai actually wants to know how Nakahara did.

If the question were genuine, Aizawa would be happy to explain that Nakahara had done great, especially given his circumstances. He lost a few marks on the literature paper by using the wrong kanji occasionally, and his history paper was by far his worst (and yet still better than some other students in the class), but that was about it.

But of course, comparing that to Dazai, who got everything right, and even came up with a few of his own questions for 'extra marks' (Aizawa did not award him any, despite all his answers being correct). Yeah, no matter how well Nakahara did, Dazai would find a way to tease him about it.

"I'm not stupid!" Nakahara snaps.

Dazai gasps, his mouth hanging open in exaggerated shock, "Oh yeah? Could've convinced me!"

"Bastard!" Nakahara spits out before promptly lunging at Dazai.

Dazai dodges, of course, but that only makes Nakahara whip around and try again. It seems that, by dodging rather than attacking back, Dazai is only riling Nakahara up even more.

"Um, Aizawa-sensei? Shouldn't you stop them?" Mina asks, her eyes flickering between her stationary teacher and the two now trampling over the sofa.

Aizawa, who was hoping they would tire themselves out and thus behave for the rest of the afternoon, sighs, "Yeah."

"Nakahara, keep chasing him and you'll be doing extra classes too," Aizawa calls out, easily ignoring Nakahara's (loud) complaints, "And Dazai, stop calling him an idiot."

"But Sensei, I'm only telling the truth," Dazai huffs, jumping forward to avoid another attack.

Aizawa, sensing this won't stop unless he gets physically involved, steps between the two, "If you don't both stop, then I'll send you over to the Support Course to help clean up."

Dazai and Nakahara do stop, although seemingly more out of confusion than anything else. Aizawa would explain, but he feels that threats like this are better when explained by those who have already experienced them.

Fortunately, the one victim of Support Course clean-up duty (so far) is quick to jump in.

"Dazai, dude," Kaminari starts, dramatically shaking his head, "The Support Course is literal hell. You do not wanna go there. Ever."

Dazai tilts his head, silently prompting Kaminari to continue, "They're blowing shiiii—stuff up all the time there! Cleaning up just means you'll get covered in soot!"

Aizawa ignores Kaminari's poor attempt at not swearing; it's one of his better attempts anyway.

Helping the Support Course clean up is something Aizawa came up with a few years ago; he usually saves it for when detentions are losing their effect. That, or, in Kaminari's case, when the perpetrator has annoyed Aizawa too much in one day.

"Oh come on, Erasure! No need to be so ruthless," A very familiar voice chimes in.

"Yamada-sensei!" A few kids call out, their faces brightening at the sight of Hizashi. Which is a very typical reaction, even back when he was a student, Hizashi had the power to walk into a room and light it up.

Aizawa, partially immune to Hizashi's special talent, rolls his eyes, "They're my students, I can be as ruthless as I want."

A few of the kids look dejected by that, which is particularly amusing as they still believe the expulsion threat was a logical deception. If only his class knew that Aizawa had expelled full classes before, maybe that would ensure their good behaviour.

Hizashi chuckles, "Ah, the great misfortune of being one of Erasure's students."

The kids break into chatter at that, mostly childish complaining about Aizawa being too strict.

Aizawa ignores them, mostly because Hizashi is still lingering at the door rather than coming in to speak.

"Behave, you got it?" Aizawa warns Dazai and Nakahara, who, thankfully, have stopped tormenting each other. Which, yeah, Aizawa doesn't actually expect them to listen, but he can try.

With that, he steps outside with Hizashi, letting the chatter of his students fade away.

He doesn't like eavesdropping. It's terribly rude, the sort of thing his parents would scold him over as a child. They would pull him aside, reminding him to have better manners, and warn him that hearing things not meant for his ears can be dangerous.

He doesn't like eavesdropping, he doesn't like any of this, and yet here he is.

It was easier to do this sort of thing at the start of the year, back when his classmates were strangers and Aizawa-sensei hadn't almost died for them.

It's harder now, only mentally, of course. There is no reason for his classmates and teachers to be cautious; there are no suspicions that a traitor is amongst them.

But there is, and he's here, eavesdropping on his teachers.

"Hizashi…" Aizawa-sensei trails off, his voice the same soft tone he uses when students wake up from nightmares of the USJ.

"I know, I just… I can't stop thinking about it," Yamada-sensei responds, "I mean, what if his Ability goes off like that again? I feel sick thinking about it, but if other students are in danger…"

Yamada-sensei is a good teacher; he's always pulling out new techniques to help students learn. Flashcards, mind maps, quizzes, discussions, he'll do anything if there's a chance it'll work.

Repetition is always a key factor in remembering things.