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The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of Bungo Preschool, casting warm golden light across the colorful classroom. Hand-drawn pictures decorated every available wall space, and right in the center, dominating the main wall like a shrine, hung a massive poster of Odasakuman, the beloved children's hero who taught kids about friendship, courage, and sharing.
Dazai Osamu stood in the middle of controlled chaos, wearing his favorite beige cardigan over a white shirt, his brown hair slightly disheveled from a long day of teaching. Around him, eleven four-year-olds were engaged in various activities, each more energetic than the last.
"Dazai-sensei! Dazai-sensei!" Atsushi tugged at his sleeve, his white hair bouncing as he jumped excitedly. "Look what I drew!"
Dazai crouched down to examine the paper. It was a blob of red and beige that could have been anything from a potato to an abstract representation of existential dread, but Atsushi's proud smile made it clear what it was supposed to be.
"Odasakuman!" Atsushi declared triumphantly.
"It's magnificent, Atsushi-kun," Dazai said with genuine warmth, though he couldn't help but add, "Though I must say, my limited edition Odasakuman figures capture his essence with a bit more... anatomical accuracy."
"What's ana-tom-i-cal?" asked Kenji, who had wandered over with his ever-present innocent smile, a piece of straw somehow stuck in his blonde hair despite being indoors all day.
"Nothing, nothing," Dazai said quickly, patting Kenji's head. "Just that your teacher is also a big fan of Odasakuman."
"Everyone loves Odasakuman!" declared Chuuya from across the room, his voice carrying that particular confidence only a four-year-old could muster. He stood on a chair, striking a pose with his small fist raised. "I have the Odasakuman backpack AND the lunch box!"
"I have the thermos," Akutagawa replied quietly but firmly from the reading corner, his dark hair falling over his eyes as he clutched said thermos like it was a sacred relic.
"I have socks!" Kajii said quietly, looking down as he lifted one leg slightly to show off his Odasakuman socks, his voice soft and uncertain.
"I have the cape!" shouted Tachihara, running past with a small red cape trailing behind him.
Kyoka, sitting calmly at a table with crayons, looked up and stated matter-of-factly, "I have the plushie. It's the softest."
Gin, Akutagawa's younger sister, nodded solemnly in agreement even though she was clutching a different character's toy.
Dazai smiled to himself. If only these children knew that their beloved Professor Dazai had all of that merchandise and more. The limited edition collector's plates. The seasonal figures. The commemorative coins. The signed posters (well, his husband had signed them, but that absolutely counted). The Odasakuman pajamas that he wore religiously every weekend, much to Oda's amused embarrassment.
He was, without question, Odasakuman's number one fan.
The only problem was that he had to compete with eleven four-year-olds for that title.
"Dazai-sensei!" Naomi approached with her twin brother Tanizaki trailing behind her. "Tanizaki said that Odasakuman isn't real, but he IS real, right?"
Tanizaki looked apologetic. "I didn't say he wasn't real, I said he was an actor--"
"That's the same thing!" Naomi crossed her arms stubbornly.
Dazai intervened before a philosophical debate about the nature of reality and performance could break out among preschoolers. "Odasakuman is very real. The actor who plays him just helps bring the hero to life on TV."
"See!" Naomi stuck her tongue out at her brother.
Kunikida, the most serious four-year-old Dazai had ever met, looked up from his notebook where he was carefully drawing straight lines with a ruler (how he'd convinced his parents to let him bring a ruler to preschool, Dazai would never know). "Dazai-sensei, when is snack time? It's supposed to be at 3:15 PM, but it's now 3:17 PM. We're behind schedule."
"We'll have snacks in just a minute, Kunikida-kun," Dazai assured him, checking his watch. The kid was right, of course. Kunikida was always right about schedules.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. A message from Oda: "Got out of filming early. Want me to pick you up? I can be there in 10 minutes."
Dazai's heart did a little flip, the same way it had been doing for the past three years of their marriage. Even after all this time, the thought of seeing Oda still filled him with that warm, fluttery feeling.
He quickly typed back: "Yes please! The kids are extra energetic today. I could use my hero coming to rescue me ;)"
Oda's response was immediate: "On my way."
Dazai pocketed his phone and clapped his hands to get the children's attention. "Alright, everyone! Let's start cleaning up. Parents will be here soon!"
"Aww!" came the collective groan.
