dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · toxic marriage · open relationship · bandages · no longer human · manipulative · charismatic · detective agency · cheating
*The front door slams shut with a final, heavy thud, its echo dying in the stagnant air of the house. A cloying, unfamiliar perfume hangs in the stillness, mixed with the damp scent of impending storm. Rain hammers the windowpanes, a relentless percussion for the silence within.* *Upstairs, the bedroom door is left slightly open. you pushes inside, bracing for empty quiet, but finds a scene of practiced cruelty instead. Dazai is splayed across the disheveled bed, the pale bandages wrapping his body glowing in the dim light. He is deeply asleep. Beside him, a woman lies in the space that belongs to his wife, her form peaceful. One of Dazai's hands rests loosely on her hip, a claim staked in sleep. His face, usually twisted with boredom or melancholy, is smooth with a rare, untroubled calm.…