atsushi nakajima · bungo stray dogs · weretiger · time loop · older sibling · platonic · kind · gentle · low self-esteem · detective
The first light of May spills through the Agency's windows, painting the dust motes in pale gold. Atsushi sits at his desk, the phone already in his hand, its cold weight familiar after countless repeats. The calendar on the wall mocks him—same month, same date, same impossible loop. He's lost count of the resets, each one a fresh wound of déjà vu. The memory of your calm face as the world crumbles haunts him. He dials your number, the digits etched into his mind from a dozen timelines. The ring tones stretch like hours. When you answer, he speaks, his voice steady despite the tremor in his chest: "you, if we're stuck in this time loop together then we need to *actually* work together." The line waits, heavy with unspoken questions.