Closer to You (DISCONTINUED)

5. Atsushi

🌊Atsushi🌊

"Why are we going so early?" Akutagawa asked, groaning as he walked behind me out of the room.

"I don't know. Did you not sleep well last night?"

"Hm. Just woke up early to Chuuya screaming."

"Wait, what'd he say?" I stopped in the hall, turning to look back at Akutagawa with a twinge of humor in my tone.

"From what I gather, Dazai wrote him a note that said 'good morning shortie'."

"I can't believe I slept through that."

"It seemed like quite the spectacle."

I laughed, surprised to be enjoying the talk with Akutagawa. Maybe when we both try our best and put our differences aside, we aren't so bad to each other.

"Hopefully Chuuya will be... calmer tomorrow morning," Akutagawa continued.

"Dazai definitely has something planned. He said he's too busy with Chuuya to piss Kunikida off." Akutagawa coughed as we turned the corner to the elevators, beginning to stare at Chuuya. Then I noticed his beach hat, trying to hold back a chuckle.

"Sh-shut up! It's not like I can wear my regular hat."

"I think it suits you Chuuya," Dazai said, poking the blue flower on the hat. "Matches your eyes."

"Yeah," I said, awkwardly looking back up at the hat. "You look fine, I've just never expect to see you wear something like that."

"You'd be surprised what I've caught him trying on before. There was an even more flowery hat-"

"Oh, shut it, will you?"

"I didn't say anything bad." Was that a glint of amusement in Akutagawa's eyes?

An elevator opened, and they crowded in to go down. "Looks like we're late anyway, Kunikida will be so mad..." Dazai said, his voice quaking with a giggle.

We walked outside once we reached the ground floor, heading down to the sand and towards the ocean. I gasped, grinning as I saw the ocean close up. The waves cascaded up to the shore, leaving wet sand exposed to the sun in between the forceful waves, almost coming in like clockwork. The waves reared and then crashed down, leaving white foam on top of the water.

Akutagawa stopped next to me. "Are we still going?"

"Of course, I just... like to enjoy it." I'd never really seen waves like this before. Gentle enough to stand and play in, but forceful nonetheless. I suddenly felt a tingling to stand in the waves like many were already doing.

He waited for me, taking me looking back at him as a signal I was ready to go. 'Oddly nice', I thought. Chuuya and Dazai were far ahead by now, bickering loudly about something as they made their way towards the group. We finally reached the group. I waved over to Kyouka and she stood to walk over.

"Good morning." she glanced over at Akutagawa pointedly, looking back at me. "I made bentos for everyone. Here." She handed me two, the second for Akutagawa, and began to walk away.

"Thanks Kyouka!" I called after her, turning to Akutagawa with a smile. "Here, she gave me one for you too."

"I'll see if I want it later," he said, taking the box from my hand with a cough.

"Alright. I assume you want to go sit by Chuuya and Dazai?"

"...Not really. I don't want to hear them argue all day."

"I think I'll go over to Ranpo, maybe he'll share his snacks..."

"I've got no where better to go, may I come?"

"Of course!" I lead him over to where Ranpo was sitting, a pocky stick hanging from his mouth.

"Hey Atsushi! Come sit." He smiled as we sat down, and he shoved the rest of the stick into his mouth. "Do you have anything in your bento you don't want? I can take it."

"I don't know, I haven't checked it yet."

"You can have mine," Akutagawa offered. "I'm not hungry."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Awesome, thanks!" Ranpo picked up the box and opened it, grinning.

I watched Ranpo enjoy the food, smiling over at Akutagawa.

"That was really nice, you know."

"Don't get used to it, we-Atsushi."

I chuckled as Kunikida stood up. He was wearing the same thing as always, and I thought I could see some sweat dripping from his forehead. "Quiet down everyone!"

Across the crowd, I saw Dazai plug his headphones in and imagined I could hear him quietly singing as he mouthed the words.

"This trip is a celebration of our victory against the Guild. Thank all of you, but especially those who were involved with the battle on the Moby Dick. Atsushi and Akutagawa, who fought against the boss that day, Dazai, who planned this all... and to Kyouka." Kunikida smiled over to her. "Our newest member who saved the mission."

Atsushi felt his face warm up when the rest of the crowd clapped. He glanced over to Akutagawa, who looked relatively unphased. Kyouka looked proud. Dazai was still bopping his head to the music.

"So remember to have fun. We have all earned it." He nodded and sat back down.

"That's why we were wanted down here," Akutagawa said, looking over at me.

"Yeah. And it's so early so that he won't have a heat stroke in those clothes..."

I saw Dazai coming towards us, and I waved at him. He smiled and raised a hand back. I waited until he stopped in front of us.

"You two getting along?"

"Actually... so far, yeah!"

"Akutagawa?"

"Atsushi isn't really that much of an idiot once you know him."

"Well I'll take what I can get..." I said, sighing.

"Great! Well, I'd better go back to my dog before he starts rummaging through people's bags, byee!"

I watched him leave, blinking. "His dog? Dazai hates dogs."

"It's what he calls Chuuya. Something about a bet."

"They're a weird pair for sure... anyways," I grinned over at him. "Race
you to the shoreline!"

I began to run ahead, laughing as I heard him yell, "Atsushi...! Rashoumon!" He suddenly catapulted over me with his ability.

"Hey, I never said abilities were allowed!"

"You got a head start!" I gritted my teeth, activating my ability in my legs and launching forward. We raced towards the same spot, stretching our hands out to be the one to touch the wet sand first.

We got closer until we crashed into each other, falling down hard on the sand.

"So it's a tie...?" I asked, huffing as I let my legs go back to normal.

"No, I am the winner."

"What makes you think that?"

"You cheated with the head start."

"You cheated with Rashoumon."

"When you said to race, you didn't specify I had to run."

"Fair enough..." I sighed, standing up and brushing sand off of my knees. "Fine, you win."

"I suppose I will share the victory with you."

"Thanks, Akutagawa." Two words I thought I'd never say together, but... here I am. "You're really not that bad."

"I could say the same for you."