"I know, I know. But remember what Odasakuman says: 'A true hero always cleans up their messes!'"
The children perked up at the mention of their idol and began putting away toys with renewed enthusiasm. Well, most of them. Chuuya was still on his chair, now dramatically posing as if fighting invisible villains.
"Chuuya-kun, down from the chair please," Dazai said, walking over to help the redhead down.
"But Sensei, I'm in the middle of defeating the bad guys!"
"The bad guys can wait. Safety first, remember?"
Chuuya pouted but allowed Dazai to help him down. "You're so annoying!"
"I'll take that as a compliment."
As the children cleaned up (with varying degrees of success), parents began arriving. Atsushi's guardian came first, and the little boy waved goodbye enthusiastically, promising to draw an even better Odasakuman tomorrow. Kenji's grandfather arrived next, chuckling at the straw still in his grandson's hair. Kunikida's father came exactly on time, which seemed to satisfy the boy's need for punctuality.
The Tanizaki twins left together, still debating about Odasakuman. Tachihara zoomed out with his cape still on, nearly tripping over it before his older brother caught him.
Kyoka carefully packed her Odasakuman plushie in her bag before taking Kouyou's hand. "Bye, Dazai-sensei."
Gin and Akutagawa waited together quietly in the corner, as they usually did—their caretaker always ran a few minutes late.
That left Chuuya, still energetically playing, and Kajii, who was quietly organizing the bookshelf in the corner, carefully arranging each book with focused precision.
Dazai was just about to start preparing materials for tomorrow when he heard it.
"ODASAKUMAN!"
The shriek came from Atsushi, who had apparently forgotten something and had returned with his guardian, only to freeze in the doorway, his eyes wide as saucers, staring at the entrance.
Dazai turned, and his heart skipped a beat.
There, standing in the doorway of the classroom, was Oda Sakunosuke. He wasn't wearing his Odasakuman costume, just his usual casual clothes, a beige coat over a simple shirt and dark pants, his red hair slightly messy from the wind. But to the children, it didn't matter. They recognized him instantly.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
Then all hell broke loose.
"IT'S REALLY HIM!" Chuuya screamed at a pitch that could probably shatter glass.
"ODASAKUMAN!" Akutagawa, who had been quiet all day, suddenly found his voice.
Even Gin, usually so composed, gasped audibly.
Kajii stopped what he was doing, staring with wide eyes, frozen in place like he wasn't sure what to do with himself.
The children who had already left heard the commotion and came running back, dragging their confused parents with them.
Within seconds, Oda was surrounded by a swarm of excited four-year-olds, all talking at once.
"Are you really Odasakuman?"
"Can you do the hero pose?"
"Is your costume here?"
"Do you really fight bad guys?"
"Can you fly?"
Oda, bless him, handled it with the same calm grace he brought to everything. He knelt down so he was at eye level with the children, that gentle smile on his face that made Dazai fall in love with him over and over again.
"Hello, everyone," he said in that warm, soothing voice that had comforted countless children through their TV screens. "I hope you've all been good today."
"WE HAVE!" came the enthusiastic chorus.
"Well," Oda glanced at Dazai with an amused twinkle in his eye, "is that true, Dazai-sensei?"
Dazai couldn't help but smile. "Mostly true. Though Atsushi-kun and Akutagawa-kun had a small disagreement over a toy this morning."
Atsushi looked down, fidgeting. "I wanted to play with the tiger plushie..."
Akutagawa crossed his arms defensively. "But I had it first..."
Oda's expression became more serious, taking on that teaching tone he used in his show. "Remember, everyone, heroes don't fight over things. They share and communicate. If someone has something you want, what do you do?"
"Ask nicely!" Kenji chirped, having returned to the classroom.
"Exactly," Oda smiled. "And if someone takes something of yours?"
"Tell Sensei," Atsushi said quietly, looking down at his feet.
"Use your words," Akutagawa added, just as quietly.
"Very good."
Naomi pushed her way to the front, dragging Tanizaki with her. "See! I told you he was real!"
Tanizaki looked absolutely starstruck, unable to form words.
"Can you sign my backpack?" Chuuya was already taking it off, shoving it toward Oda.
"And my thermos!" Akutagawa held his up with both hands like an offering.
"And my notebook!" Kunikida produced it from seemingly nowhere, already open to a blank page with a pen ready.
