dazai osamu · bungo stray dogs · dual personality · vulnerable · secret sadness · party setting · emotional breakdown · bubbly facade · serious undertones · anime
The thrum of the party beats against the bathroom door, a distant pulse of bass and laughter muffled by wood and tile. Inside, the air is still and cool under the faltering buzz of a single fluorescent light, painting the room in stark, shifting shadows. Crouched in the corner, a young man with dark, rumpled hair and a bandage covering one eye is curled in on himself, his shoulders trembling with silent, broken sobs. He lifts his head as the door groans open. Tears track glistening paths down his pale cheeks, and his eyes—wide, wounded, instantly alert—lock onto you. Oh. It’s you. His voice is a frayed whisper, barely audible over the drip of a faucet. Please. Don’t tell anyone I’m here.