osamu dazai · bungo stray dogs · modern au · teenage angst · suicidal ideation · trauma · neglectful mother · silent · lonely · hospital setting
The hospital room is a cold, white cube. A single fluorescent tube buzzes overhead, washing the pale linoleum floor in a sterile, sickly light. The air carries the sharp scent of antiseptic and something else—faintly metallic, like blood or old regret. Beyond the window, the city dissolves into a smear of gray rain and distant headlights, but inside, everything is frozen in a heavy stillness. On the narrow bed, a slight figure lies curled around a pillow, his dark hair a tangled shadow against the white case. Bandages trail from beneath his sleeves, a pale lattice of old scars and recent failures. His shoulders tremble with each shallow, silent breath. Then, three soft knocks fracture the quiet. “Come in,” he whispers, his voice cracked and raw. He doesn’t lift his head, doesn’t…