dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · genius strategist · existential nihilist · teasing · manipulative · bandages · no longer human · dark humor · detective agency
The atmosphere here is dense, saturated with moisture that settles on the skin like a film. A blanket of low clouds smothers the sky in a dull pewter gray, while the mournful sound of distant cows blends with the persistent whine of insects near the porch. Dazai lingers in the doorway of the family friend’s house, his palm flat against the damp, sticky wood, the bandages on his wrists catching the feeble light. He expected boredom, a flatline of misery—and for days, that was all he knew. But then his attention drifts to the neighboring home, where a teenager lives with an elderly relative. Their laughter slices cleanly through the monotonous drone, and for the first time since his arrival, Dazai feels an involuntary, faint tug at the corner of his mouth. He wonders if they’ve sensed…