After a few hours, Dazai woke up. He found himself alone in the bedroom. ''Chuuya?'' He went out and looked around his house, and no one was there.
Hmm... maybe he went home.
And he went to the kitchen to cook himself some porridge. He still had a headache, but compared to the thumping pain before his sleep, he felt much better now. He was having his dinner when he checked his phone and saw a text from Tachihara.
Sorry, I was supposed to look after you but then I had work to do 😬😬
It was a lie, Tachihara didn't have work to do.
Yeah it's ok haha I'm feeling much better now. Don't sweat it 👌
''Ding dong~'' the doorbell rang, it was Chuuya again. ''Hey.'' He came in. ''Where's Tachihara?'' he asked after seeing Dazai alone in the house. ''He had work so he left, I didn't even know he's been here, actually,'' Dazai said.
''No, we didn't have work,'' Chuuya said in a confused manner. Dazai tilted his head a bit, then came to realization. ''Oh, right, cuz you're his superior, you'd have work if he did.'' Chuuya's eyebrow twitched. ''That piece of-- he'd better not let me find out he went out for a date or something.''
Little did they know, at this moment, Tachihara was sitting on the floor alone in his home. He had a gloomy face on, frustrated and sad at the same time. He had figured it out, as to why he felt this way when Dazai and Chuuya got closer with each other every day, as to why deep down he didn't want Dazai to end up with Chuuya. It was because he had fallen for Dazai. He didn't know starting from when, all he knew was that he was in pain because of that.
*
Dazai's fever cooled down after the next day, and as accountable as he was, he went back to the bar as soon as Chuuya gave in to his persuasion to let him get back to work.
Dazai might look tall and healthy, but in fact, he could easily have a fever after getting caught in the rain or merely by not getting enough sleep for a few days. His body was weak, not the strong and anti-illness kind. And after his fever, Chuuya and Tachihara got to know that.
They both too went to the bar, for a drink, but the one serving drinks at the counter wasn't the brunet they knew. ''Where's Dazai?'' Tachihara asked Chuuya, whom shrugged while looking around. ''Hey,'' Dazai spoke behind them. The two turned around and saw that he wasn't in his usual bartender clothes, he wore a white texudo outside of a black waistcoat, where underneath it was a white dress shirt. He looked elegant.
The two mafioso were stunned. ''Wha--'' Chuuya got stuck in his words, his mind loading for what to say. ''Wha-- What happened to you?'' Then he shook his head as if he was telling himself that he said the wrong thing. ''No I mean-- you're gorgeous.'' Tachihara nodded beside him, then said, ''But why are you dressed like this?''
Dazai smiled with a hint of shyness. ''I'm playing the piano today, my boss just informed me this morning.'' Chuuya got confused at so many things, then he decided to ask the first question. ''You play the piano?'' Dazai nodded. ''But you don't have a piano at home.'' ''Yeah I gave it out not long ago because a girl from a poor family really wanted a piano for her birthday.''
Then Chuuya asked the second question, ''Why today then?'' Tachihara kept quiet beside them, just looking at them as Chuuya asked the same questions in his head. ''Because the boss knows that I had just recovered from a high fever. Besides, it's Valentine's Day.''
Chuuya stared at him for a while. ''It is?'' And Dazai nodded again. ''It's time, I have to go, bye.'' Then he walked towards the stage.
The Curve was a bar which always had blaring pop music on. But on Valentine's Day, there would be piano performances because the boss knew that the customers would want a romantic vibe. And this year, he assigned Dazai to be the pianist for the occasion. He informed Dazai last minute, but at least he decided to be the bartender for the day and let Dazai get off work right after the performance.
On the stage always stood a piano. Spotlights were adjusted, and the customers quieted down when Dazai walked up the stage. He bowed before sitting on the piano bench, then he elegantly moved his fingers along the black and white keys, playing pleasant music out of the classic instrument.
He played ''Moonlight'' by Beethoven, a slow paced and relaxing song. It sounded romantic, but at the same time, sad if heard by people who were preoccupied with bitterness in their hearts. The way he played it was unique, like he had a story to tell, a story filled with sorrow, the story of his life.
