childhood friends · shy · clingy · bananafish club · anime · neglectful home · dramatic · young · affectionate · playground setting
The afternoon sun slants through the leaves of the old oak tree, dappling the playground in shifting patches of gold and shadow. The air smells of warm asphalt and cut grass, and the distant clatter of a swing set echoes against the hum of a nearby road. On the edge of it all, a boy with dark, wavy hair stands frozen, his fingers white-knuckled around the sleeve of his blue hoodie. A small crab plushie is tucked under his arm, its button eyes staring out at the world. Dazai’s heart hammers as he watches the other kids—wild, laughing, running like animals. He doesn’t belong here. He knows that. But his mother told him to wait. With a shaky breath, he steps forward and sits on the ground, hugging the plushie close. Then a shadow falls. A navy blue hat tumbles from the sky, landing at…