Chapter Text
Atsushi winced as the door was slammed in his face. The horrible words they’d left him with echoed through his head — they told him to get out — to never come back — worthless, good-for-nothing — and he knew they weren’t words he could argue with. He’d been with the tennis club for about a year and had only faced some minor trouble. Now that his upperclassmen had the power the old third years did, he didn’t last much longer. It had been a month before they’d kicked him out.
He was never very good at the sport and never had the same drive the others did. He was there so he could keep his scholarship (a condition of which was being part of a sports club). And all at once he realised that everything could have been taken away from him. Atsushi hadn’t had much luck getting into high school — this was the only school that accepted him. The sudden reality that this opportunity could have been wasted made him sick. He didn’t know what to do. He waited outside the door, completely still, for a long time. He knew he had to leave before club activities ended, but he didn’t have anywhere to go.
He wanted to figure out the solution as quickly as possible but couldn’t even begin to. He was so overwhelmed, he had no idea where to start. It was past the time most clubs were accepting new members and it wasn’t like he had any friends that could do him any favours either. Atsushi was completely stuck. And, soon, this school wouldn’t even be his anymore.
He began to walk aimlessly through the halls like a lost cat. He really did feel like a stray. He was almost convinced he’d be starving soon if he didn’t find a new home.
That was when he caught something in the corner of his eye. A little mist of black flew by and through a door that was seldom open. It was the door to the roof. Atsushi wasn’t sure why he felt the need to go after the figure, but he let himself follow his instincts. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do. He approached the door and was surprised it was still unlocked. He walked up the stairs slowly and blinked as the sunlight stung his eyes.
On the ledge of the roof stood a boy. The thing that stood out most about him was his bandaged fingers. On his left hand, it looked like the bandages went all the way up his arm. Atsushi just watched him for a while, unsure if he even knew he was there. There was something about his expression that Atsushi couldn’t place. It looked disconnected. Distant. A little bit sad, maybe. But he was an upperclassman. Atsushi could tell by the stripes on his uniform. He probably didn’t have any reason nor any right to invade his space. That was until he watched the boy close his eyes peacefully and begin to fall forward.
Atsushi leapt towards him like an animal, working on pure bestial instinct. He didn’t know why he was doing it but this guy was about to jump from the school roof. Atsushi managed to grab hold of him by his jacket and belt and pull him from the ledge. Atsushi squeaked a little as he realised he hadn’t thought about what would happen after he grabbed on. With his momentum and the force he grabbed the guy with, they both soon tumbled towards the ground. They let out unique cries of pain as they each hit the concrete.
Atsushi let out mumbles of apology but they didn’t seem to get through to the boy. He just lay on his back and stared up at the sky, wide-eyed.
“I’m alive…?” he said. He slowly sat up and looked down at his living body. “Damn…”
Atsushi sat up and blinked at him. He was almost certain he must have been hearing things. This guy had just barely survived and was disappointed about that. Atsushi couldn’t believe it. He soon felt the pressure of attention turn to him.
“So, it was you, huh?” the boy asked.
“What?”
“You’re the one who interrupted my suicide?”
“S-Suicide?!” Atsushi exclaimed.
“You really ought to think before you just go and do something like that. You’re only a second year, aren’t you? Has no one taught you to respect your upperclassmen? Geez…”
Atsushi blinked. Was he really getting scolded for saving someone’s life?
The boy sighed. “Well, it’s my goal to kill myself in a way that doesn’t trouble anyone anyway… So, I apologise for burdening you.”
“Oh… Um… That’s okay… I guess…?”
The boy dusted himself off, pushed himself onto his feet and stretched a little bit. Atsushi did the same. He went to ask his name, what on Earth he was really doing up here and why, but before he could, there was a sudden roar from the ground.
“HEY!” a deep and angry voice boomed up at them. Atsushi and Dazai peered over the edge of the roof. “YEAH, I SEE YOU UP THERE YOU LAZY BASTARD! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU: YOU’RE THE FUCKING VICE-CAPTAIN OF THE TEAM — YOU CAN’T SKIP OUT ON PRACTICE! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!”
“Oh, hey, Kunikida-kun!” the boy grinned, waving languidly towards the
Kunikida-kun
on the ground. “You’re so reliable! That’s why you’re the captain!”
“YOU’RE NOT LISTENING TO ME!”
He just continued to wave.
“Did he say you’re the vice-captain?” Atsushi asked.
He nodded. “Sure am.”
“For what club?” Atsushi stepped forward looking up at him hopefully.
“Volleyball.”
Atsushi’s eyes sparkled for a moment. Volleyball. Sport. He’d saved a sports club member’s life. He fell to his knees and bowed. “Please let me join your club! It can be in any capacity! I don’t even have to play! But please let me join! I’ll do anything!”
The boy was silent for a while. Atsushi didn’t lift his head, terrified it would somehow lower his chances of success here. Eventually, the guy began to laugh a little bit. Worried about what that meant, Atsushi did slightly lift his head.