Everyone listened to Dazai's playing quietly, Chuuya and Tachihara too, it was hard to tear their gaze off the gorgeous, handsome pianist playing the instrument elegantly.
''I still can't believe he can play a piano...'' Chuuya whispered ever so softly. Then he looked at Tachihara, whom was still staring at Dazai, unable to hear what he had just said. But it wasn't the fact that he didn't hear Chuuya that caught Chuuya's attention, it was his eyes. There was sorrow in his eyes, it was the first time Chuuya saw this look on his face. Tachihara didn't even notice that Chuuya was looking at him, he was just so focused on the brunet.
No matter how perfect you are, no matter how much I like you, you'll never be mine... will you, Dazai?
*
Dazai went into a small room where the lockers of the bar's staffs were at. He was going to open his locker for his casual clothes when the sound of the door being opened was heard. Turning around, he saw a ginger head walk in with an excited look. ''That was unbelievable!'' Needless to say, it was Chuuya.
''Chuuya, it says 'Staffs Only' on the sign outside,'' Dazai said with a helpless smile. ''It's fine, no one's gonna come,'' Chuuya said as the door closed behind him. Then Dazai heard his boss's voice getting closer outside. ''Oh no, hide, hide!'' Dazai pulled Chuuya to the corner of the room which was right beside the door. Then the door opened, covering them up in the corner forming a triangular narrow space.
The fat middle-aged boss went in to grab some glasses and sat on a stool looking at his phone. Trapped in that narrow space, Dazai and Chuuya could only wait for him to leave. They were facing each other, so close to each other that they could feel each other's breaths brush on their faces.
Chuuya looked up at Dazai, whose eyes met with his. Subconsciously, Chuuya started to reach up, his lips getting closer to Dazai's. And Dazai didn't budge, he just stood still embracing what was going to come. Closer, and closer, their lips touched. But before Chuuya could press closer, Dazai suddenly pulled away and looked away.
Feeling confused, Chuuya frowned a little.
It happened again.
It happened again. It was obvious Dazai liked him too, but every single time, he would draw back after showing acceptance to Chuuya's show of affection.
The sound of the stool's leg screeching on the floor was heard. The boss stood up and went out of the room closing the door behind him, leaving the two alone in it.
''... Dazai?'' Chuuya looked carefully at the brunet's expression, Dazai had visible anxiety in his unstable movement of eyes. ''I'm sorry,'' said Dazai. He was still looking away, avoiding eye contact with the ginger head. ''I--I'm sorry...'' he said again, Chuuya could hear that his breathing was getting faster. Then Dazai opened the door. He glanced at Chuuya for a second before walking away.
''Hey,'' Tachihara said when Dazai walked past him. ''Hey,'' the brunet replied with a forced smile. He convinced himself to stop and not ignore his friend. ''So you can paint, and you can play the piano. Like, what???'' Tachihara said jokingly.
Dazai wore a dry smile. ''I used to always be alone, no friends to hang out with, so... I guess I had to find something to learn.'' Then he became worried that Chuuya would soon catch up to him, he said, ''Um I have to go, there's work at home I haven't finished yet, see ya.'' He waved his hand. ''Okay, see ya,'' Tachihara responded.
Seconds after Dazai had left, Chuuya came and stood beside Tachihara. ''Yo where have you been?'' Then Chuuya looked around, and his gaze fell on the entrance. ''Nowhere, juz the bathroom.'' ''Is everything alright?'' Tachihara asked. ''Yeah, yeah why not?'' Chuuya answered casually.
No nothing's alright right now.
YOU ARE READING
It's Okay, Really
Fanfiction''You're hurting him when he doesn't even deserve it.'' Tachihara was mad, Chuuya could sense it in his tone. ''Chuuya... I'm sorry that you hate me...'' Dazai's voice was weak, his jaw was trembling uncontrollably. Chuuya became more anxious, he st...
