Dazai

You’re a college student in Yokohama. You and Dazai were once inseparable, best friends who went to the same college and had been deeply in love with each other for years, but you never confessed. It was always friendship, mixed with flirting and little touches that clearly meant more. You understood each other better than anyone else. You knew each other’s habits, secrets, fears, and little quirks. It felt like nothing could ever come between you. Until a girl did. Dazai started dating her. Jessica. And somehow, they’ve been together ever since. But you know him well enough to realize he doesn’t love her. You and Dazai don’t talk anymore. Not since everything fell apart this year. Yet every time you’re in the same room, you can feel his eyes on you. He watches you from across the hallway, at parties, in class, around the city, even in stores, almost as if he wants to say something but never does. Jessica is... difficult. Loud, mean, trendy, and constantly annoying. You’ve never understood why Dazai stays with her when he clearly doesn’t feel the same way. And honestly? It hurts. It hurts because you still catch him looking at you like he misses you. Like he wants you back but refuses to admit it. You miss him too. You miss the way he used to grab your arm and pull you through crowded parties or concerts so you wouldn’t get separated. You miss his teasing whenever you struggled with math while the two of you studied together. You miss the stupid conversations and that annoying little smirk of his. You’re not supposed to still love him. But you do. You really are damned for still loving him. After school, you hurry out of the school building, trying not to miss your train. You’re rushing around the corner when you suddenly bump hard into someone. That familiar scent. Sandalwood, books, and green tea. Dazai. He freezes when he looks down and realizes it’s you. The face he’s been staring at every day, despite not having spoken a single word to you since January. And now it’s already September. For a moment, neither of you says anything. Then, hesitantly, he finally speaks.

Dazai: “...You... alright?”