Chapter Text
- Nikolai Gogol | 10:37 am :
- Heya there buddy!!
- Nikolai Gogol | 10:37 am :
- Surprised I matched with a handsome fellow like you, you're one of a kind
- (✿˶’◡˘)♡
- Doppo Kunikida | 10:38 am :
- You're a catch too, sweetheart 😘
- Nikolai Gogol | 10:38 am:
- Would it be too forward to ask you on a date? 🌹 🫣
- Doppo Kunikida | 10:39 am :
- Would it be too forward if I said yes? 😍
Those were the messages Kunikida was faced with when he opened them. He was dumbfounded—it is not that he wasn't angry, infact he was enraged. But what was he supposed to do in this situation?
As Kunikida scrolled down further into the most recent messages, he saw that Dazai had already fully planned the date with this stranger. The date would be in one week, at a popular theme park; Cosmo World.
Kunikida's mind immediately went into a full blown panic. He couldn't back out of this now, as Dazai had already planned out this entire date, with a stranger, under the guise of Kunikida's name. Not to mention, going on this date would ruin his schedule, and cause disorder.
Disorder in Kunikida's schedule was something so horrifying to this man, even more so than Dazai.
Holding onto those coping methods wouldn't work at this point. All the frustration, anger, and irritation finally overflowed.
"DAZAI, YOU STUPID, STUPID, STUPID BANDAGE SQUANDERING MACHINE!"
Kunikida shook Dazai repetitively, all while making sure to yell at him, using every name in the book.
Atsushi was the one to seperate them, and fetch Doctor Yosano to attempt to calm Kunikida down.
"Seriously Kunikida, you need to use the methods I taught you."
Doctor Yosano had pulled Kunikida aside into the hallway.
He sighed in frustration before responding. "I have. They don't work. Dazai is just too... Dazai."
Yosano couldn't hold back a chuckle, but reminded herself to keep professional, and that knowing the cause of this situation might be able to help her current patient more.
"I understand, Doppo. But what happened this time? Glitter on the keyboard again?"
"No... He set up a date for me. With a dating app he installed on my phone."
"Ahahaha!"
Yosano slapped her knee, thinking it was hilarious, but when Kunikida remained silent, she realized he wasn't joking.
"Oh, you're serious?"
"Yes, I am. The date is in a week."
"Pff- that's even more hilarious!"
"Akiko, this is serious! I don't have a choice but to go!"
"You could always canc-" Yosano stopped herself short. This might be the only way Kunikida could find someone, no matter how unconventional. Instead of telling him the way out, she decided to let him go with it--who knows, he might even find his forever partner.
"Wow Kunikida, that does sound tough. I suggest bringing flowers though, a good date would do that." She said with a teasing manner, however, Kunikida who was oblivious as always, took her recommendation very seriously.
"You're right, maybe flowers would help let my date down slowly when I tell them they don't fit my ideals! Thanks Akiko, but I have to get back to work."
Yosano only smirked as he ran off, back to his desk. She was truly an amazing wingwoman.
~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~\~
December 5th, 2012
Click!
Clack!
Click!
Clack!
Shoes met the dark marble tiled floor as they swiftly walked down to a certain light.
The light was more of a glow in the dim, large, rather empty room. Several wires trailed about, across the floor, but all leading to the source of the glow. The glow belonged to none other than several, large computer monitors.
A silhouette was at the desk with the monitors, their form more smaller, and less tall than the person headed towards him.
Stepping into the glow of the light, the man who owned the shoes was finally, but partially, able to be seen.
His hair was long and silky, the white strands twisted into a braid that trailed down the man's back. Those eyes of his were stunning, his heterochromia making them stand out. One eye was a dazzling emerald color, while the other was a bluish grey, a scar slitting through the eye.
At first sight, one might think of him as either a clown, or a jester—after all, even the outsoles of his boots were pointed upwards, one of the little details fitting his clownlike aesthetic.
Despite the rather whimsy looks of his clothing, his visage was solemn, and sincere.
He slowed down his steps, finally making it to the mysterious silhouette.
The silhouette happened to be another man, one opposite in looks to the tall, white-haired man.
His hair was shorter, yet longer than most men. It was black, thin, and seemed to have a purplish hue underneath the glow of the screens.
Instead of having a sincere expression like the other man, his violet eyes were calm and calculating, no room for such strong and genuine emotions.
