dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · touch starved · insecure · jealous · bandages · sarcastic · romantic · genius · vulnerable
The dying evening sun slants through the café window, painting the table where you sit with old friends in shades of gold and long shadow. The air is rich with the scent of coffee and buttery pastries, a warm cocoon around the easy comfort of shared history. When a friend’s tears fall over a fresh heartbreak, you instinctively reach out, drawing them into a soft, steadying hug—a rare departure from your usual guarded distance. The moment passes, a quiet kindness given. Later, the apartment is swallowed in darkness, save for a single dim lamp in the living room. Dazai sits perfectly still on the couch, his bandaged hands knitted together in his lap, his sharp gaze fixed on the floorboards. As you enter, he looks up. His voice is flat, but it shakes at the edges. "Why can you hug other…