Chapter Text
This particular December, Dazai sent Atsushi on a small mission to retrieve an amp from one of the storage areas in the music wing.
“Why can't you?” Atsushi asked.
Dazai looked up, his legs crossed with a bass against his chest. “I'm tuning." He put it simply, motioning his hand around his bass.
Atsushi put his drink down and stood up from the folding chair.
“Fine.”
Dazai snaps and points a finger at Atsushi, “Knew you would, owe ya!” He smirks.
“You owe me a lot, actually—”
Dazai interrupts Atsushi, “Quick! Before Kunikida comes back with the takeout!"
He walked up the tile steps, and he noticed that the light was on. He began to step closer out of curiosity. He stopped in his tracks once he heard a melody; his legs moved against his wishes, and he peeked his head into the room.
A tall, thin, pale man was sitting in front of the piano, his long fingers gracefully playing each note. He had scrappy black hair and unkempt microbangs that faded into white. Atsushi couldn’t get a clear look at his face, only the long lashes that glanced back and forth from the music sheet to his hands. He snapped out of his daze once the man came to a stop.
The man blinked at Atsushi.
Atsushi blinked back.
He then snapped out of his senses and realized what he came here for. “S-sorry, didn't mean to spy on you! Ha ha, just borrowing an amp.” Atsushi sheepishly said while picking up the amp.
The man didn't respond. Atsushi looked back at the knotted wires, “You're really good at the piano.”
He was untangling the cords when he realized he was talking to himself. The man seemingly scampered off. The music sheets were off the piano, and it was shut. He kicked the wires off him before hopping over on one leg to where he could clearly see the door. He really did disappear. How could someone move so quietly? He couldn't help but feel the embarrassment bubble in his cheeks, and he quickly snapped out of it.
Jerk.
“You usually don't do that when someone's talking to you… “ he mumbles to himself.
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Atsushi probably wouldn't have thought about it for the whole semester, maybe the whole school year, but he had one problem.
Was he always in the same building as him? And the same floor, to be exact. He missed the keyhole multiple times, distracted by the tall, familiar man opening the door to his supposed room. He quickly shuffled into his room. He shivered, blowing into his calloused hands. He kicked off his sneakers and gently placed his guitar case against his nightstand.
He hummed a bit while he looked through his small CD rack, running his finger down each case until one caught his eye. He pulled out Blur's 13 album. He placed his disk in the CD player and turned down the volume. He'd rather not get another noise complaint.
For the next week, he kept seeing the guy over and over. In hallways, in the library, on the train, in the goddamn convenience store.
He stood behind the man, peeking over to see what he was buying. An energy drink. He squints to see the flavor.
The man glanced at him; he glanced back. He cracked an awkward smile. The man furrowed his eyebrows and walked away.
“Are you ready to check out, sir?"
Atsushi's attention was brought back to the drink in his hand.
“Yeah.”
Atsushi opened his wallet, handing the cashier the money, his focus still on the door.
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Ryunosuke was wandering around the music wing. He was waiting for a text from Chuuya, since he was his ride back to the dorms. He stopped at the open door; he always walked past this room on his way to the music room.
He switched on the lights, to his surprise, a dark wooden piano. He runs his fingers along the indents and imperfections, collecting dust. He wipes the dust from the bench.
He reaches under and drags a box out, shuffling the various sheets of music inside. Piano Concerto No. 2 by Moszkowski caught his eye. He flicked the metronome on and straightened the sheet music. He took a deep breath and begins to play.
Once he finishes, he realizes that he's not alone. He turns around and sees another man who looks somewhat his age, with white hair and unique-colored eyes. He slowly drags his hands off the piano. The man apologizes and compliments him on the performance. Ryunosuke is still comprehending the fact that he wasn't alone. The tips of his pale ears flushed red.
The man continued to talk, but Ryunosuke, however, was already pushing the bench back in and putting the music away. He gently shut the piano, grabbed his coat, and left.
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“I hope I didn't keep you waiting." Chuuya apologized, his hand pulling the gear shift back.
“It's fine.” Ryunosuke mumbles, the coat still in his arms.
“Something wrong?” Chuuya asks, his gaze still focused on backing out of the parking spot.
“There's a piano in that one storage room in the music wing," Ryunosuke replied, looking out the window.
Chuuya hums to show he's listening. Ryunosuke looks at his reflection.
“I started playing it, and this one guy, he heard it all.”
Chuuya glanced at Ryunosuke's expression. “Is that bad?"
“Yes. It is." he pauses, “I wasn't playing seriously, and someone heard.”
“Does it matter? I've heard you play seriously and unseriously, you're great either way."
“That's not the point. I've seen that boy before. He's the one that Dazai’s been with. That boy.”
Chuuya scoffs. "You seriously care about what some kid thinks?"
“Of course not. You don't understand, that boy is with Dazai.”
Chuuya sighs; he's well aware he can't change how Ryunosuke thinks about himself when it comes to Dazai. They drive down the familiar road, Chuuya puts the car in park, and Ryunosuke unbuckles his seatbelt.
“Thank you, Chuuya,” Ryunosuke says into the open car window.
“Anytime.” Chuuya cracks a smile. Ryunosuke watches him drive off. He turns around and walks up the steps to the dormitory. He walks past the statue of the university's Mascot, a cattle dog.
Ryunosuke was at the door of his dorm. He paused, opening the door. He felt the uneasy feeling of eyes on him once again. He turned around and saw a door, 5 rooms ahead of him, close. He shook off that feeling and headed inside.
He felt a light, furry creature rub against his legs. A white cat with dark grey stripes. He gently rubbed the cat's back. It purred before jumping onto the table beside the door. Ryunosuke tossed the keys onto a ceramic plate before dropping onto his bed.
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Throughout that week, he continued to have the uneasy feeling of eyes on him; it was a completely different feeling than being on stage.
He was at a convenience store close to the dormitory. He opened the fridge door to look at the various flavours of energy drinks. He grabbed Pomegranate Acai. Once again, he had the feeling of eyes on him. As the cashier scanned his item, he turned his head around, and his gaze met with the same boy from the storage room that one day. The boy cracked a pathetic smile. He furrowed his eyebrows, the cashier handed him his purchase, and he left.
Strange…