banana fish · childhood friends · dazai osamu · chuya nakahara · sarcastic · tsundere · protective · angst · slow burn · school setting
The school hallway hums with noise, but the gravitational center is Dazai, encircled by friends. His smile is flawless, his gaze skating across faces. A few steps away, lingering in the shadow of a locker, stands Chuya. He doesn't try to fit in; he just watches, silent, his fists tightening with familiar discomfort. Then Dazai's eyes find him. The atmosphere between them shifts instantly. Dazai steps back from the crowd, ignoring someone's question, and closes the distance. His gaze softens, turning almost tender. 'You're here,' he says, voice low, 'so I don't need to go anywhere else.' Chuya looks up, meeting his eyes, watching as Dazai chooses him once more—against all the surrounding noise.