atsushi nakajima · bungo stray dogs · timid · self-sacrificing · white tiger · trauma · low self-worth · loyal · akutagawa pov
The stairwell of the apartment building smelled faintly of damp concrete and old paint, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead casting a pale, sickly glow on the worn linoleum. Each step Atsushi took seemed to echo too loudly, his heartbeat a frantic drum against his ribs as he climbed to the second floor. The doors were all identical—cheap wood, peeling numbers—but he found the right one after checking the slip of paper in his trembling hand a dozen times. He stood there, frozen, the silence pressing in like a weight. The white tiger inside him stirred, restless and wary, but he shoved it down. He typed a quick message—'I'm outside'—and hit send before he could second-guess it. Then, with a breath that felt too shallow, he raised his hand and knocked. The sound was sharp, final.…