“Tell me, what’s your name?”
“It’s Atsushi,” he replied.
“Okay, Atsushi-kun. Let’s go make your case to Kunikida-kun.”
Atsushi felt his shoulders drop in relief. He didn’t even know if he’d secured his spot but this guy was giving him a chance. He was so desperate that even the slightest chance was like a great fortune had been personally placed in his own two hands. He stood up and bowed again.
“Thank you!”
“DAZAI, WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING UP THERE?!” Kunikida screamed up from the ground. “QUIT WASTING EVERYONE’S TIME!’
“Dazai?” Atsushi looked up at the boy.
He nodded. “That’s my name. Dazai Osamu.”
---
“Kunikida-kun~!” Dazai sang as he approached the scary-looking blond.
“Took you long enough!” Kunikida snapped at him. “Come on, you’re so late!”
“But, you see, I’ve solved our numbers problem, Kunikida-kun!”
“What are you talking about?”
Dazai stepped to the side, revealing Atsushi behind him. Kunikida looked at him and his face remained entirely unimpressed. Atsushi wished he could have put on a good face but honestly he couldn’t convince himself that he deserved to take the position anymore than he could have convinced Kunikida.
“Poor child was left homeless by his own club! Can you believe the tragedy?” Dazai said with false pity.
“Why’d they kick him out, though? Is he stupid?” Kunikida asked.
“The third years never liked me…” Atsushi admitted. “They were waiting for the chance to get rid of me from the start… I should have made my own way out sooner but I didn’t know where else I could go… I didn’t even know we had a volleyball team.”
“That’s because we barely have a volleyball team,” Dazai shrugged.
“Hey!” Kunikida snapped, “Thinking like that isn’t gonna help the situation! We have the numbers, we just don’t have any room for error!”
“Thinking delusionally isn’t gonna help either — we’re a co-ed team and we still only
just
make up the six. Even then, Yosano’s said she doesn’t want to play if she doesn’t have to — We only made up the numbers this year too. When was the last time we played a game, huh, Kunikida-kun?”
“Shut your trap!” Kunikida shoved Dazai’s shoulder, “We’re not so desperate that we can take just anybody! We’re a good team, we shouldn’t have to make up for a skillless player’s inadequacies! We’re not an orphanage — I don’t care if he doesn’t have anywhere to go, the going-home club doesn’t have a capacity!”
“So cold, Kunikida-kun…” Dazai sighed.
“I don’t have the time to be forgiving.” He looked down at his watch. “Ugh, we should be moving onto serving drills by now… How much longer are you gonna waste my time with this skinny kid?”
“Will you at least hear him out?” Dazai asked.
Kunikida glanced at his watch again. “Fine. You have 30 seconds, kid. Why should I let you join the team?”
The time pressure made Atsushi panic. But he steeled himself knowing this really might have been his only chance. He bowed his head. “Please let me join the volleyball club, Kunikida-senpai! You’re right I’m skillless and inadequate but I’m fast on my feet and I’m so desperate I’ll do anything to earn my place! I’m on an equity scholarship and if I’m not part of a sports club it’ll be revoked. When I pleaded with the tennis club they said they didn’t care. If you really think I don’t deserve to play, I won’t. But please let me lend you everything I have! I have no idea what’ll happen if I can’t finish school here. I can’t afford to go anywhere else… It’s probably manipulative of me to give you all these details but if I don’t use every unfair advantage I have right now and I lose everything I’ll never be able to forgive—”
“That’s time,” Kunikida deadpanned.
Atsushi shivered, stopping his speech. Kunikida’s tone hadn’t changed. It didn’t sound any more sympathetic than before. He didn’t know much about him, but he had heard he was tough and stubborn. Apparently, he was meant to be his class president but got overlooked by his teachers because of how disruptive and aggressive he could be. He was still top of the school in his grades though. At least, that was what Atsushi had heard. He didn’t pay much attention to anyone at all but Kunikida was the type of person you couldn’t really miss. He stood out a lot more than Dazai did.
“You can come to practice,” he said, folding his arms.
“Really?!” Atsushi looked like he could have cried.
“That doesn’t mean you’re in!” he clarified.
“Right…”
“But watch us and then I’ll test you. We’ll see if you’re fit to join.”
“Waaaa, Kunikida-kun is so valiant and kind!” Dazai cheered, “I knew you couldn’t pass up a charity case like this — you’re such a softie, Kunikida-kun~!”
“Sometimes I really hope you’ll actually kill yourself, you know!” Kunikida said, kicking Dazai’s legs and knocking him over.
“Ow…” Dazai pouted.
“Whatever,” Kunikida huffed. “Come on, kid. You’re better off just watching us forever than dealing with that damn tennis club… Those guys are assholes…”
Atsushi looked down at Dazai who had just been knocked over by a guy who claimed the tennis club were bad. Atsushi just nodded and followed along when Kunikida began to walk towards the gym.