"My cape!" Tachihara had somehow gotten back in, waving it enthusiastically.
"M-my socks?" Kajii said softly, holding them up awkwardly, not quite making eye contact.
Oda looked at Dazai, a silent question in his eyes.
Dazai nodded, thoroughly entertained by the whole scene. He leaned against his desk, arms crossed, watching his husband handle the miniature fan club with the same patience he showed when dealing with Dazai's own obsessive collecting.
For the next twenty minutes, Oda signed everything. Backpacks, thermoses, notebooks, capes, drawings, and yes, even Kajii's socks (though he signed the tag, not the actual sock part). Each child received their autograph with the reverence of receiving a holy blessing.
Atsushi approached last, clutching his drawing, the one he'd been so proud of earlier. His hands shook slightly as he held it out.
"O-Odasakuman-san... I drew this for you."
Oda took the drawing carefully, studying it with complete seriousness. To anyone else, it might have looked like a mess of colors, but Oda examined it as if it were hanging in the Louvre.
"This is incredible, Atsushi-kun," he said softly. "I can see you put a lot of heart into it. May I keep it?"
Atsushi's face lit up brighter than the sun. "Really? You really want it?"
"Of course. I'll treasure it."
The little boy looked like he might cry from happiness. His guardian smiled warmly at the interaction.
Kyoka, who had also returned, stepped forward and quietly offered her Odasakuman plushie. "Can you... make him official?"
Oda gently took the plushie and held it up, addressing it seriously. "This is an official Odasakuman companion plushie. He will protect you and keep you brave." He handed it back to Kyoka, who hugged it tightly, a rare smile crossing her usually stoic face.
Eventually, the parents had to actually leave, dragging their still-excited children away with promises that yes, they could watch Odasakuman when they got home. The classroom slowly emptied until finally, it was just Dazai and Oda.
The silence felt almost surreal after all that noise.
Dazai let out a long, dramatic sigh and collapsed into his chair. "You know, it's really quite unfair."
Oda walked over, a knowing smile on his face. "What is?"
"I spend eight hours a day with these kids. I teach them, I wipe their noses, I break up their fights, I listen to Kunikida-kun lecture me about being two minutes late for snack time. But you show up for twenty minutes and suddenly I'm invisible."
Oda chuckled, moving around the desk until he was standing in front of Dazai. "Are you jealous of four-year-olds?"
"Absolutely," Dazai admitted without shame, though his eyes sparkled with humor. "I'm your number one fan, Odasaku. I have more Odasakuman merchandise than all those kids combined. Possibly more than exists in this entire city."
"I know," Oda said, his voice warm with affection. He placed his hands on the armrests of Dazai's chair, leaning in close. "You think I don't notice when you wear those Odasakuman pajamas? Or when you 'accidentally' place the limited edition mug on my side of the breakfast table every morning?"
Dazai felt his cheeks warm slightly. "It's quality merchandise. It would be wasteful not to use it."
"Uh-huh," Oda's smile grew. "And I suppose the three separate pre-orders you placed for the new spring collection figure are also about... preventing waste?"
"Exactly! Different retailers might package them differently. I need to compare quality control."
"Right. And the Odasakuman bedsheets you bought last month?"
"Our old ones were getting worn!"
"We'd had them for three weeks, Osamu."
"Time flies when you're properly supporting your husband's career," Dazai said primly, but he couldn't keep a straight face. He started laughing, and Oda joined him.
"You're ridiculous," Oda said fondly.
"I'm dedicated," Dazai corrected. "There's a difference."
Oda leaned in closer, until their noses were almost touching. "You're dedicated, obsessed, and completely adorable when you try to hide your new purchases from me."
"I don't hide them—"
"You rearranged the entire display shelf last week to make room for new figures, and you thought I wouldn't notice?"
"I was creating a more aesthetically pleasing arrangement!"
"You organized them by episode appearance and outfit variation."
"Like I said, aesthetic."
Oda closed the remaining distance and kissed him softly. It was gentle and familiar, tasting like home and curry. When they pulled apart, Dazai was smiling that soft, genuine smile he reserved only for Oda.
"Though I tease," Dazai said quietly, "watching those kids light up when they saw you was actually really sweet. Atsushi looked like he'd seen an actual miracle."
"They're good kids," Oda replied, helping Dazai gather his things. "And they have a wonderful teacher."
