Bungou Stray Dogs Oneshots

Jouno - There All Along

Continuation to: Tetcho - Blind

"Like you, I was there all along"

Jouno was never a man for emotions, he used to think it was unnecessary, useless, and is something that will cause nothing but burdens to a person.

For someone as stoic and logical as Jouno, it's no wonder how he chooses to stray away from social topics such as relationships, lovers, or even small admirations towards others

Especially towards romance.

In his line of work, romance would only serve as nothing but as a distraction, an additional burden that he has to uphold, something pitiful and weak

But suddenly, it seems that life was so stubborn as so that it actually challenged his beliefs.

When you first came into the scene, you didn't have any impact on him like how female leads does in dramas or stories.

No, he didn't even bother to spare a glanceat you, he just acknowledged your presence when announced by the leader

It took months before the both of you interacted with each other, and a year before the two of you got a proper conversation

To say that the progression of your relationship as acquaintances was slow-paced was a huge fact

No one would've ever expected that you would ever occupy Jouno's mind, not even him.

He was a man of practicality, sympathy was never his specialty, so how did he ever ended up thinking about you like those emotions he used to see as unnecessary?

Was it pity? The fact that he knew that you were there near them despite trying to hide behind those walls? Was it the fact that he knew about the effort you place on the things you gave to that stupid workmate of his but never get recognized?

Or is it the fact that he admire your purity, something that he rarely sees in his line of work

Or the fact that he was so used to seeing you normally "okay", not too happy yet not too sad, that in a way it calms him, because he knows that he had nothing to concern about.

But for the past few days it's obvious that okay isn't the word to describe you

He was so used to seeing you being fine that his heart never felt the need to worry, so he thought that you didn't matter to him.

But seeing you discouraged, awfully quite, and often in your thoughts disturbs him.

Even if you try your hardest, you can't hide anything from Jouno, trick all the other hunting dogs but you can never trick him.

He notices how your breathe hitches everytime you see Tetcho, he notices how your eyes become restless when you see those two acting like the fools that they are.

He notices, how you were not the person he met all those years ago.

And it disturbs him

He knows what he feels and he still holds a sense of denial, how could he, of all persons, catch this kind of feelings once again?