The dark haired man remained seated at his desk, not bothering to turn and face the other man, but his lips curved into a grin, before speaking.
"Kolya. I take it you've finally found a way to spy on those sinful ability-users?"
He spoke with distaste and bitterness when he mentioned ability-users. The white-haired fellow, Kolya, softly sighed before speaking up.
"Yes I did, Fedya. Although... Must it be done in such a manner? I can't help but feel as if it's wrong."
"What's the matter?" Fedya cooed, almost mockingly. "If anything, I thought you would've enjoyed a spy mission."
"You know it's not about that. What if..." Kolya trailed off, refusing to finish the thought, but Fedya swiveled around in his chair, finally facing Kolya.
"Nikolai."
Fedya glared at Nikolai, and sat up straighter.
"That would be unacceptable. Aren't you better than that? I thought your mindset and goals revolving around freedom would prevent such a thing. Maybe you aren't as capable as I thought."
Nikolai's eyes widened slightly. His fingers clenched, longer nails digging into the palms of his hands.
"Nevermind. Just let me continue the mission, Fedya."
Fedya stayed silent for a few moments, but broke the silence one final time.
"Are you sure you can do this, without the possibility of that?"
Nikolai's hand slowly slipped into his pant pocket, grabbing an eye patch, shaped and colored like a card. He gently moved it upwards, and covered his right eye.
"Yes Fyodor."
Fyodor's eyes narrowed, but he nodded slightly, before turning back to his work.
Nikolai turned on his heel, briskly walking in the other direction, wanting to leave as fast as possible.
"Why would I even ask about that?" Nikolai thought. "Of course there's no possibility. My desire and need for true freedom would never allow it. I feel offended, by myself, and by Fedya."
Nikolai breathed in sharply, sucking his teeth. This time, he voiced his thoughts aloud.
"How dare the both of us even think that I could fall in love."
-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-
December 7th, 2012
Four more days till the date.
Four more days till the date.
Four.
More.
Days.
Kunikida felt as if he was going insane, but of course, work comes before his own sanity.
Doctor Yosano had told him some more advice earlier that day; to keep an open mind.
"But how?" Kunikida thought. "My future partner must meet all my ideals, a dating app will never be able to find someone like that."
No matter how much Kunikida thought and pondered, he was sure that no person that he met through a dating app could match all his ideals.
Of course, he had no other choice. Dazai had already caused a catastrophe, and now Kunikida would have to face the consequences of another man's actions.
"Curse you, Dazai!" Kunikida thought, as he gritted his teeth—but his thoughts were interuppted, when Kunikida checked the time on his watch.
It was a minute past the time he planned on clocking out. Having Dazai ruin his schedule once was already painful enough, to have him ruin it again through Kunikida's mind only added to the pain.
"Best to hurry up, this can only get worse..." He muttered aloud, gathering his things.
However, in his rush, he forgot to grab his coat. But his anger towards Dazai was making him more unaware and forgetful, as he left and walked through the winter snow.
His car was in the shop for an oil change, so he wouldn't be able to drive until he retrieved his car the next day. Kunikida was glad that he did it before the foreboding date arrived—but as his anger dissipated, he was reminded of the snow.
"Grrrr!"
Kunikida growled in frustration, knowing it was going to be a long walk home.
Until he froze at the sensation of weight on his shoulders.
A white, rather stylish overcoat had been placed on his shoulders.
"Wouldn't want you to freeze, eh dove?"
The voice came from behind him, someone around the same height as Kunikida, maybe taller.
Kunikida pivoted, trying to find the owner of the coat, the one kind enough to share with a freezing man—but nobody was there.
No footprints in the powdery snow covering the sidewalk, no signs of life at all.
Kunikida shivered, but it wasn't from the cold.
Although the appearance of the overcoat upon his shoulders was creepy, it was also warm.
"There's no point in pondering over this. There has to be a reasonable explanation—however, it's optimal if I focus on going home. My schedule.. it's had too many blows recently." He thought, tightening the overcoat around his shoulders.
When Kunikida finally made it home, he hung the coat on a coatrack. He would take it to the station later, the overcoat seemed to be well tailored, and extremely expensive. The stranger who gave it to him would most likely want it back. It'd be against his ideals to keep the coat, as it was borderline theft.
What Kunikida didn't see was the name embroidered in gold thread, on the back of the collar.
A name that he would get to know better very soon.