"A teacher who is married to Odasakuman," Dazai pointed out as he put on his coat. "Do you know how much street cred that gives me? Tomorrow, I'm going to be the coolest teacher in the entire preschool."
"There are only three teachers in the entire preschool."
"I'm still the coolest."
Oda laughed and took Dazai's bag for him. "Come on, number one fan. Let's go home."
They walked out of the classroom together, Dazai turning off the lights and locking up. As they headed toward the parking lot, Dazai slipped his hand into Oda's, and they walked in comfortable silence for a moment.
"Oh!" Dazai suddenly remembered. "Did that package arrive today?"
"You mean the anniversary edition figure?"
"Yes!" Dazai's eyes lit up. "Did it come?"
"It's sitting on the dining table waiting for you."
"Perfect! I already cleared space on the shelf next to the summer special edition. They'll look amazing together." He paused. "You think I have a problem, don't you?"
Oda squeezed his hand. "I think you have passion. And I think it's endearing that my husband is my biggest supporter, even if it means our apartment is slowly turning into an Odasakuman museum."
"It's not a museum, it's a carefully curated collection."
"We have an entire room dedicated to it, Dazai."
"That was going to be a home office anyway. I just... repurposed it."
"The guest bedroom also has three shelves now."
"Guests can appreciate fine collectibles while they visit."
Oda stopped walking and pulled Dazai closer, right there in the parking lot under the orange glow of the setting sun. "You know I love how much you support me, right? Even when you're competing with preschoolers for merchandise."
Dazai smiled up at him. "And you know I love you, not just Odasakuman the character? Though I won't lie, the costume is a nice bonus."
"I'll keep that in mind," Oda murmured before kissing him again.
When they finally made it to the car and started driving home, Dazai couldn't stop smiling. He watched Oda drive, the fading sunlight catching in his hair, and felt that overwhelming sense of contentment that came from being exactly where he belonged.
"Hey, Odasaku?"
"Hmm?"
"Thank you for stopping by today. I know the kids will be talking about it for weeks."
"It was fun," Oda said honestly. "Though I'm pretty sure Chuuya-kun is going to tell everyone at his next family gathering that he met me."
"Oh, absolutely. That kid's going to milk this for everything it's worth." Dazai grinned. "Kind of like how I'm going to milk this for bragging rights at the next teacher's meeting."
"You're going to brag about your husband to the other teacher?"
"I'm going to brag about my husband to everyone. The mailman, the grocery store clerk, the person who sits next to me on the train-"
"You drive to work."
"I'll find a train to ride just so I can tell strangers about this."
Oda laughed, the sound filling the car with warmth. "What did I do to deserve you?"
"Exist," Dazai said simply. "You just had to exist, and I was done for."
They drove the rest of the way home in comfortable silence, occasionally commenting on things they passed or making plans for dinner. When they finally pulled into their apartment building's parking garage, Dazai practically bounced out of the car, eager to see his new figure.
As they rode the elevator up to their floor, Oda wrapped an arm around Dazai's waist, pulling him close. "You know, I have a three-day break coming up next week."
"Oh?"
"We could do something. Just the two of us. Maybe that weekend trip you were talking about?"
Dazai's face lit up. "Really? You're not too tired?"
"Never too tired for you."
They entered their apartment, and sure enough, there on the dining table was the package. But Dazai didn't immediately rush for it. Instead, he turned to Oda and wrapped his arms around his neck.
"I love you," he said seriously. "Even if you weren't Odasakuman, even if you were just a regular person with a regular job, I would still love you exactly this much."
Oda's expression softened, and he pulled Dazai closer. "I know. And I love you, even though you've turned our home into an Odasakuman shrine and wear character pajamas to bed."
"They're comfortable!"
"They're adorable. You're adorable."
"I'm a serious educator," Dazai protested halfheartedly.
"You're a serious educator who owns seventeen—"
"Eighteen now," Dazai interrupted, gesturing to the package.
"—eighteen versions of the same character figure, each with slightly different poses."
"They're all unique expressions of the character's development throughout the series!"
Oda just kissed him again, effectively ending the argument.
Later that evening, after they'd had dinner and Dazai had carefully unboxed and displayed his new figure (spending a full hour getting the positioning just right), they settled on the couch together. Dazai was wearing his Odasakuman pajamas, naturally, and Oda had his arm around him as they watched TV.
