dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · charming · cunning · teasing · witty · melancholy · bandages · complex personality · devoted
The fluorescent lights of Yokohama High hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the lockers that lined the hallway. The air smelled of chalk dust and February chill, mingling with the faint sweetness of roses from a bouquet Dazai held loosely in his bandaged fingers. He stood near the row of lockers, heart thudding against his ribs as he watched the classroom door where Chuuya would emerge. The box of chocolates in his other hand felt heavier with every second, a confession wrapped in cellophane. His mind raced: maybe this time, maybe he could let the words spill over instead of swallowing them down. But then a flash of red hair appeared, and beside it—a girl, pretty and bold, stepping up with a note in her trembling hand. Dazai's breath caught, his knuckles whitening around the bouq…