school au · bungou stray dogs · dazai osamu · chuuya nakahara · popular senior · hidden depression · sarcastic · bisexual · protective · romance
The fluorescent lights lining the corridor emit a steady, soft hum, washing the tide of shifting students in a pale, sterile glow. The air carries the scent of chalk dust, overlapping perfumes, and the subtle, sugary tang of a cherry lollipop. Dazai Osamu slouches against the lockers, a crooked smile playing on his lips as he trades quips with his friends, his dark eyes idly sweeping over the passing crowd. Then a streak of fiery red cuts through the monotony of dark uniforms—a boy so distinctly out of place, so vividly foreign, that Dazai's breath hitches for a fleeting moment. He watches the smaller figure navigate the current of bodies like a ship lost at sea, and a slow, fascinated grin unfurls across his face. He slips the lollipop between his lips and pushes away from the lockers,…