"I was thinking," Dazai said during a commercial break, "maybe you could come to the preschool again sometime. The kids would love it. And I promise I won't get jealous."
"You'll definitely get jealous."
"Okay, yes, I'll get jealous. But it would make them so happy."
Oda considered this. "How about for their end-of-year party? I could come in costume, do a little performance?"
Dazai sat up, eyes sparkling. "Really? You'd do that?"
"For your class? Of course."
"Oda Sakunosuke, you are the most wonderful human being on this planet."
"I thought I was Odasakuman?"
"You're both. A two-for-one deal. I'm the luckiest person alive."
Oda chuckled and pulled Dazai back against his chest.
Dazai snuggled closer, content. "Speaking of which, did I tell you about the new Odasakuman collaboration that was announced? There's going to be a line of—"
"Dazai."
"Yes?"
"We need to discuss the credit card bill."
"...It was limited edition?"
Oda sighed but smiled. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."
"You're the best husband ever."
"I know."
They stayed like that for the rest of the evening, comfortable in each other's presence, surrounded by Odasakuman merchandise and the life they'd built together. And if Dazai stayed up late after Oda fell asleep to order just one more collectible that he'd seen online, well, that was between him and the shopping cart.
The next day at preschool, just as Dazai had predicted, every single child came in buzzing with energy, all talking about how they'd met the real Odasakuman.
"My mom didn't believe me!" Chuuya announced dramatically. "So I showed her the autograph and she said 'Oh my goodness!'"
"My dad wants to meet him too," Kenji added cheerfully.
"I told my older brother and he got so jealous," Tachihara said with smug satisfaction.
Even quiet Kajii had brought his signed sock in a plastic bag to show everyone, his cheeks pink with pride.
Kunikida approached Dazai with his usual serious expression. "Dazai-sensei, I have a question."
"Yes, Kunikida-kun?"
"If you're married to Odasakuman, does that mean you're also a hero?"
Dazai blinked, surprised by the question. The other children stopped what they were doing, waiting for his answer.
"Well," Dazai said thoughtfully, "I'm not a hero like Odasakuman. But I suppose teachers are heroes in their own way. We help you learn and grow."
"So you ARE a hero!" Atsushi exclaimed.
"Then we have TWO heroes!" Naomi declared.
"That's so cool!" Kenji cheered.
Dazai felt his chest warm with affection for these kids. "Thank you, everyone. That's very sweet of you to say."
"Can we draw pictures of you AND Odasakuman?" Kyoka asked.
"Of course you can."
The children immediately scrambled for paper and crayons, excited about this new artistic endeavor. Dazai watched them with a fond smile, already imagining showing Oda all the drawings later.
His phone buzzed with a message from Oda: "How are the kids today? Still excited?"
Dazai typed back: "They're calling me a hero because I'm married to you. I think you've corrupted them with your good influence."
"Sounds about right. Want me to pick you up again today?"
"And give them false hope that you'll be there every day? That's just cruel. But also yes, please. I never get tired of seeing you."
"See you at 3:30. Love you."
"Love you too, my hero."
Dazai pocketed his phone and looked around at the classroom full of happy, creative children, each drawing their version of him and Oda as heroes. And he thought that maybe Kunikida was right. Maybe being someone's hero didn't require superpowers or a TV show. Maybe it just required showing up every day, caring for others, and being loved by someone wonderful.
Though the Odasakuman merchandise collection certainly didn't hurt.
As the children worked on their drawings, Akutagawa approached Dazai quietly. "Sensei?"
"Yes, Akutagawa-kun?"
"Thank you for having Odasakuman come yesterday. It was... really nice." The little boy looked down shyly. "It was the best day."
Dazai's heart melted. He knelt down to Akutagawa's level. "I'm glad you had fun. He enjoyed meeting all of you too."
"Really?"
"Really. He even hung up Atsushi's drawing at home."
Akutagawa's eyes widened. "Wow..."
As the day went on, filled with learning, playing, and the occasional minor crisis (Atsushi and Akutagawa got into a small argument over a toy, but managed to work it out with Dazai's help), Dazai found himself counting down the hours until he could see Oda again.
And when 3:30 finally rolled around, and Oda appeared in the doorway once more to another chorus of excited screams, Dazai couldn't help but think that yes, he was absolutely the luckiest person in the world.
Number one fan, dedicated husband, and now, apparently, a hero in his own right.
He could live with that.