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You dragged your suitcase into the main office, the sound of the wheels scraping against the polished floor seemed to echo throughout the space. You looked around nervously, feeling the weight of the previous night's events on your shoulders. Despite the morning sun streaming through the window, the room felt cold and tense. You took a deep breath, trying to quell the nervous flutter in your stomach.
Dazai and Yosano greeted you warmly, their smiles bright and cheery. "Good morning!" Dazai exclaimed, "where did you disappear to last night? I barely saw you at the award ceremony."
You felt your cheeks flush with embarrassment, but there was no way in hell you were going to tell Dazai of all people the truth of your whereabouts last night. "Oh, I kinda just stayed outside in the smoking area. I needed the fresh air." You responded, your voice unconvincing even to your own ears.
Dazai and Yosano exchanged a skeptical glance, but didn't press the matter any further. Instead, they both wished you luck on your trip to Tokyo and returned to their work.
Your heart raced as you made your way towards Ranpo's desk. You had been dreading this moment since you had woken up this morning. Ranpo was already sitting there, his suitcase standing next to him. You glanced over at him, hoping for any kind of greeting, or even just a nod of acknowledgement, but he refused to meet your gaze; the silence between you almost suffocating. His eyes remained fixed on some paperwork in front of him.
It was hard to believe that just last night the two of you had shared such a passionate moment in the gazebo. The memory of Ranpo's lips on yours still sent shivers down your spine, but now it seemed like that moment had never happened. Instead, you were nothing more than two strangers in a room, both too afraid to break the uncomfortable silence.
With a determined sigh, you took a step closer to Ranpo's desk, your suitcase bumping against your leg. You took a deep breath, trying to steady your nerves, before finally speaking. "Are you ready to go?"
Ranpo looked up at you, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the two of you simply stared at each other, the tension between you almost corporeal. Finally, Ranpo nodded his head, but said nothing.
You felt a knot form in your stomach as the two of you made your way to the train station. You couldn't shake the feeling that things were going to be different between you from now on. You couldn't help but replay the events of the previous night in your mind, reliving every touch and every kiss. You were driving yourself completely and utterly insane by doing this.
As the two of you boarded the train to Tokyo, you couldn't stop yourself from stealing glances at Ranpo every so often. He seemed lost in thought, his eyes fixed on the passing scenery outside the window. As the train chugged along the tracks, the scenery outside became a blur of colours and shapes. The world seemed to rush past in a dizzying display of movement and light. Trees flew by in a haze of green and brown, their branches reaching up towards the sky like gnarled fingers. The occasional flash of a bird or small animal darting through the foliage added a flicker of life to the otherwise still landscape. You couldn't help but wonder if he was thinking about your shared moment in the gazebo, or if he regretted it as much as you feared he might.
