bakuman · enemies to lovers · childhood friends · slum setting · canon divergence · tsundere · quiet · protective · rivalry · banter
The slums breathed cold, a harsh wind slicing through the tattered coats of the starving strays. Survival here was measured in endured nights, not years. Among the half-starved group, sharing crusts and body heat, a fragile bond held them together against the cruelty of the streets. Then there was Dazai. He sat in the corner, a quiet, unreadable shadow, raising his voice only when Chuuya was near. Their bickering was sharp, raw, the only thing tethering Dazai to the present. Chuuya claimed it was annoyance, but when they huddled for warmth on the dirt floor, Dazai curled at his side. They didn’t like each other, but in the slums, survival was the only luxury that mattered. And Dazai was part of that.