Is this happiness ?

Chapter XXXI

"What's with the weird atmosphere ?" Chuuya thought now that they were all sitting in their living room, him alone on one couch while Dazai and his mother on the two others facing and glaring at each other since Kouyou thought it would be impolite of them to talk about their problems outside.

Kouyou was waiting for the brunet to avert her gaze but he was "Such an insolent kid !" She would say and that just made her hate him even more. She ended up being the one averting his gaze to look at her son :"So ?"

The ginger knew there was no escaping and no use to lying at this point so he just opted to be honest :"He is ... Dazai ... Dazai Osamu ..." he knew he will receive a good lecture later.

"Dazai Osamu ?" She repeated as she looked at the brunet who had the insolence to pull a gentle smile and nod. She acted like she didn't notice him and addressed her son instead :"And what was your underage classmate doing in the brothel the other days ?"

"And what was an underage student who is a guy between, doing in such a place ?!" Dazai retorted not giving the ginger even the time to process while his mother glared at the other again :"He was working obviously ! But i'm more interested to know what YOU were doing there, i wish you weren't taking advantage of the nature of his work to-"

"I was helping him !" The brunet interrupted after looking to the other as to ask him if he should say the real version but Chuuya didn't even dare look up so he made his choice by himself and this sure made the ginger look up now while Kouyou gave him a confused look :"He didn't like the nature of the work but couldn't face you about it. He instead told me so i went there and stayed with him so that no other man pays for him."

Kouyou took a deep breath before staring at her son :"Is this true, Chuuya ?" Her tone was calm but seemed more than scary for the poor ginger who nodded silently still not daring to look at her in the eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me ?!" Kouyou asked, she felt sad for knowing that her only son trusted someone else more than her but she felt even more furious since she was his mother and she should have figured how he was feeling but she didn't :"Chuuya ?!"

Dazai didn't get how she was feeling, he only stared at the silent ginger who was on the verge of crying even though he did nothing wrong :"You think it's easy for him to tell you the truth after he promised you he would help you ?!!"

"Don't interfere ! This is a talk between a mother and her s-"

"A mother who couldn't even get how her son was feeling ?! I wouldn't really call you a mother ! Making your son work in such a place-"

"It's not because you paid for him for those nights that you have the right to tell me what i -"

"This has no relation with money-"

"Chuuya !" Kouyou turned to her son now :"Didn't i tell you not to let this guy fool you with his money and good looks-"

"I didn't fool him !" Dazai was more than angry now, he didn't even know how he slammed his unbroken hand on the table :"He was my friend and i helped-"

"By spending the night with him ?! You sure enjoyed forcing your friend to kiss-"

"We didn't kiss ! We did .. nothing !" Dazai cursed his voice for cracking at the memory of the second night they spent together even though he promised himself he would forget it.

"Did your voice just crack ?! You liar ! Calling him your friend and using your money to have him .. you are no different from all the-"

"I am different ! I am sincere with him ... it's true that i made one mistake-"