Chapter Text
Atsushi
“Who… who are you?” Akutagawa’s voice sounded genuinely confused.
“It’s Atsushi, Akutagawa, please tell me you’re joking”
For a moment, a flash of recognition passed over Akutagawa’s features, but it was quickly replaced by the same dull look he’d had coming out of the operating room.
“I do not believe I know anyone by that name. I also have no idea what I would be “joking” about”
“Akutagawa, you definitely know me.”
“No I don’t, I have no recollection of you. I will be leaving now.” Akutagawa said, walking out of the door before Atsushi could say anything else.
“Never in all my years…” Atsushi spun around to find the doctor who had operated on Akutagawa standing behind him, shaking his head.
“Doctor! What did you do to Akutagawa!”
“I removed the hanahaki, like he wanted. he must have spent a lot of time with you, because it was quite difficult to remove. Truth be told, I’m not sure if I managed to extract it all.”
“What, I’m not who he liked! But even without that, Isn’t there anything you can do?”
“Im afraid not. All you can do is hope I was not as successful in fully removing it as I thought. Also, you are definitely who he liked, why else would he completely forget about you?”
“Doctor, with all due respect We’re not gay. Akutagawa’s just my friend.”
“Why are you so eager for him to remember you then? I’d say you have some thinking to do young lad.” The doctor said, before promptly leaving.
Akutagawa began walking home, the events filling his mind. He’d have to ask Dazai tomorrow.
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Akutagawa
His chest hurt.
It made sense, he thought after all he had just undergone a surgery
But hurt is not supposed to feel alive
Hurt is not meant to consume his thoughts, turning all rationality to dust
But one thought was lingering
Who was that white haired boy and why did he look so sad?
A name came to him then
Atsushi
That was his name
Opening his phone, he called Chuuya’s number.
“Hello? Akutagawa why are you calling me?”
“My apologies, but who is Atsushi?”
“Atsushi? Weretiger atsushi? Jinko? Wait…”
Chuuya’s end of the phone erupteds with laughter.
“I told you so!!!” He says before hanging up.
Well, that was almost no help. Akutagawa thought, Also hanging up.
However, before he closed his phone, he saw a contact for Atsushi.
He called the number
“Hello?”
“Is this Atsushi?”
“Yes”
“It’s Akutagawa. Can you meet me tomorrow?”
“Sure? I mean I can come to your house I guess.”
“Okay see you then.”
Akutagawa said hanging up.
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Atsushi, a day later
“Dazai! I need your help with something!”
“What do you want help with Atsushi-kunnn!”
“So, hypothetically if someone got hanahaki disease and had it removed, could it come back? Hypothetically.”
“Well hypothetically it is hypothetically possible. You know, hypothetically.”
“Dazai that is the least helpful answer.”
“I’m just messing with you Atsushi! But yes, it is a possibility it will come back if not removed correctly. Why are you asking anyway? Did you realise you like Akutagawa?”
Atsushi turned as red as a tomato.
“Maybe.” He mumbled
“YOSANO YOU OWE ME ¥10,000!”
Dazai promptly yelled across the office
Atsushi hid his face in his hands and attempted to disappear into the floor
“Aww cmon! I was so sure he wouldn’t realise until later…” Yosano says, handing over the money.
“But seriously Atsushi, if you want him to like you back you should just spend time with him. Remind him why he had hanahaki in the first place.” Dazai said, smirking.
“He asked me to meet him today.”
“Oh my god my child has a date!!!”
“YOU ALL OWE ME ¥5,000!” Ranpo calls across the room
“What! No it’s not a date! He doesn’t remember me.”
“You say potato I say potato.” Dazai says as the money is handed over.
“Shut up.” Atsushi says blushing furiously
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Akutagawa
“Hey Akutagawa”
Atsushi was at his house.
“Atsushi. Come with me.”
He said, and started briskly walking down the hallway and outside.
“So, what do you remember about me?”
Atsushi said, catching up.
“I remember that I didn’t want you to find out. I remember that the flowers were the same colour as your hair. Daisy’s, I think they were, although I’ve never cared for such things. I remember I didn’t want to forget.”
“So you knew it wasn’t Dazai?”
“Atsushi of course it wasn’t Dazai. I just thought that was the most believable. I don’t remember you. But I don’t not either.”
“What do you mean?” Atsushi said as the pair stopped outside a warehouse.
Akutagawa held the door open for him.
“It’s coming back in pieces. Yesterday, I felt the flowers in my throat again.”
They stepped inside the building, and Atsushi saw it was decorated with string lights. It looked rather pretty really.
“I think I wanted the hanahaki to stay, and whoever I was before was to scared to tell you.” Akutagawa continued
“But if you know I like you now, why do you remember me and have hanahaki?”
“That, I don’t know. If I had to guess I would say that I remember you because it came back.”
“But to cure it, would you dance with me?”
He said offering Atsushi his hand.
“Are you sick? You would never do this normally.”
“I’m trying to be nice, jinko.” Akutagawa says through gritted teeth.
“Okay then.” Atsushi said taking Akutagawa’s still outstretched hand. “But I don’t think dancing is really our thing. What about a duel?”
“If you insist. But jinko, you are insufferable.”
“RASHOMON!”